The San Francisco call., 1897-05-17
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAvIES.

The Chinese Government has ordered eleven
protected cruisers and torpedo-boat destroyers
from German shipyards.
The battle-ship Csnopus, building at Ports.
mouth dockyard, still keeps the lead in
rapidfty of construction over the other yards
Since January 4, when the first keel plate was
lald, 1879 IONS had been worked into the hull
up to April 25. This constitutes about one
third OF the weight of the hull and at this rate
her launch may be looked for within the
present year by good margin.
1t takes years to build vessel in France oil
even moderate dimensions. The dEstrees, a
third-class cruiser, sheathed, is building al
Rochefort, the order for her construction being
given July %, 1885, and the year 1900 being
liked for completion. The d'Estrees is only
2413 tons displacement, with engines OF $500
horsepower. calculated to give speed of 20.5
knots. The estimated cost is $910,711.
Two torpedo boat destroyers, the first of that
type in the French navy, are being built at the
Normand yard. They are of 300 tons displace-
ment, 1S0 feet in length and 19 feet inches
beam, with 10 feet inches draught aft. Only
26 knobs are expected on 4SOO horsepower.
Their armament will consist of one nine
FOUNDER, six six-pounders and two torpedo
tubes, and the cost OF each boat Is 1926, ,397.
The estimated cost, exclusive Of guns, of the
four firstclass cruisers of 1900 tons and
10000 horsepower, taken from the British
naval estimates is Tor the Andromeda,
So. 7S8. .610, Diadem S2.974 ,450, Niobe, $2,-
S79. 1S0, Europa So, ,S34 $50. The Andromeda
is being built at Pembroke dockyard, the
others by contract, and it will be noted that
the estimates for the dockyard-built ship are
the lowest of any.
The cost of the nine battle-ships of ID, 900
tons and 1900 horsepower, building for the
British navy, aggregates $39 986,915. Seven
OF them are building IN the dockyards and
two by contract The highest estimate is
81 $50, $40, for the Majestic at Portsmouth h I;
4. BAT .305 is the lowest, for the 1llustrious at
Chatham, while the Jupiter and Mars. built
by contract are estimated to cost 81, 1876, ,915
and $4, ,401 ,295 each.
The Isis, second.class cruiser of $500 tons,
had q narrow escape last N onth from destruc-
tion by fire at Chatham dockyard, where she
is fitting for her completion. Spontaneous
com bustion fired lot OF oily waste left on the
upper deck, and considerable damage was
done before the fire was exunguished. Three
serious collisions of ships on the home
stations and fire on board of ship is the
record OF one months accidents in the British
navy.
Electricity on shipboard was only intro
duced about nine years ago, chiefly for ht-
ing purposes, but up to the present time 1T
has grown in utility, largely taking the place
OF the ordinary steam engine and of hand
labor. In the French navy electricity is more
extensively used than in any other, while
Great Britain prefers to await practical re-
suits and does not care TO take the chances of
delicate machines and other contrivances
breaking down or falling at critical moment.
Some idea of the extensive use of electricity
on ships-of- war can be formed from the outfit
of the ermored cruiser Jose Garibaldi of the
Argentine navy. There are 45O electric lamps
in the citadel and below the protective deck |;
$50 lamps used for general lighting outside
of the protected partsof the ship. six venti-
lators, one large searchlight, three ammuni-
ton hoists, two motors for each turret and
seven other motors comprise the varied uses
of electricity on this latest modern ship-of-war.