The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-26
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAvIEs.

A Vickers armor plate, S.S inches thick,
was recently tried at Shoeburyness. Three
Hotter armor piercing projectfles, weigh
ing $50 pounds, were fired from go inch
gun at velocities ranging from 1870 to 1900
feet per second, but all the shells broke
up and there were no cracks in the plate.
The British cruiser Terrible's sea trial
of so hours, terminating September l, was
very successful. The ship was down to
a mean draught of 2S feet 511 inches, and
the engines, with 233 pounds of steam and
9S revolutions, developed a mean of
515-horse power, giving a speed during the
first thirty hours of 20.1 knots against
wind and sea, and 20.5 knots during the
second half of the trial with wind and
sea favoring.
The Mermaid, a torpedo-boat destroyer
built by Hawthorn & Leslie at Newcastle
on-Tyne, from designs by the firm, had
her initial trial at sea September 1. The
boat Is 300 tons, 30 feet in length, Fl feet
beam and IL feet inches in depth. She
has four water-tube Thornycraft boilers
and the engines are to develop 6000-horse
power. With 800 revolutions the highest
speed was nearly 3O1s knots and the aver
age of all the runs was 80 knots, WhtRA
is the contracted speed.
English papers comment on the Rus
prompted by sentiment of friendship
with no elements of business considera-
lions, as the ships could be built for less
money and in less time in Great Britain.
The sum to be paid for the vessels order
ed at La Seyne will foot up to 100000 900
for the battleship, armored cruiser and
the three torpedo-boat destroyers. The
Marine Engineer estimates that there is
a clear profit Of s1,50O.OOO to the builders
IN this order and regrets that the orders
were not placed in England.
During the past two years there have
been several serious cases of seamen
striking, or attempting to assault, their
superior officers. In 1887 with 1853 blue
Jackets and marines, there were 10 cases
Of that kind and in 1897, with total of
S2,241, the number of offenses Of this de-
scription had increased to 81. Under the
heading Of violence to Super1ors and
characterization" there were 80 in 1887
and 81 in 1897: under ''Disobedience OF
Orders" the comparison stood 10 and 49,
and for desertion there were 20 in 1887
and Sc IL 1897. Including all offenses
and 27S In 1897, but 1t will be observed that
serious offenses are on the increase In
the British navy.
Germany Is coming to the front as a
builder Of ships for foreign navies. Since
1895 forty-six vessels have been COM
pleted or begun at the three yards at
Elbing, Stettin and al The list in
cludes: Three torpedo gunboats for Bra
I'll; cruisers, torpedo-boat destroyers
and torpedo boats for China; Austria
has had l torpedo-boat destroyer and 1
torpedo boat, and Norway / of the first
named class and 8 torpedo boats, and
Sweden and Turkey each one Of the latter.
Italy has ordered torpedo-boat destroy
ers; japan, 1 torpedo-boat destroyer. &
torpedo boats and 1 armored cruiser and
the latest Russian order is for cruisers
and torpedo-boat destroyers The value
Of these forty-six vessels is placed at s24.-
100000, which means an approximate clear
profit Of IS 900 900 to the firms of the three
yafos referred TO and employment 70
thousands of skilled and unskiiled work.
men
Russia has placed orders In France for
nine vessels including six torpedo BOATS
The FORCES ct Chantier de la Meditrean
at La Seyne will build a battleship of
13, ITO tons, 1888 feet inches in length. "
feet inches beam and 26 feet mean
draught, to carry four Pinch guns.
twelve 6-inch, twenty Is-ineh and six IA
inch. the engines are to develop 1890
horse power and give a speed Of Is knots.
The same firm is also to build one arm
ored cruiser Of 1900 tons, 1880 horse
power and N-knot speed to carry an
armament of two S-inch, eight 6-inch
twenty 29-inch, and seven 1.s-inch guns
The dimensions Of this vessel Will be 442
feet IL inches in length, 81 feet beam and
q feet IL inches draught. Three torpedo
boat destroyers Of 1856 feet 10 inches in
length, 800 tons displacement with 500
horse power and speed Of 81 knots are
also to be built by the firm named. Az
Havre a cruiser similar to the SwetIana
just completed has been ordered and Nor
mand will build three torpedo-boat des-
troyers Of 300 tons and 26 knots speed.