The San Francisco call., 1897-11-08
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAvIE5.

Experiments have been mads in the French
navy with paints which would most success
fully conceal vessels from an enemy's observa.
tion. Gray and black met the requirements
during daytime, but at night the electric
light made these colors easily distinguis ha BILE
During the recent naval manuevers at Brest il
is stated torpedo coated with a newly in
vented paint succeeded in trave sing. without
being seen, the luminous zole produced by
the electric projectors.
Hall dozen stern-w wheel gunboats are being
built by IarrCw for service on the Nile. They
| are l45 feet in length, "A feet inches beam
and draw TWO feet with load OF thirty Fl We
tons. They have two screws, ana with 600
horsepower will make speed OF thirtee n
knols. The material is steel, and the hull is
built In eleven sections, for easy shipment.
and bolted together when ready for launch
ing. The armament consists OF two 12-pound-
ers and severa machine guns.
Last month the British Asiatic squadron, con.
sisting Of eight vessels, and the Japanese
squadron OF six vessels assembled in the
port CT Muroran, Hokkaido and by precon.
cected agreement proceeded to engage in naval
maneuvers. Each squadron acted indepeu-
IDENTITY and formed ia bittle line, engaged in
gun practice and boat dri !. and each one
tried to excel the other in smartness. The re-
suits are said to have been very satisfactory to
the two squadrons from witnessing each
others maneuvers.
dispatch boat called Miyako is ready for
launching at Kure. Her keel was la d in
March, 1896. She is of 1900 tons displace-
ment twenty knots speed and carries 400
tons of coal. The cruiser Akashi building at
Yokosuka. will also be put in the water dur
ing the present month. The Akashi is of $500
tone La,
to have speed of nineteen aud half knots.
Her armament is composed OF two 6-inch
quick firing, six four-inch quick firing, twelve
6-pounders, four machine guns and two tor
pedo tubes.
During the recent court martial Of the COM
mander OF the torpedo boat destroyer Thrasher
for the strandng OF his vessel during dense
fog, the fact was brought out that under slow
speed the vessel steered badly and that it was
not safe TO run her at less than ten knots
There are many conditions under which it
may not be advisable TO run vessel at ten
Knots, when, for example, foggy weather pre-
walls or when the vessel is picking her way
among number of ships. There are four
vessels built from the lines of the ThraSher
all of which, no doubt, have the same fault,
and they are all from Laird's yard at Birken-
head.
Extensive reforms are proposed in the army
and navy of China. and it would appear, ac-
cording to the Berliner Tageblatt, as il British
influence is again being reasserted 1t Is con-
templated to establish three dockyards-one
in the north in the Bay OF Kianchian, the
second in Nan Kwan and the third in Mrs
bay, near Hongkong A board OF admiralty
patterned after that of England is TO be
created. The programme of shipbuilding for
purely defensive purposes embraces two
armor-ciads of the Centurion type, two
cruisers, six torpedo boat destroyers and two
gun boats.
The British battle-shlp Cesar has completed
her series of trial trips with sa satisfactory re-
suits, and from which the following brief data
are taken: Under natural draught, eight
hours, 10. $50 horss power, 1877 knots; forced
draught trial, four hours, with .7S-inch air
pressure. II. .652-h horse power and 1877 knots
speed Under thirty consecutive hours half
power trial, 10 ascertain the coal consumption,
the horsepower averaged 6309, the speed IA 8
knots and the coal consumed 93 pounds per
horsepower per hour III the first two trials
the stea m carried in the boilers was 145 and
LAT pounds and during the thirty hours trial
little over 142 pounds The speed WAS taken
by patent log ioI which a siderable reduc-
tion at nigh speeds must be allowed.