The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-27


water-tube boilers in use in merchant and
naval steamers of the maritime nations.
A contract for pair of twin-screw en-
gines of 80 900 horsepower has been given
by the British Admiralty to Humphreys &
Tenant. They are for one of the eight
IA, 1O0-ton armored cruisers about to be
built. and will be the most powerful en-
gines yet put in any vessel.
The distinguished Mitsui family contem-
plates establishing a large ship building
plant at Kyusha, with a capital of $15,-
900 900, for the purpose of building war
ships for the Government. A foreign
ship building company. it is said, has
joined the Mitsui house in the undertake
ing.
The torpedo-boat destroyer Bittern,
built at the yard Of Vickers, at Barrow
passed through a three hours trial on
January %. The boat was down to mean
draught of feet 91z inches and made
80 403 knots with 220 pounds of steam, 1874
revolutions. developing 1858 horsepower.
The contract called for 5000 horsepower
and 80 knots.
The announcement offered by the lead
ing naval powers to shipowners having
their vessels constructed in a manner to
meet the requirements of auxiliary cruis-
ers is very ancient idea, and was formu-
lated by Henry VIII, the father of the
British navy, and dates about $50 years
ago. Merchant ships built so as TO be
suitable for war purposes were to receive
II shillings a month when taken into
service and were also exempted from GER
tain duties.
Drydock building is rapidly increasing in
the Orient, one having recently been COM
pleted at Kure Naval Port, Japan, which
will accommodate a 15,000-ton ship. At
Kaiochou, the new German territory in
China. the Germa MIA Works of Mr.. Krupp
is said to be likely to get the contract
for building dock able to take in the
largest German battleship. The scheme
has not yet been officially announced, but
the cost of the dock is included in the
sum of s., Us, 900 granted for Kaiochou for
1899.
An engineer in the Swedish navy has in
vented method of steering torpedoes by
means of the X-rays. The invention con-
sists of two small apparatuses-one gen.
orator and the other a receiver. The re-
ceiver is placed in the torpedo, and by a
simple arrangement the steering is con-
Quoted by the operator on board ship
or elsewhere, who retains possession of
the generator. II is stated also that the
invention can be adapted to other pur-
poses such as signaling. etc. No connect
ing wire is used, but the exact particulars
of the construction and working of the
instruments are kept a secret for the
present.
General Caprivi, ex-Chancellor of Ger
many, who died February 6. this year.
was chief of the Admiralty from 1884 until
1889, having succeeded General Won Stosch.
Neither of these generals knew anything
about nautical affairs. but the German
navy in its infancy was held of secondary
Importance to the army, and the Emper-
or's idea was to engraft military disci-
pline on the young navy. Caprivi's admin
istration was a success; he instituted
training squadrons and he created large
and finer torpedo fiotilla than belonged to
any other naval power, his idea being that
the German navy should be chiefly for
home defense rather than for distant ag-
erosion. This policy did not meet with
the approval of the young Emperor, and
Caprivi was advanced to Chancellor, and
Rear Admiral Won Heuener was made
Minister of Marine and the navy has
since then been under the control OF naval
officers and is no longer looked down