The San Francisco call., 1898-03-07
Building.

The date of launch gives pretty fair idea-in the absence. of definite infor- mation-as to stage of completion. Thus, all armored ships launched prior to 1896 may be assumed to be com pleted or nearly so, and cruisers and other craft launched before 1896 to be ready for service. The condition of vessels launched last year depends very much upon how the respective govern ments have met the payments due and also upon who the builders are Thus, the vessels building for China, namely, two cruisers of 43OO tons at Elswick, and three cruisers of 2850 at Stettin, were contracted to be delivered in eigh- teen and fifteen months respectively; the ElSW1ck cruisers thus being due in July next, and the Stettin cruisers be- ing due now. Both firms are likely to be on time if the Chinese Government has met its obligations, and thec- five fine cruisers may be classed as being in the market. The Hai-Chi and her sister ship are very ambitious designs of protected cruisers; they have a length over all of 424 feet, forty-six feet eight inches beam, and a mean draught of sixteen feet nine inches. The pro polling power consists of tWin-ScrewS driven by triple-eXpansion vertical en- zines to develop 1000 horsepower and a speed of twentyfour knots under forced draught and twenty-two and a half knots on natural draught The protective deck is three inches thick on slopes over machinery five inches over cylinders and one and a half inches elsewhere. The coming tower is six inches in thickness. The armament consists of two eight-inch quick firing rifles mounted on middle line forward and aft. each having a train of 135 de- grees on either side of the middle line In addition there are two 47-tnch
 
 two forward and after guns have train from directly ahead ar astern to forty-five degrees abaft the beam, and the remaining six broadside guns have an arc of fire of 120 degrees. The sec ondary battery includes sixteen three pounders, six one-pounderS and five torpedo tubes, of which latter one is in the bow and two on each broadside These vessels are to have a bunker ca pacity of 1900 tons, sufficient to steaming radius of 2100 knots at full speed and 5000 knots at ten knots per hour. Their total cost, including arma- ment, equipment and outfit, is $1, 63S, ,351 for each vessel.
 The three protected cruisers building at the Vulcan, Stettin, will have engines of 5000 horsepower, the batteres-from ElsWick-are to consist of three 5.9 inch eight inch, six IA inch quick firing guns and four torpedo tubes. The pro- tective deck is 21s inches in it's thick est part, and the guns have inch steel protection. Their bunker capacity is about 400 tons, and the officers and crew number 250. The cost of each ship is about sl,000,00O, exclusive of guns.
 The four torpedo boat destroyers were contracted for in December, 1896, to be delivered in thirteen months. They are being built by Scnickau, Elbing, and will have 5000 horsepower and B knots speed. Their completion may be looked for any day, and would be very desir- able acquisitions.
 Turning covetous glance at Chile's new navy, the Esmeralda. built at Els wick, is a particularly fine specimen of modern warships. She is an armored cruiser of 7020 tons, 18,000 horse power and 23 knots speed. Brassey classes her as one of the most powerful crui- sers in the world. Her armor belt Is Harveyized steel, inches maximum