The San Francisco call., 1898-11-21

rtv+y at vickers. Son 6. Maxim, and fifty bv Armstrong, Whitworth E 70. These guns are chiefly intended for the coast defenses All of the forts or the southern and western districts have been com nleted. and those of Scotland and or the northeastern and northwestern districts are fast approaching completlon. AL Woolwich Arsenal and dockyard Work- men were employed as late as Il ClocA ~ at night getting out naval materlaI 1or the Plymouth squadron.
 The Japanese armored cruiser Azuma' huilding in France, is very formloaole vessel and probably the best or ner GLASS; considering her moderate displacement She is of 9436 tons, 445 feet 1O lncnes III length 59 feet 6 inches beam and mean draught of 2S feet, which latter IS ralheI excessive and a defect. With engines or 17 0n0 horsepower a speed of 20 knots IS an- +icinated Her belt of Harveyized steel .is of six-inch maximum thickness, taper ing to three inches at the enos' ne poI- tery is composed entirely or quch-IlI CTS and includes four 8-inch, twelve 6-1ncn' twelve 2inch and twelve 1.S-inch guns, III addition to which formidable armament she has five torpedo tubes, one or these heinz above water and the others SUD- merged.
 The Shfkfshima Japanese battle-ship' was to be launched November rom tLo Thames Iron Works, and would De tl1 heaviest ship ever launched, as the nuii Il and launching cradle weigh ozoo tons. no ship is 43S feet long over all, 4Uo Ieet otl the water line, 75 feet inches preaoth and 27 feet inches mean drausht, oII which she dfsplaces 14.S50 tons, making the Shi6ishima practically as large as the largest British battle-ship. Ine "dtei line belt, extending all around the shlp' is feet 2 inches wide ana ranges III thickness from inches to inches. ADo'e this belt the gun protective armor IS D inches thick and the barbettes and bulk heads 14 and 12 inches respectively: All the arrnor is Harveyized steel, glVlng protection equal to iron of not less than double the thickness of the armor car ried The armament embraces Iour L1- inch of 40 caliber, fourteen 6-inch quick frers of 40 caIiber, twenty 12-pounders, eight 3-pounders and four 212-pounoers' She has also five 1S-fnch torpedo tupes' four of which are below water.
 Steam trials are more severe and ex- acting in the Russian navy than in any other, and a continuous run or eight hours under full power is double that or the test required in the American brlI- ish French, German, Italian ana Japa- nese nayies. During the past two years England has exacted three additional trials under various conditions ranging from thirty to eight hours duration and now the French are to follow this ex- ample in the engines of the battle-sh1p Jena. The first trial at full speed under forced draught for four hours must de- yeIoD 15. ROO horsepower collectively for the three engines, at which the coal con sumption must not exceed 2,O7 pounds her horsepower per hour, the second trial of twenty-four hours under normal 95OO horsepower and coal consunlp1lo 'I of 1 e5 hounds. The third trial of six hours stipulates 12,5O0 horsepower with natural draught and 165 pounds or coai' with all the fires going, and the tourth test is of six hours duration under one half power and requires 5OOO horsepower. penaities are prescribed for the failure in getting up to the required horsepower, and for excess in coal consumption put there are no premiums for obtaining the horsepower with less fuel than the con tractors have guaranteed, and the test is altogether very severe on the builders of the machinery.