The San Francisco call., 1897-07-05
p.nisn residents in Argentine and Uruguay


Spanish residents in Argentina and Uruguay
have opened subscr iptions for building a
cruiser for the Spanish navy. She is to be
built in France and is to be named the Rio de
la Plata.
Two vessels foz the British navy were
launched May Is from the Howden yard
Palmer's, on the Tyne. One, the Pyramus, is
a third-class cruiser of 2135 TONS 1000 horse
power and 20 knots speed, and is the second
vessel of that class built by Palmer's The other
launch was the Flirt, the last of eight torpedo
boat destroyers contracted for from that firm.
She is 215 feet in length, 20 feet inches
beam and about 300 toLs displacement. The
builders guaranteed a speed OF 80 knots, which
has been reached in all the boats.
James Dunn, the senior chief constructor at
the British Admiralty, has resigned his posi-
tion ana accepted seat on the board Of di-
rectors of the joint firm OF Vickers d Co.,
rmor-plate makers, and the Naval Construc-
;ion and Armament Company His duties
will be mostly in connection with the latter
firm. As Mr.. Dunn's salary and allowances
while in the service of the Government were
$4,000, and OF less than $500 as a pension
upon retirement, he must have received a far
higher offeI-said to be $4,000 annually-to
| relinquish his high position in the Ad.
milalty
The principal auxiliary naval cruisers OF
Great Britain are the Lucania, Campania,
Australia, Himalaya, Teutonic, Majestic and
the Empress of Iudia, Empress of China and
Empress of Japan. The first two will receive
this ye ar subsidies to the amount of $37, 500
each. the Australia and Himalaya each
SIG, ,S75, the Teutonic and Majestic $36. 1875
each, aud the last three named, which are of
the Canadian Pacific line, share $36, ,565. In
o1d he mn pia tn hold
disposal of the Government thirteen large and
fast steamers. The armament consisting OF
breech-loacfng rifles and Nordenfeldt guns, is
in readiness to be put on board a short notice.
A remarkable torpedo has been invented
and tried in Australia which, if it works as
we'll under actual service conditions, will
supersede all other torpedoes The trial took
place last month in the Alfred graving-dock,
Wiiliamstown, Victoria, and was conducted
by naval lieutenant. The torpedo was
launched from pontoon and 1T first ran
along the western side Of the dock, then sud
denly described circle, dived and rose again,
| darted off in direct line, only to swing
around and describe the figure eight At this
| instant the lieutenant in charge desired that
| it should chase punt swinging in the dock.
upon which the torpedo made half circle,
| darted forward and struck the object in the
stern. The inventor, w. I. Carter, claims for
his electrical controllable torpedo that it can
execute every movement OF fsn in the
water.
The Barracouta, cruiser OF the third class.
has been up to a recent date one of the most
! ignominious failures in the British.navy. She
| is of 1880 tons displacement, was laid down
| in July, 1888, and placed in commission in
July, 1891. The speed was intended to he
| 16.5 knots with 5000 horsepower, but never
reached over 14.S knots with 1920 horse
| power. She had upward OF dozen trial trips
| on one of which her boiler collapsed, killing
! one and seriously scalding nine men. Her
| service in commission has only been three
! years and nine months ana extensive repairs
and alterations have been made to the hull
and machinery. As last attempt to redeem
| the ship the old box boilers were taken out
| and supplanted with water-tube boilers, under
| which the trial on June 10 gave satisfactory
results, developing 1850 horsepower under
| natural draught and speed of 1925 knots