Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-10
rightly to be put in the same rating wltl
those in the British service
BRITISH VESSELS SUPERIOR.

BRITISH VESSELS SUPERIOR.
Vessel for vessel, Great Britain's are
ranked higher by the experts of the
American navy. Great Britain has two
battleships of the highest type known to
naval architects TO Frances one. She has
many Of over 1900 tons displacement
carrying heavy batteries, and Of great
steaming ability for their type.
Frances best battleshps are of the st.
Louis and Charlemagne type, of which she
has several building and some few in SER
vice. These vessels are of about the same
power as the American battleship Iowa,
and probably not so effective as the Kear-
sarge class and the new battleships lately
contracted for. Ranking after the bat
tleships are the armOred cruisers like the
New York and Brooklyn, the Vizcaya and
Colon, and the Blake and the Blenheim.
Combining all the features of the swiftest
cruiser and many of those of battleships,
they are regarded as essential to all a
vies. France has Few of these vessels,
and none Of them can compare to the
crack vessels of the British armored type
lately constructed.
OF all other types of vessels available
for war purposes Great Britain, OF course.
is far in advance. France has some very
fine auxiliares that she can call upon.
but Great Britain can put four times as
many afloat, armed and equipped for SER
vice.
SUPERIORITY IN BATTLESHIPS.
OF bdttleships Great Britain has twice
as many of the first class as France,
three times as many of the second class.
and more. even, OF the third class. Great
Britain. however. has not so many of
what is known as coast-line defence ships.
and France has more heavy cruisers.
linz chi .I..
signed for home work, ana have neither
the speed. armament, or fighting efficien-
cy OF even third-class battleships Ar
ranged, as TO rating, Great Britain, ac-
cording to the last official advices re-
ceived from her Office OF Marine, has
thirty-eight first-class battleships, to
Frances eighteen; she has twelve of the
second rate. TO Frances four; eleven Of
the third rate, 10 Frances four. and of
seagoing defence ships she has six, while
France supports twelve
Great Britain has twenty-one large ar
mored cruisers. while France has con-
siderably less.
IL is in the large. swift, commerce pro-
tectors. however, that Great Britain eX-
cells France greatly. numerically and in
fighting strength and also in second and
third-Class cruisers. Great Britain has
twenty-five first-class protected cruisers;
France has five. Great Britain supports
forty-eight second-class protected cruis-
ers. To Frances eighteen. Great Britain
has eleven second-class cruisers and
France six She has thirty-one third-class
protected. and France has seventeen. OF
the third-class partly protected Great
Britain has twenty-three and France
none. OF the sloop class she has eighteen
and France fifteen. France. however. has
eighteen thrd-class cruisers, with no cor
responding rating in the British service.
In the line Of coast defence. non-seagoing
ironclads. Great Britain has eleven and
France twelve OF the heavily armored
gunboats Great Britain has forty-nine and
France twelve.
Great Britain has 30 torpedo gunboats
and France Is. She has IS torpedo-boat-
destroyers while France has s. She has
81 torpedo boats OF Glass !: France has so.
OF Class she has 80 and France 169 OF
the third class she has l04 and France 10.
A general summarization shows the fol-
lowing: Great Britain has IS line vessels.
l5S cruisers. GO coast-defence. and 3i3 tor
uedo craft. France has 90 line "A cruis-
ers, "a coast-defence, and 2Ss torpedo
craft.
ENGLAND'S MOST FORMIDABLE
SHIPS. 49,. .-
Great Britain's most formidable battle