The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-05-06
News of Foreign Navies.

l1,JUO OOuS, on 0eT JIldl lTlp MdTCu
8, averaged 1874 knots for four hours.
The contract speed was 175 knots.
One million dollars will probably
be expended by Great Britain in
improvements and extension Of the
Hongkong dockyard. A large dry.
dock is one of the pressing needs.
The Hart and Hardy, torpedo
boat destroyers of 295 tons displace-
ment, have arrived safely at Hong
kong where they will be attached to
the British-China squadron. Their
passage up from Singapore in the
teeth Of the northeast monsoon was
very trying to the small crafts, but
the officers speak in the highest
terms Of their seaworthiness through
their long voyage from England.
Foreign navies are rapidly adopt
ing petroleum as fuel, and France,
Germany and Italy are going in for
using it on an extensive scale. 1t is
claimed for it that by its use the
speed OF vessel can be increased
from eight to thirteen knots in from
seven to fifteen minutes. In addi-
ton the b oilera suffer less from using
this fuel than with coal. AS yet it is
only intended to use it as an auxiliary,
but a French engineer has designed
a boiler for the sole use of this par
ticular fuel.
For foreign service the German
Admiralty has designed an entirely
new type OF cruiser. The dimensions
are 1928 feet length, 3S feet 8 inches
beam and 10 feet 9 inches mean
draught, Displacement only 2600
tons, which indicates very sharp
lines, and insures a speed Of 49,
knots with 5000 horsepower. The
coal capacity is 500 tons and the
complement 100 men. The battery
will consist of ten 81 inch quick
firing guns and fourteen machine
guns. Each of these cruisers will cost
about Sl,0O0,000.
The Prince Albert, the third oldest
ironclad in the British navy, is at
last to be removed from the list OF
effec I've ships and be condemned.
She is Of $500 tons displacement
and was built in 1866 at a cost of
81, lac, 235, and has cost in repairs up
to the present time $3lS,S70. Her
speed never exceeded 10 knots and
her commissions extend only over
seven years six months, the last SER
vico being in the naval maneuvers
ten years ago. The fact that the
ship was named after the Queens
husband has alone saved her from
the scrsp-heap for many years.
The Niobe, frst-class cruiser OF
ll,0U0 tons displacement, sheathed
with wood and coppered,was launch.
ed February 20 from the yard of the
Naval Construction and Armament
Company at Barrow-iu-Furness. She
is one OF eight ships on the same
design, six Of which are building by
contract and two at the Pembroke
yard. The Niobe is 435 feet in
length, SO feet beam and has mean
draught of % feet inches. The
horsepower under natural draught
is to be 1880, with which a speed
OF twenty and half knots is antici-
pated. The coal capacity is 1000
tons at load draught and bunker
space for 1000 tons, and the arma-
ment consists OF sixteen 6-inch and
seventeen smaller guns, all of them
quick fires. Sir William White, who
designed the vessel, expects great
results from this class, which is
designed for long. distance cruising
and, while they are only protected
cruisers, the protection afforded ie
greater than in previous designs Of
that class. Thus the armored decl
is II inches thick aud the coming
tower II inches. The total compile.
ment will be 7lS officers aud men
The total estimated cost, exclusive
of guns and ordnance stores, il