The San Francisco call., 1897-03-29
NEWS OF FoRE.GN NAVIES.

The British battle-ship Jupiter. 1900 tons,
on her trial trip March 9 averaged 1874 knots
for four hours The contract speed was l7.5
knots.
One million dollars will probably be ex-
pended by Great Britain in improvements and
extension of the Hongkong dockyard. Alarge
drydock is one of the pressing needs.
The Hart and Hardy, torpedo-boat destroy
ers OF 295 tons displacement, have arrived
safely at Hongkong where they will be at
tached to the British China squadron. Their
passage up from Singapore in the teeth of the
northeast monsoon was very trying to the
small crafts, but the officers speak in the
highest terms OF their seaworthiness through
their long voyage from England.
Foreign navies are rapidly adopting petro-
leum as fuel, and France, Germany and Italy
are going in for using it on an extensive scale.
1t is claimed for it that by its use the speed OF
vessel can be increased from eight to thir-
teen knots in from seven to fifteen minutes.
In addition the boilers suffer less from using
this fuel than with coal As yet it is only In
tended to use it auxiliary, but French engi-
neer has designed q boiler for the sole use OF
this particular fuel.
orforeign service the German Admiralty
has designed an entirely new type of cruiser.
The dimensions are 1913 feet length, 38 feet 8
inches beam and 10 feet inches mean
draught Displacement only 26OO tons, which
indicates very sharp lines, and ilsures a
speed of 1917 knots with 5000 horsepower.
The coal capacity is 500 tons and the compile
ment 100 men. The battery will consist of
ten 61s-inch quick-firing guns and fourteen
machine guns. Each of these cruisers will
cost about ST. 100000.
The Prince Albert, the third Oldest ironclad
IN the British navy, is at last to be removed
from the list of effective ships aud be con-
demned. She ls of $500 tons displacement and
was built in 1866 at cost of 81, lao, ,235, and
has cost III repairs up to the present time
$3lS,o7O. Her speed never exceeded 10 knots
and her commissions extend only over seven
years six mouths. the last service being in the
naval maneuvers ten years ago.. The fact that
the ship was named after tine Queens husband
has alone saved her from the scrap-heap for
many years.
The Niobe, first-elass cruiser of IL 900 tons
displacement, sheathed with wood and cop
pered, was launched February 20 from the
yard of the Naval Construction ana Arma-
ment Company at Barrow-in.Furness She is
one OF eight ships on the same design, six oi
which are building by contract and two at the
Pembroke yard. The Niobe is 435 feet in
| length, 69 feet beam end has mean draught
OF 25 feet 3 inches. The horsepower under
natural draught is to be L. 500, with which q
speed OF twenty and half knots is antici
pated. The coal capacity is 1000 tons at load
draught and bunker space for 1000 tons, and
the armament consists of sixteen 6-inch and
seventeen smaller guns, all of them quick
firers. Sir William White, who designed the
vessel, expects great results from this class
which is designed for long-cistance cruising,
and, while they are only protected cruisers
the protection afforded is greater than in pre-
vious designs of that class. Thus the armored
deck is inches thick and the coming tower
IL incnes. The total complement will be 7IS
officers and men. The total estimated cost,
exclusive Of guns and ordnance stores, is
So 723. $50.