The San Francisco call., 1897-03-15
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAvIEs.

The Star, torpedo-boat destroyer built by
Palmer's for the British navy, had a builders
trial in February and during q three hours
continuous run averaged 31O5 knots per hour.
A serious accident occurred last month on
the British cruiser Gibraltar. While testing
the primers for the 11.inch torpedoes pre-
mature explosion took place, killing three sea.
men and one petty officer.
Emperor William of Germany has evidently
made up his mind to have a navy second only
to that OF Great Britain. Last month he laid
before the Reichstag paper explaining in his
own handwriting the relative standing of the
navtes of France, Russia, United States, Japan
and Germany, and illustrated by six tables.
likewise prepared by himself, what the actual
fighting force at sea OF the several countries
consisted of. He grouped Russia and France
together and excluding the Black Sea fleet OF
Russia found that the combined fleets of these
two countries aggregated 100 vessels lnclud-
ing battle-ships, armored and protected cruisers
over 1000 tons. The fleets of the United
States. Japan ana Germany he figured out to
be 33, 16 and 32 respectively.
Great Britain's naval expenditures have
been increasing at an extraordinary rate dur
ing the past three years and still further in
crease is anticipated for the ensuing fiscal
year. For 1S94-95 the sum expended on new
ships was $23,S40,O 900; last year it ross to
$35, 1875 ,OO0 British navy building is largely
regulated by what France and Russia are do
ing in that line, and the principle is to have a
force equal to that of the two countries COM
bined. OF the ships now in hand and not COM
pleted England has eighty-eight in all, one
half OF which are torpedo-boat destroyers and
can be rapidly completed. Five batte.ships of
the Majestic class will be commissioned during
the present year and six second-class battle
ships are practical y completed. The present
force available for ships is $4,000 long service
and $4,000 reserve men, and these are likely
to be increased to 100000 and $4,000 respec-
lively.
An Austrian Navy Department publica-
ton entitled "Mittheilungen aus dem Gebiete
des Seewesen," publishes at some length the
gunnery trials of United States battle-ship
Indiana March, 1896. From this account it
would appear that the Indiana was dismal
failure. 1t concludes that the S-inch guns are
unserviceable as placed and that some of the
crew were seriously injured during the trial,
that q 40OO-pound anchor was lifted bodily
by the conclusion of the heavy guns and
moved several feet and that the ship sustained
considerable damage to joiner work and it's
fittings. The Indiana has been in constant
commission since her gun trial last March,
and has ad frequent drills of late with heavy
and lighter guns and there have been no re-
ports of even trifling mishaps. 1t is therefore
to be inferred that changes have been made
that nave remedied such defects to which all
vessels are liable on first trial. The article
referred to Is epitomized in "Das Echo" a
weekly publication in Berlin, and other papers
In Europe are, no doubt, likewise getting
much comfort out of the alleged failure of the
four battle-ships, including the Iowa, which
latter, however, has not yet been tried.