The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-31
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAv1Es.

The Rio de Ia Plata a small Spanish
cruiser of 1875 tons, was launcneo la
month at Havre. Her cost was ueltays 81
by public subscription OF Loyal SpaiLi it.is
in the Argentine Republic. Inc cluioe5
will have 100 horse power ana sPeeu
or twenty knots. and carries light bat
terry.
The only Russian navy order given 10
| England of the contracts distributed over
Germany, France and the United states
is one torpedo-boat destroyer or tnirty
knots. to be built at Laird s. She Will Do
similar to those built by the same nrn
for the British navy, and which nave
proved exceptionally speedy.
The Philomel, British cruiser OF zo'o
tons and built eight years ago, has mad a
reft and passed through , natural
draught trial. She developed 1873 morse
power and 1873 knots, an improvement
upon her original performance me
Sirino, on the other hand, also built in
1890 fell over che knot short on a recent
trial, as compared with her speed seven
years ago. go 40
A Cammell steel armor plate Ills inches
thick and treated by the Krupp-HarVey
process was tested last month at Sno-
burvness near Woolwich. Three hollzer
armor-piercing shells Of tWeiVe-lncn oi-
ameter and 100 pounds weight were hreo
against the plate at 1860 Feet per secoil9
velocity. but none of the shots penetrated
the plate more than to a depth of four
inches and the shells broke up. There
were no cracks in the plate ana only
fine hair line was visible after the lhlIu
shot extending from the point or impact
toward the upper edge. The lot, or winch
the plate tried was a test piece, was &C
cepted the trial being considered hlghly
satisfactory.
An armored cruiser OF 9517 tons and
10 500 horse power is to be built at FOrlent
for the French navy. She will be AGO feet
length 63 feet 4 inches beam and have
a draught of "a fet inches. The arma-
ment will consist of two 7.6-inch breech-
leaders, and the following rapid-hrers;
eight 6.4-inch, four 3.9-inch, sixteen SIX
Founders and six three-pounders. making
a total of thirty-six guns, and there VIII
be two underwater torpedo tubes. TINS
new ship, to be named La Gloire, is Of the
same displacement as the Guyedon, also
building at POrient, but is longer and
| has a little less beam. Their speeds are
|. twenty-one knots, but in the La Gloire
| the horse power is 600 less than in the
Guyedon, her finer lines enabling twenty
| one knots to be reached with less power.
The estimated cost is 81 .043000.
| Sweden Is acquiring quite navy, and
| all Of it's armored vessels are built in
| home yards, at Stockholm and Gothen-
| burg. The latest additions are NJord,
Odin and Thor, coast defense turret
ships. They are identical in dimensions
and displacement. being 27s feet in length,
sixteen feet six inches draught
and displacement 34OO tons. The Odin,
built in 1896, averaged 1873 knots during
a six-hours' trial. Their armor belt is of
steel ranging from twelve to four inches
in thickness, equal to thickness of iron
from fifteen to five inches. The arma-
ment consists of two 9.S-inch Carrot guns,
four 47-inch quick-firers ten six-pounders
and one torpedo tube, and their compile
ment is 30 Other armored vessels are
undergoing refits and changes in batter
les, the Swea having 4.7-inch quick-firers,
taking the place of the old six-inch
breech-loaders. The John Ericsson, al
though built in 1865, has also been re-
constructed and most of armored gun
boats have likewise been thoroughly re-
paired and rearmed with modern ord
nance.