The San Francisco call., 1898-12-19
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAMES.

Vickers 6. Sons and Maxim at the Naval Construction Works. Barrow. have work to the amount of ST 800 900 in hand, chiefly naval contracts.
 The armament of the Gladiator class, British cruisers, is 10 consist of ten 6-inch quick firing rifles, instead of four 6-inch and six 47-inch quick-firers as originally designed.
 The discontent of the crew on the Brit ish battle ship Majestic has spread to the Prince George, also in the Channel fleet. Several of the tompions belonging to the 6-inch quick firing guns have been lost, presumably thrown overheard by the crew.
 The corrected time made by the Jap anese cruiser Kasagi on her recent trial over a course of 20 miles. run twice over was 23 knots up and 2215 knots down, giv- ing an average of 224 knots. The revolu- tions ranged from 15S to 164. The Kasagi was built by the Cramps and completed within contract time.
 At Schneider's yard at Chalons sur Soane Ca part of the Creuso- establish menO the following number of vessels are under constructions Nine torpedo boats of 24 knots and six of 21 knots all for the French navy; two screw boats for use on rivers in Russia: two tugs of 1000 horsepower and three floating delegates.
 There are ten different caliber guns in the British navy and it is ap-~ehended by naval officers that one more will be added by the Admiralty. The calibers now on board ships are 16A-inch, 1872, 12. 10, 92, G. D. AT and inch. The new gun talked of is one of inches and officers are op- posed to its introduction. The above list does not include the smooth-bore guns, of which there are still number on the older vessels.
 Some very successful experiments have been made at Plume, on the Adriatic, with an invention of an Austrian naval en- gineer for stopping vessels under way. The inventor claims that by the use of his apparatus the way of a steamer going at full speed can be instantly checked. The experiments, which were made with the Government steamer Clotilde, were witnessed by representatives of the navy, the Austrian Lloyd and other shipping companies.
 Experiments with mixed fuel, composed of coal and petroleum refuse, have been carried on in the French navy with the Dunois torpedo gunboat of S96 tons, in- tended to make a speed of 23 knots. The trials have not proved satisfactory, for the consumption of the mixed fuel was 66 pounds against 1.61 pounds per horse power per hour of coal alone. Another se- rious objection was the dense volume of smoke made by the mixed fuel. The horsepower reached as high as 900. At the time of the Fashoda incident the supply of ammunition at Toulon naval arsenal was so small that there was not sufficient quantity in the magazine for the squadron in the Mediterranean. It is also stated by Le Yacht of November 12 that on the Northern squadron the big guns on the Redoubtable were without fittings, making 1t impossible to fire these guns, | and that the Baudin and Formidable lack some of their armor. A naval war with l Great Britain would most likely reveal a condition of naval affairs in France as bad | as it's army was found when war was de- 1 cared against Germany in 1870.
 The Fleurus, a third-class cruiser in the l French navy, is causing the authorities | much trouble. She was built at Cher | bourg in 1S93 at a cost of s642, $50, and is
 of 1910 tons, 4000 horsepower and was to
 steam IS knots, but only reached III under 1 the most favorable conditions. Her ma | chinery was taken out in 1896 and new | engines and boilers put in. A trial took l place last month, when under natural l draught and 132 revolutions the vessel ] reached 175 knots. As the Fleurus was | designed about eight years ago she is in l addition to her failure in speed, a vessel practically anticipated and of no use as a | war FesSei' s-----------------------