The San Francisco call., 1898-05-31
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAMES.

Russia Is about to build a giant torpedo boat at St. Petersburg. It Is alleged tC be of 1500 tons, or about four times the displacement of the largest torpedo boa destroyers.
 Gunboats of medium size and speed. but with great coal endurance, are coming into favor in European ravfes. France IS building one at Brest, named the Zelle which will be 1S7 feet three inches in length. twenty-six feet five inches beam and with engines of 900 horse power will steam thirteen knots. Her coal supply IS sufficient for run of 2700 miles at ten knot speed.
 "El Solitario' (the one only) Is what the Spaniards commonly call the Pelayo, as Spain has only one battleship.
 The tax-ridden people of Germany will be made to pay little over SIS. 900 900 during the next seven years toward build ing up the navy. This Is for shipbuild- ing. armament and torpedoes, and the total expenditures are estimated at S199,- 45O GOO for the septennial period. The shipbuilding programme Is distributed as follows:
 Increase of the fleet. S39. .69S, ,470
 Replacing old vessels...... 51 ,642270
 Gunboats .......-.---........ 1,I4,Sm
 Torpedo boats. ....,........... IL, ,1OS3S0
 Total shipbuilding. .sto2, ,62S ,s20
 Considering the fact that the entire German navy Is of comparatively recent origin the item of s51 .642 ,270 to replace old vessels would indicate that the admiralty must think that the greater part of the navy now existing is of little account.
 The British battleships Hannibal and Illustrious were placed in commission May 10. The latter goes to China to relieve the Barfieur. The Hannibal was begun at Pembroke backyard May l. 1894, and the Illustrious at Chatham March Il, 1895, making a good record for the latter yard, but still much short of the Majestic, built and commissioned within two years.
 The old broadside ironclad Resistance, built In 1862, has been utilized in the Brit ish navy for a number of years as a tar get by large and small guns. As her side protection was only four and one-half inches of iron, the tests with modern guns must have been very unsatisfactory and barren of results of practical value. The old hulk has been shot through from end to end and from side to side with shot and shell from guns ranging in calibers from 9.2 inch down to machine guns. The ship has been sunk and raised several times to undergo this naval war vivisec- tion. Dummy sailors have been slaugh- tered by the dozen, and exploding shells In the interior of the ship have made sad havoc with decks and fittings. The old craft Is now so battered as to be scarce ly worth temporary repairs to fit her for continued assaults by shot and shell.
 The British cruiser Terrible is & Il un- dergoing trials, and indications point to a feeling of disappointment over the Belleville boilers on account of the quan- tity of fuel they consume On May the ship completed her trials under diff ferent revolutions of her propellers, com prising 25. 40, 70, S6 and 1O4. With lire under twenty of her forty-eight boilers, carry 217 pounds of steam, the horse power averaged 50S4 during sixty hours and the speed 12.S knots, The coal con- sumption for all purposes was at the rate of 22 per horse noWer per hour or at the