The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-23

The Swedish Govern ment mas selected the
Yarrow type of water-tube boiler for use in
several torpedo-boats building at Stockholm.
Latest advices of Japanese warships build
Ing in England give three Dattle-ships of
14S00 tons each; two armored cruisers, each
of $500 tons, and one armored cruiser Of
10000 tons.
The Goliath, battle-ship OF IL. $50 tons,
building at the Chatham dOckyard since jan
uary last, is being pushed rap idly toward
com pletion. Six hundred men are working
overtime on the ship, and the ways are being
laid for the launching, which is expected to
take place some time next Ocober.
AT the recent naval review at Spithead the
batile-ship Prince George was illuminated
with 1870 electric lamps. 1t has been cal Gu
lated that the entire electric light display
aggregated 739, 800 candlepowers; that it took
$3.50 horsepower 10 supply the current and
that The mileage OF lamps was ffty-iour miles,
the lamps averaging five and one hi lf feet
apart
The Italian armored cruiser Varesa was
launched at Leghorn on Sunday, July rs last.
The snip is 32S feet in length, SO feet inches
beam and displaces 6840 tons on % ieet
draught The machinery, built IN England.
is triple expansion of $4,000 horsepower,
q
speed of 20 knots. The armor consists OF q
water-line belt of 6-inch HarveyiZed steel and
the battery is composed of two 10-inch. ten g.
inch, six 47-inch, ten 2.2-inch, ten 1.4-inch
and two machine guns, besides four torpedo
tubes.
The superiority of the water tube boiler over
those of the old pattern was recently demon
strated in speed contest between the Quail,
Decoy and Havock and three other torpedo
boat destroyers. The theoretical speed OF the
Quail is 80 knots, of the Decoy 81 and of the
Hayock %. The two hrst.named have water
tube boilers; the Havock has locomotive boil
ers. The race started from Falmouth and
lasted over an hour, at the end OF which the
Havock was left behind. At speed of eight
cen knots the latter boat was unable to keep
up with the others.
The French battle-ship Henri Nv, building
at Cherbourg since September OF last year,
will not be ready for her trial trips until some
time during 1901. Although her displacement
is only S94S tons, the estimated cost, includ-
ing armament, is $4,006,0O0. or al the rate of
$447 per ton displacement. The battle-ship
Indiana of the United States navy, begun May
z 1891, and placed In commission November
90 1896, is of 10, 200 tons displacement and
cost i'll round numbers 81, 100000 ready for
sea, which is at the rate of SAL per ton-a
rather satisfactory showing on the part OF our
navy when the great disparity In wages paid
here and in France is taken into consldera-
ton, and, furthermore, that the Indiana was
the first battle-ship built In this country,
while scores have been built in France.
Supplementary naval appropriations for
navy building in France have been allowed,
according to which the ship programme has
been somewhat changed from the original
scheme The battle-ship Jena will be built
and also three firsl-class armored cruisers and
two second class armor, d cruisers. The larger
one viii be of $500 tons, 459 feet in length
and 63 feet z inches beam, armed with two
7.6-inch and eight 6S-inch breech-loading
guns, besides twenty-four of small caiibers.
The engines will be of 1900 horsepower,
water-tube boilers, triple screws to drive the
ship 81 knots. The second-class armored
cruiser will be oil 1850 tons armed with eight
6S-lnch guns and sixteen quick-frers and
machine guns. The engines OF II 800 horse
power will drive three screws and speed of
81 knots is intended. In addition TO these
six armored ships the progra provides for
four torpedo-boat destroyers OF 300 tons and
nine torpedo-boats of 80 tons. The sum of
81, 421, $50 is allowed to start the work, which
is less than one-tenth OF the final cost of the
vessels and the scheme may-as is quite FREE
quently the case in the French maybe
greatly modified when additional money Is
asked for.