The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-15
0cOI UT n ULHOO
Japan's New BattleSlip is to Be
at Head Of List.
RECENT LAUNCHING OF FIGHTER
A Tonnage Of Ia. S5O-Good Speed.
Small Coal CapaCity-Armor
Many Guns.

most powerful battleship in the world
was launched on November l from the
yard of the Thames Iron Works and
Shipbuilding Company The new ship,
which is named the Shikishima, has
been built for the imperial Japanese
| navy, and Will constitute a remarkable
| addition to the already formidable
fleets that sail under the famboyant
| flag of Japan. There is no parallel in
history for the wonderful rapidity with
which the Great Britain of the East
| has developed her naval strength, and
since the close of the war with China
| that development has proceeded at an
accelerated speed. At present ships
are being built for the japanese navy
| not only in this country, says the Lon
| don Telegraph, but also in France,
| Germany and the United States, and
| these vessels in every instance repre-
| sent the very latest development of
naval science. The ships of the Japan
csc navy compare favorably even with
| our own and in the Shikishima our
| friends posses a vessel which in point
of armament, speed, and protection
could outmatch any single war-ship
afloat. AT the naval review last year
one of the ships which attracted most
attention was the Fuji, battleship
| just completed by the same builders
who so successfully launched the Shi-
kishima yesterday. This vessel, now
in Japanese waters, is almost as pow
| erfully armed as our Majestic, and has
| rather more protection.
| This latest addition TO the fleets of
Japan, compared with the Majestic,
carries two more 6-inch quick-hrers
and two more 12-pOunderS, besides
| having a complete armor-belt from
stem to stern, as against the armor-
belt on our vessels, which only extends
between the barbettes. She carries,
| however. only 700 tons OF coal, as
against 900 tons; but as the Japanese
| have not, at present at all events, a
very widely extended empire, the
couple Of hundred tons coal capacity
| is well exchanged for the four extra
guns and the additional armor. The
Shikishimas displacement is 1850
tons. Her dimensions are: Length
over all, 43S feet; length between per-
pendiculars, 400 feet; extreme breadth,
| rs feet inches; depth, A. feet PIG
inches; draught on 1850 tons dis
placement, 81 feet inches. The arm
1
of Harveyized nickel-steel s feet 2
inches in depth, and tapering from 9
inches in thickness amidships to 4
inches at the ends. Above this is a g.
inch belt of the same material between
| the barbetteS and extending to the
| height of the main deck. On the bar
bettes there is IA inches of Harveyized
steel. and the bulkheadS are II inches
| thick The engines, by Humphreys,
| Tenant & Co., are to develop 14,5O0
horsepower, and drive the Shikishlma
at speed of 1872 knots. Belleville
| boilers will be fitted in the ship. The
| Shikishima is the heaviest vessel ever
| launched from slip. Her total
| launching weight was $3.50 tons, of
| which $500 represented the weight of
the hull and the remainder that OF the
huge launching-cr In her arma-
ment the Shikishima is a remarkable
ship. She is to carry four 12-lnch
| breech-loadings guns of 40 calibres, ar
ranged in pairs in two barbettes; four
teen 6-inch quick-iring guns of 40 cal
ibres; twenty 12-pounder quick-firlng
guns; eight AZ nm. 3-pounder quick
frers; four 47mm. 21a-pounder quick
| firers; eight Maxims, and five 1S-inch
torpedo-tubes, four of which are under
| water
| In view of the terrible disaster which
occurred at the Thames Yard a few
months ago, when Her Majesty's ship
Albion was launched, the launch OF the
| Shikishima was made a comparatively
| quiet affair. The public, and even the
| bulk of the company'S own wOrknen,
were excluded from the scene. y con-
siderable number of spectators collect
ed opposite the launching slip on the
stone wharves adjoining the Trinity
| House workshops. There were also a
| few people on the jetty near the mast
| house, but the spectators in the Thames
| Ironworks yard were limited to the in
vited guests A special party, which
| left Westminster Pier by private
steamer, for Blackwell, included the
Japanese Minister and Madame kato,
Admiral Matsunaga; Mr.. Condo, naval
constructor; and Commander KuI'obe,
of the Japanese navy; Mr.. Takato, and
most of the leading Japanese 1nhaol-
tants of London; Mr. A. Lafone, M. r,
and Alderman Ivey, Mayor OF west
Ham. Mr.. G. c. Marrow, the designer
OF the ship, was prevented from oelng
present by a business engagement on
the Continent.
When the steamer reached Black
wall. the party was conducted ashore
to a special staging that had been
erected around the bows of the ship.
| 4 number of ladies and gentlemen
more Immediately concerned in the
success OF the launch were accommo-
dated in a small pavilion close under
the bows, Madame Kato, as the central
figure in the approaching ceremony
fittingly taking her place at the table
where was fixed the silken ribbon that
controlled the launching machinery
The Japanese flag. a radiant sun ON an
argent field fioated above the majestic
hull of the Shikishima and futtered
side by side with the Union Jack from
scores OF points around the scene. Sus-
Ipended above the ship, and gaily deco
rated with brilliant steamers, was