The San Francisco call., 1897-12-13

Parsons. at Newcastle on-Tyne, the builder
OF the famous Turbinia, has tax N the con-
tract to build torpedo-boat destroyer 10 make
a speed not less than SO knots and of which
he anticipates as high as 40 knots
The Spanish torped boat destroyer Pluto.
built in England, mas attained a speed of
nearly 301< knots under forced draught over
the measured mile course. During a continu-
Gus run of one and half hours the spsed was
just 80 knots per hour. In a two-hour run
with natural draught the boat steamed Il the
rate OF 2234 knots per hour.
Gibraltar is evidently to be made the kew to
the Mediterranean, as vast Improvements are
being pushed forward and the place has
changed its appearance entirely within the
past five years. huge protected harbor and
dockyard, with craving dock, storehouses and
workshops, is in course OF construction, and
will make the old rock still more difficult to
capture than ever before.
Four French batte-ships of the Char.e-
nagne class have been launched from one to
two years ago and are approaching compile
tlon as fast as the peculiar methods of French
dockyards will permit 1t appears now, how
ever that the turrets and heavy guns win not
be ready until 1899. and thus four vessels
representing a final total cost of $24 900, 600
will be useless in the interim. When finally
completed in 1899 the Charlema gne will have
taken five years to build and she is now being
severely criticized for lacking adequate pro-
lection for her gun crews.
The British battle-ship nlustrious passed
through her thirty hours coalconsumption
trial last month. The perfor nance was under
half boiler power, and with 142 pounds of
steam and 50 revolutions 6155 horsepower
were developed, giving O speed of ii 81 knots
The coal consumption was only LII pounds
per horse per hour, at the rate of nearly
1l6 tons during twenty-four hours The Illus
trious disp!aces ID 900 to1s on her normal
draught, but she was not down within
one foot OF her draught and there fore dis
placed about Ii, $50 tons, or 5000 tons more
than the United States battle ship Iowa, which
last month passed her final acceptance trial,
making about IA knots with $3.50 horse
power.
Further details of the Baltic Black Sea Canal
give better ideas of the route ana magnitude
OF the work. II will start at Riga, where
WORK has already begua. and follow the course
OF the River Duna 10 Duuaburg, thence TO
Lepel on the Beresina to the junction with the
Dn1eper, and thence to Cherson on the Black
sea. Ot the total canal route of 1900 miles
only 125 miles will be artificial naviga tion,
the remainder being along the rivers indi-
Gated above, whi ch will be deepened and wild
ened where required 20 make q uniform width
at the top OF 216 feet inches 116 feet 8
inches at the bottom, and depth of % feet
inches Fifteen seaports will be deveIop ped
along the route, and it is expected that the
canal VIII be opened for business in 1902
An interesting story of The vicissitudes of a
former Royal English yacht, Victoria, comes
from Japan. She belonged to Queen Victoria,
ana was presented by her to the Japanese
government in 1859, when she was renamed
the Banryo and fitted out as a ycssel-of- war
ON the outbreak of the restoration war in
Japan the Banryo deserted from Shinagawa,
with other of the Fokugawa Government yes
sels, aud arrived at Hakodate after a very
stormy passage. During the subsequent
troubles she participated in nine engage
ments with vessels of the imperial navy, and
In the last fight, when her ammuni tion gave
ou', she was beached and set on fire, but the
names were put out before serious damage
was done. Subsequently she was purchased
by an Englishman, who had her repaired and
brought back To Hakodate, where she was
sold to the kaitakushi Company and named
Ralden Maru. Later on she was commissioned
as gunboat in the navy, to be condemned
few years later and presented to Mr.. Hiro-
matsu to be used as whaler. The latter again
SOLD her TO Fukunaya of Osaka, who trans
ierred The old hulk to Nagoshi, who is now
pulling her to pieces.