Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-22
THE BATTLESHIPS

First class battleships-French, include
Re6outable, Henri W., lena, and A s.
| Russian, include one OF the Rostilay
| class, one of the Tri Syiatsklia
class. one OF the Ossliabya class, also two
of the Cissic Veliki class, the Rostilav,
| Dvienadsat Apostolic, Imperator Nicolai
l., and Imperator Alexander IL.
Second class battleships-British, in
clude two Of the Edinburgh class De-
vastation, Thunderer, and Dreadnought,
which is to have her 125-inch. NJ. L. guns
replaced by lO-inch. Il. l.. French, in
clude Valmy and Jemapes. Russian, in
| clude four of the Admiral Oushakoff
| class.
! Third-cass attleships-Bntish, include
two Of the Conqueror class. French, in
| clude two Vouban class; Russian, in
clude Herzog Edinburgskl, Kniaz Polar
ski, General Admiral. and Minnie; these
are being reboilered, and probably re-
armed.
Armored coast defence vessels-British,
| ship is the Rupert. The Russian in
| clude two Admiral Greig class, and two
Admiral Spiridoff class.
Armored cruisers-British comprise the
| four TO be laid down under 1878 supple
mentary programme. two Warspite class
and seven Australia class French. in
clude Dupeut Thouars, Gueydon, four
(Montcalm, G. 4, G. Z, and G. 81 of 97l5
tons, two Desaiz and KlebeD Of TOO
tons, station cruiser of about 5000 tons,
and the Jurien de la Graviere. The
Russian ship is the improved Rossia.
First class protected cruisers-British
include two Terrible class four Andro-
media class. and four Argonaut class.
French, two commerce destroyers,
(Guichen class and d Entrecasteaux
OfhPr arrnOr-pla include
Alexandria, Infiexible, Superb. Temeraire,
Sultan, Hercules, Monarch and two Ajax
class-all carrying muzzle loading guns.
French comprise two Colbert class, Rich
ellen, two Bayard class, and Suffren-all
with wood huls.
THE FIRST CLASS
The first-class battleships might be
subdivided, as they are in Brassey's
naval Annual" for 1S97-'9S, into two
classes-A and B-for such ships as the
Majestic and Colingwood can hardly be
considered Of the same class. or British
ships in class "a" l will place one Re
nown, nine Majestics, three improved
Majestics, and six of the Campus class
nineteen in all. French vessels in this
class number eleven 0his number does
not include the Henri ", S,9iS tons dis
placement, and two heavy guns for main |
Il
in this class
Thus France and Russia have twenty |
in class a. to our nineteen. We are |
minus one in this most important class. |
and minus three in class 3D." Two i'm
proved Majestics should be match for
any three vessels in class Il.
We have ten fewer second class battle
ships than France and Russia combined.
The two French vessels Of the Bouvines
class and two of the Valmy class, also
the four Russian vessels OF the Admiral
Oushakoff class, are modern (Which none
OF our second class battleships are), but
none OF them are good seagoing vessels.
nor would any of the eight stand as
much knocking about as our Thunderer
and Devastation. Three improved Males
tics should neutralze the ten.
ARMoRED CRUISERS.
With regard TO armored cruisers, 1t
seems pity that the four vessels OF this
class TO be built by us during 1878
should only steam Il knots. / can obtain
no information about the French Guey-
don and Dupetit Thouars Ii is probable
that on account OF the protest OF the
reporter" on the French Navy Esti-
mates that the speed of the cruisers 20
be laid down under the new programme
v i'll be increased from q to q knots.
Already we know Of four 23-knot French |
dare, Jurien de Ia Ora
Were. and two Guichen class-perhaps or
six, If the Gueydon and Dupetit Thouars
are to steam q knots. IL, in addition.
the Alontcalm, c 4, G z, C. 8. Desaix.
KIeber, and a station cruiser. are to
nave that speed. We have TO face the
act that there are thirteen French ,
,ruisers building or projected; il is hard {
Y likely that the Kleber and Desaix,
II 1900 tons, the Jurien de la Graviere,
" 5,ils tons. and the station cruiser" ,
IF about 5000 tons, even though their 4
extreme speed be % knots. will any OF q
hem get away from such as our Andro- !
media GO Ia knots. HOO tons) or Argo-
,aut go 3-4 knots. 1l.oO0 tons). But these
|. cotton cruisers are protected cruisers.
nd thus would be at some disadvantage
Lgainst armored cruisers Of less dis
placement in a fight. The French COM
nerce destroyers about 5000 tons dis
are protected. and conse-
uentiy can be left to two OF our n.ccQr
on sruisers.
Matching two or our new armored +,