The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-25

SQUADRON are all modern vessels Of high
speed and powerful armament--the Hawke.
1850 tons: Astraea aud Cambrian, 4o0o
tons. and the smaller cruisers, Scout, Fear
| less and Blanche. A number of other pow
erful cruisers passing through the Medi-
terranean are also available In case of
need but 1t is unnecessary to enumerate
these.
Among the other vessels attached TO the
British Mediterranean squadron is flotilia
of destroyers--the Dragon, Ardent. Bruiser.
Banshee and Boxer. with the Dryad, Har-
rer and Hussar gunbonts, No record OF
| floating strength in the Mediterranean can
be made complete without taking account
| OF the channel squadron. which has pro-
ceeded TO Gibraltar II Is enough to say
| of this force that It includes the Majestic
flagship of Lord Walter Kerr; MAGNIFICENT.
| Empress of India, Repulse, Resolution and
Royal Sovereign, making 4 homogeneous
battle squadron without n rival. and the
Blake Blenheim, st. George Bellona. Cha-
rybdis and Hermione. cruisers. with gun
| boats.
France has the next largest fleet In the
| Mediterranean, and 1t Is constantly belns
| added to. the French policy evidently be
| ing to take every advantage OF this oppor-
| tunity to display its naval strength par
tlcularly as Germany has comparatively
| feeble naval representation. There are but
| ten vessels in Frances Mediterranean
| fleet, but boat for boat they are the equal
of any ten warsbips I'M the Levant.
| Vice Admiral Cavalier de Cunerville is
in command of the French squadron. the
warships located Immediately at Crete be-
| itg commanded by Rear Admiral POTTER.
The fleet is composed of the Magenta.
| Neptune. Brennus, Marceau Admiral
| Baudin, Redoubtabe, Devastation, Car
| not, Jaureguiberry and Charles Martei.
| To these battleships of the active squad
| ron must be added those Of Vice Admirai
| Humann's reserve squadron, at Toulon, the
| Admiral Duperre and Frcdland, and the
so-ealIel coast defense bnttleships Caimen
and Terrible The principal cruisers at
| tached to one or the other squadron are
| tho three armored sister vessels OF 475o
| tons, Admiral Charncr. Chanzy and La
| touohe Treville.
| russia has lately reconstructed her Med
| iterranean squadron and has a powerful
| force in tho Levant. The Navarln, flag
shin of 94T6 tons which carries rrn-
cipal armament OF four Seton guns, has
with her the Nicholas | and Alexander ii
tboth of $40 tons), ms well as the Aumlrai
Seniayine ti126 tons)--one o, several SIS
tors spoken of as coast Defense vessels
and the small bsttlcship Slssosi Venky
$3.50 tons). Both these are new vessels.
The snundron also includes the srmored
pun vessel Groslastchy Q492 tons). the
ANAL cruiser Zaporozet2, the sloop West
.. mix and the gunboat Possadnik. with
couple OF torpedo boats which have Just
Joined the rag
The Russian Black sea fleet, which will
be n powerful factor in any European
complication, is under command OF Admiral
Kopitoff. and was lately reported at Sebas-
tonol ready for sea. II consists OF me
Catherine H. Tschosme and Shope. sister
ships of I0ls0 tons, carrying six l2-ln'h
guns coupled Mt the angles Of triangular
M "a
hattIoah,ps Tri Sviatitelia tThree SANTA,
Georri Pobldonosetz George the Victori-
ousl and Dyenodzat Apostoloff CPwelve
Anostles). as we'll as a number OF gun yes
sels torpedo gunboats and torpedo craft.
Particular significance attaches TO the
ITALIAN squadron, because tho commanding
officer Admiral CaDevaro. is tho senior
officer of all the six powers and has the
direction OF the combined squadrons HIS
squadron consists OF the sister ships Stella
alag. the third class cruiser Bausan aud
the torpedo glnboat Euridioe. and the
cruiser Vesuvio. whicn was ialeiy placed IN
reserve. ia attached to IT. Rear Admiral
Caniterio commands the second division.
which inoludes the Morosini. Andre DORA
and Rugpiero al LAURA, three sisters Of
II 600 tons. which carry each four iO3-ton
Armstrong;. with considerable quick
firing armament, ana are wen pro'ccteh
amidshins The division is further con-
s,itutad az the cruisers Etna and Strom-
hol, and eunboat UranIa five Eeagoing
torpedo boats are also commissioned with
the squadron.
Admiral Hinke Is In charge of the Aus
TRAN SQUADRON. consisting OF seven war
ships. the best OF the lot being the second
class bsttleship Kronprlnzesson stefanie
Tho swift armored cruiser Kaiserin Maria
Theresa and the protected cruiser Kaiser
Franz Josef I.
consisting OF four training ships and the
new cruiser Kaiserin Augusta.
The combined Lovant fleets of five OF
the powers ID not a. great a. the English