The San Francisco call., 1897-12-06
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAVIES.

Delta metal, an American composition, has
been adopted by the French Az dmtraity for /
tings OF high pressure boilers, such as valves,
cocks and gauges.
The Porpoise, third-class cruiser. OF 177O
tons, has just been ref in the British navy
and underwent a three hours commission
trial November 16. The horsepower under
natural draught was 2237 under 12S pounds
OF steam, and she logged I514 knots. This is
an Improvement on her performances under
similar conditions when completed eleven
years ago.
An armored cruiser building In France for the
Japanese navy is OF 1886 tons Displacement
453 feet in length and 90 feet inches beam.
Besides the four 10-inch guns in her turrets
she will carry twenty-four guns, two under
water lance torpedo tubes and one above
water lance torpedo tube. The engines are to
develop II, 900 horsepower and the ship is 10
steam twenty knots under forced draught
While in point OF speed this cruiser has TWO
knots lessspe than the Brooklyn, her armor
and armament viii be heavier.
Colonel Miklashevski's lantern for night
signaling purposes has had a thorough and
successful series of trials on the Neya. The
lanterns were hung 100 feet above water at
the marine telegraph station, and although
the wind blew with iorce OF five to six miles
The signals, with red and green lights, were
like vivid flashes of lightning, and could not
be confused. They were seen and in terpreted
al ST. Petersburg, at a distance OF seventeen
miles, whereas other lantern signals had
proved ineffective at four miles.
The Nagasaki harbor works have received
temporary setback In their project, although
the ce eremony OF commencement OF work was
held October 23. the foreign residents of the
port have raised objections 10 having pier
built out from the fores hore along the Bun0 in
the foreign settlement. The German and Eng
lish residents object to the reclamation scheme
on the ground that the present water traffic
facilities would be lost and result in injury to
their trade. The progress of the work. being
considered national necessity, is not likely
10 be long delayed, although a spirited CORE
spondence is being carried on between the
japanese Government and the representatives.
OF the foreigners.
Work on the Admiralty harbor at Dover is
progressing with great dispatch and will no
doubt be completed, as intended, in 1901. Itis
work of great magnitude and Will involve an
expenditure OF nearly SIS 900 900. The pres
ent Admiralty pier is being extended 1000
ieet and sea-walls OF total length OF IS $40
feet are being built of huge concrete blocks
laced above water with granite. There will
Oe TWO entrances 10 this haf Dor, each 600 feet
wide, and the total area within the sea-wall is
6lO acres OF which 315 acres bey ond the
hve-fathom depth and will accommodate
twenty OF the largest battle-ships besides quite
fleet OF cruisers and smaller vessels. The
height OF the sea-wali 10 top of pa arapet will be
80 feet, 20 feet being under water. This great
work was recommended far back as 1S44,
but funds were not available until one year
ago.
The action of Germany in taking possession
OF kiao Chou Bay On the east coast of China
does not appear 10 have been an en- tirely un-
expected event The Sinwenpo, a Shanghai
native paper. more than six months ago made
the statement that a German officer had had
an interview with the Viceroy at Foochow las t
spring asking for the loan of the arbor OF
Tungchungkau in the event of war between
Germany and japan. On September II Ger
man ship-ofwar arrived al the above-nsmed
ha7bor, and the commanding officer explained
his presence. saying that in the near future a
descent was contemplated on Formosa by Ger
many, and that he was accommodating with q
view OF obtaining the loan of four harbors,
with permission to puild barracks and work
shops. The foreign papers in China have pooh
poohed this statement being nothing less
than fake, but the events of last month
prove that the native paper knew what 1t was
talk ing about