The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-17
WAR SHIP FOR JAPAN
CRAMPS WILL LAUNCH THE KASAGI
ON NEXT THURSDAY.
Estimate of the Japanese Navy as 1t
Will lie Completed Makes 1t at
Least Third in Rank.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 16.--The launching
of the Japanese war ship Kasagi, which is
being built at the Cramps shpyard will
take place on Thursday at noon. The Ka-
sagi is the most important ship ever built
in the United States for foreign account,
and is the first foreign war ship launched
in this country since the Zobiaca, in 1878. In
compliance with requests for informal ton
that are coming to him from ali over the
country Charles II. Cramp, the builder of
the ship, to-day gave the following inter-
view:
"The Kasagi is protected twin-screw
cruiser or commerce destroyer of the latest
and most approved type and design in her
class She is built throughout of milled steel
of the United States navy standard. Her
model is calculated primarily for high
speed, the contract guarantee being 221S
knots as the mean of six runs back and
forth over a measured course of ten nauti-
cal miles. She is powered with two four
cylinder. vertical. inverted, direct-acting
triple-expansion engines driving twin
screws. Steam is supplied with twelve sim
gle-ended cylindrical boilers provided with
the 81. John crate and bearer bar, and the
machinery calculations contemplate a max
imum collective indicated horsepower of
about 1900
1.-The Kasagi is one among a large num-
ber of ships of various type and classes
embraced in the new naval programme of
Japan A sister ship to her is building on
the Pacific coast and others of various
classes up to 14.seO-ton battle ships either
in England France Germany or in Japan's
own dockyard at Yokosuka.
'It is worth while to call attention to the
hat cha Do .faff -
most marvellous and formidable naval de-
velopment of this age; a development that
is rapidly bringing into front rank among
civilized naval powers a nation. the ports
of which were first oren to commerce
through the instrumentality of an Ameri-
can naval expedition, clearly within the
memory of men not yet past middle age
From this point of view alone her launch
ing Is an event worth remembering in the
history of American ship-buiding.
when the fleet. of which the Kasagi is
an important factor, shall be completed. an
event lot mere than two years off at the
farthest, Japan will rank as the foremost
naval Pow er in the Pacific ocean, and, gen
eTSlly speaking, nearly, if not quite third
In rank among the naval powers of the
world She Will certainly outrank in the
ali-afoupd sense all but England. France
and Russia. and so far as the Pacific ocean
- LJHCNibtQ Will bS lar superior TO All eA-
ccpl pei haps England, and il is doubtful
If even Ii 2iano could with due regard 10
her requirements in her own waters or in
the Mediterranean and the defense OF her
commerce, spare naval force enough for
concentration in the Pacific to equal in thst
ocean the new Japanese navy of which
the kasag' Is factor. The superiority is
due ncl so much TO the mere number OF the
vessels Japan Is building as TO the fact that
they ere Of carefully selected types per-
fsctiy elaborated designs and wisely dis
trlpuled classes, all OF the most approved
construction and highest attanabie eff
cisncs.
THE men who operate the material of
this force have demonstrated by their be-
havior IN the late war. ard as evinced by
the professional skill and ability they dis
played In the work OF supervising vessels
unders construction, that they have no odds
70 Ask IN that respect OF the naval officers