The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-17

Philadelphia, Jan. 1.-THE launching of
the Japanese warship Kasagi. which was
built Mt Cramps shipyard. Will take place
on Thursday at noon. The Kasagi is the
most important ship ever built in the
United States for foreign account and the
first foreign warship launched in this
country since the Zobiaca in 1878. In
compliance with requests for Information
from all over the country, Charles II.
Cramp today gave the following interview
to the Associated Press:
THE KaSagi Is q protected. twin-screw
cruiser or commerce destroyer of the lat
est and most improved type and design
in her class. She is built throughout OF
steel Of the United States navy standard.
Her model is calculated primarily for
high speed, the contract guarantees being
22ia knots as the mean of six runs back
and forth over measured course of ten
nautical miles She is powered with two
four-cylinder vertical inverted direct act
ing triple expansion engines. driving
twin screws Steam is supplied by a u
single ended cylindrical boiler provided
with St John CRATE and bear bar and the
machinery calculations contemplate a
maximum collective indicated horse power
of about 1900.
FORMIDABLE VESSEL.
THE Kasaei is among the large num-
Der of ships of various types 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 uD to 1850 ton battleships either
in England France Germany or in
Japan's own dock yard at Yoke Suka.
1t is worth while to call attention TO the
fact that she is a representative of the
most marvellous and formidable naval de-
velopment of this age; development that
is rapidly bringing into front rank among
civilized naval powers a nation. the ports
of which were first opened to commerce
through the fundamentally 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 worthy remembering in
the history of American ship-building.
JAPAN'S RANK.
when the fleet of which the Kasagi is
an important factor shall be completed,
an event not more than two years or at
the farthest. Japan will rank as the fore
most naval power in the Pacific ocean,
and. generally speaking. nearly. if not
quite, third in rank among the naval pow
ers of the world. She will certainly out
rank in the all-arOund sense all but Eng
land. France and Russia. and, so far as
the Pacific ocean is concerned. will be far
superior to all except England, perhaps,
and II is doubtful If even England could.
with due regard to her requirements in
her own waters or ii the Mediterranean
and in the defense of her commerce. spare
naval force enough for cCncentration on
the Pacific to equal in thatsocean the new
Japanese navy, of which the kasaSi is a
factor.
This superiority is due not so much to
the mere number of the vessels Japan is
building as to the fact that they are of
carefully selected types, perfectly elab-
crate in designs and wisely distributed
classes. all Of the most approved cOnstruc-
ton and highest attainable efficiency.
JAP SAILORS.
1.-THE men who operate the material of
this force have demonstrated by their be-
haVior in the late war and as eVinced by
their professional skill and ability display
ed in the work of supervising vessels IN
der construction. that they have. no odds
to ask in that respect of the naval officers
of any power
In short, the whole naval policy of ia
pan as represented TO Americans by the
object lesson OF the Kasagi is one which
nations far older in the arts of western
civilization would do well to emulate.
Failure TO emulate or keep UP with il may
in the not distant future bring some Of
them to humiliation and defeat
ARMAMENT
s@The principal dimensions. qualities and
armament of the Kasagi are as follows:
Length on water line. 374 feet. inches:
breadth. IS feet, inches; depth. 80 feet.
s inches: draft IS feet. 9 inches; displace-
ment. 4S00 tons: speed. 22is knots.
Armament: Two S-inch breech-load-
ing rifles: ten 4-7-inch raDid-fire guns; y
rapid-fire guns; six Hotchkiss
raDid-tire guns
The ceremonial attendant upon the
launching of the ship viii be exclusively
in the hands of the Japanese minister and
the affair will be conducted in accordance
with the customs of the japanese in such
On the part Of the Cramp COM
Dany there will be no special provision
for the guests. but the shiD-yard viii be
open to the public AZ the time of the