The San Francisco call., 1897-06-28

had been disqualified as soldiers on account
of their inferior physique, aud that the SOL
diers were much stronger than the fishermen
who had just pulled a picked crew of British
sailors over the cleats.
Since 1885 Great Britain has expended
S517 900, 900 for new naval vessels and their
armament. The increase amounts to go ves-
sells of 1,136, SIS tons displacement and
l 1,674, 700 horsepower. The personnel has in
creased from $500 in 1885 to 100,050 for
1897. During the above period the United
States has expended about $1O0,00o,000 on
its new navy and increased the personnel
from II, 600 to bout 13 900.
THE condition of the Italian navy was Sc
verely criticised in the Cham Der on June IL.
1t was asserted that but few OF the so-called
fast cruisers have speed of over IA knots,
and the armored ships under construction
were entirely inadequate for the service in.
tended. The regular navy appropria tion of
$lS 800 600 was su omitted, and extraordinary
expenditures to the amount of 81 400, COO
were also asked for TO Iucrrase the navy, but
the latter expense has but little chance of be-
ing allowed owing TO the depleted condition
of the treasury.
The three battle-ships Canopus, Goliath and
Ocean, building at Portsmouth, Chatham and
Devonport respectively, had on May Is worked
2l05 tons. The two first mentioned had been
building up to that da te thirteen weeks and
the Ocean nine weeks. There is evidently a
strong rivalry between the three dockyards, In
which the Devonport leads considerably, not
withsandIng the fact that the Ocean is the
first armored ship built at that docky ard.
Fully fourth of the total weight of hull and
armor has already been worked into the ship,
feat in shipbuilding never as yet accom-
plished in any yard, public or private, in so
short period
Interesting tables of gunnery practice on
ships in the British navy have Just been fur
nished by the admiralty. They contain the
records OF ali the ships in the navy in which
target practice at sea were held during the
past year, and gives pretty fair idea of the
unreliA bility ot guunery sG sea. The largest
gun, Ill tons, on the Benbcw, fired thirteen
rounds, with no hits. The 1312inch breech-
leaders were fired III times and nit the target
thirty-six times One I2-inch gun fred
seventeen rounds and netted one hit,
while the lO-inch guns. with II5 rounds.
scored twenty-five hits. Twenty-one ships
averaged % per cent hits with the quick
firing 6-inch guns, and thirty-nine ships
which practiced with the 4 Tin ch quick-fring
guns gave an average OF 297 per cent hits.
The target is 20 feet wide and 16 feet in
height, and the firing distance ranges from
the minimum of 400 yards to as high as 1000
yards. The regula tions prescribe that the
vessels shall steam at the rate of twolve knots
when quick-fring guns are practiced, and
speed cf eight knots is allowed for all ordinary
breech-loading guns ranging from eight inches
upward. Two runs of six minutes each are
allowed for the practice. For the larger guns
target triangular shaped, having bsss OF
Sc feet aud with wing additions, forms the
objective point of the gun trials While some
of the ships gave much higher results the gen.
eral average would seem to be one hit out of
four shots, to be further reduced at distances
exceeding 2O0O yards.