The San Francisco call., 1897-07-19
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAVIEs.

Japan has ordered four 31.knot torpedo
boat destroyers from Yarrow's.
The British Admiralty has invited bids for
the construction OF one battle-ship of IL, $50
tons, four torpedo gunboats and two torpedo
boat destroyers.
An extraordinary credit of ST. ,4o0, 900 has
been voted by the Italian Senate for the re-
construction of certain war-vessels. The ma
val budget OF italy for the fiscal year 1997-9S
will amount to total of nearly $25 loo, 900.
The Russian n avy personnel numbers 2597
officers on the active list and 29,s50 men. OF
the line officers Ia are of the hag, 265 captains
and commanders, 74S lieutenants, 90 sub
heutenants, 104 special gunnery officers and
336 navigators. The staff branch consists of
1886 engineers, 1873 surgeons, 16S paymasters
and 81 chaplains. In addition there are 476
midshlpmen and cadets.
The engineer-in of the British Ad-
miralty, Albert ]. Durston, has been raised to
the knighthood as a recognition OF the success
achieved in the Powerful and Terrible by the
introduction of water-tube boilers. A few
months ago his salary was raised from $500
10 $4,000, and now as knight commander of
the Order of the Bath he is the first naval en-
gineer who has received this honor.
The Chilean armored cruiser O'Higgins has
been launched at Elswick. She is $500 tons
displacement, ALL feet inches in length and
81 feet inches beam. The belt is inches
thick and the hull IS sheathed. The arma-
ment consists of four 9-inch, ten 6-lnch, four
4.7-inch and ten 12-pounders all quick
firers besides secondary battery Of ten g.
Founders and four machine guns. The stipu-
lated horsepower is 16,500, with which q
speed of 21N knots is anticipated.
In the recent naval reviews at Spithead the
British vessels numbered 165, composed of
the following classes: Battle-ships, 81, of
PAS, $40 IONS: cruisers, A. of 225, ,O65 tons;
torpedo gunboats, 25 OF 9,026 tons; torpedo
boat destroyers and torpedo boa Is, SO, of 9SlO
tons; IL training-ships Of ~. 800 tons, and IA
smaller vessels not classified. The aggregate
tonnage was 549, ,SS3, horsepower 91S, ,902 and
the total first cost CT the feet, $173, ,897, 1865.
The armament included 257 breecn-loaders,
SO muzzle-loaders, 827 quick-iring guns,
ranging from 6.inch 600 pounders) to T.
FOUNDERS, and 1476 smaller rapid-frers from
6-pounders to the smallest machine gun. The
officers and crew numbered 38.577.
Vice-Admiral Colombs In lecture last
month before the Royal United Service Insti-
tuition, expressed the opinion that by the ad-
vent Of the torpedo-boat destroyer the battle
ship had lost its superiority. twenty-five of
the destroyers could be built for the cost of
one battle-ship, and the lives in fifteen de-
stroyers would not exceed the complement OF
one battle-ship. He indicated the possibility
of improvement in the design OF destroyers
and concluded by stating that they must
reasonably expect directly the perfectly ar
mored torpedo-vessel, seagoing, seakeeping
comfortable to live in, and with seven or eight
knots more speed than any possible armored
gunboat OF the present type.
Captain Wilmot OF the British navy has
published q brochure entitled "The British
Navy, Past and Present." in which ne quotes
from weekly journal an anecdote illustrat t.
ing the Indifferent kind of officers that may be
obtained through too early an entry in the
service. The story runs: During the revolu-
ton in Japan between the Tycoon and the
Mikado Hakodate was about to be bonn
barded py the Mikados ships. Boats from
II. NJ. 8. Pearl were sent to bring off the Eng
lish and foreign residents. One of these boats
was specially told off to bring on board the
English consular archives The midshipman
in command of the boat being so long away
from the ship the signal for his recall was
hoisted. and on his return to report himself
he SAID. almost with tears in his eyes, that he
had hunted and asked everywhere for Mr.. and
Mrs. Archives, and he couldn't get any infor-
nation about them This midshipman is now
in command OF one of our frst-class battle
ships"