The San Francisco call., 1897-01-04
NEWS OF FORE GIN NAVIES.
The British torpedo-boat destroyer Thrasher
mean speed of 036 knots during
three hours trial on December l.

The British torpedo-boat destroyer Thrasher
attained mean speed of SO knots during
three hours trial on December 1.
The armor for the three new batte-shlps OF
the Canopseo class, to be begun early this
year Tor the British navy, will consist OF
nickel steel instead of Harveyized steel. The
armor-belt will be & inches thick, 1S feet deep
and ESQ feet in length.
The Proserpine, British cruiser OF 2l35
tons, the keel of which was laid Mareh z,
1896, was launched December at the Sheer
ness dockyard. The Gladiator of $500 tons,
| begun at the Portsmouth yard January ~,
1896, was launched December 8, and will be
ready for sea in fifteen months hence.
Holland is about to reorganize and greatly
increase its navy. The sum of S33, ,750,0OO is
to be expended for the construction OF the iol-
lowing classes of vessels: Twelve protected
cruisers of 23knot speed, six armored vessels
OF 3400 tons, fifteen gunboats, six monitors,
fifteen torpedo-boat destroyers and sixteen tor
pedo-boats
A floating dock for Havana is being built III
England. 1t will be 450 feet in length, 81
feet wide and allow draught OF 27 feet
inches and will be capable OF lifting lo'ooo
tons dead weight in TWO and half hours.
in eleven months at cost of $575, 900, when 1t
will be towed 10 its destination.
LORD Beresford's proposition to rearm some
of the older armored ships in the navy, which
still carry muzzle-loading guns, is meeting
with favor from the British Admiralty. There
are six turret ships and ten central battery
ships carrying batteries of muzzle-loading
guns, ranging from 16 inches down to inches,
which, with modern ordnance, can be made
very effective ships.
The naval expenditures of France, Russia
and England, In proportion to their tonnage
OF shipping, are $45 per ton for France, $50
for Russia and only 81 so for England. This
comparatively insignificant outlay on the
British navy forms the basis Of demand for
greater outlay on the navy by her statesmen,
who believe that in q struggle England will
be saved by her navy rather than by coalition
with foreign powers.
The estimated cost of the several classes o1
ships for the navy of Holland is as follows
Cruisers of $500 tons and % knots speed
81 ,2S8, 500; arinored coast defense vessel,
340o tons and 20-knot speed, 81 ,528, 800; gun
boats OF ATS TONS STAT 900; monitors OF 1900
tons, $764 400; monitors OF 400 tons, 1887 ;
600; torpedo-boat destroyers, 130 tons and SO
knot, $4,000; torpedo-boats, % knots, 81 !,
400; torpedo boats of 16 knots, $25, 200.
The Amazones, cruiser built for the Brazil
ian navy, was launched December from the
Elswick yard. She is OF $3.50 tons dispiace
| ment, 1900 horsepower and is expected to
! make speed of 2014 knots. The dimensions
are: $50 feet in length, 43 feet 8 inches beam
and 16 feet 10 inches mean draught. The
armament consists of six 6-inch, four a. 8
inch, all quick firing guns, and ten 6-pounder:
and four 1-poundars The coal-carrying ca
paeity is 700 tons, and, like the majority o
vessels in the Brazilian navy, the Amazones
hull is sheaIhed with wood and coppered.