The San Francisco call., 1899-10-30

The f0atlng COCK at havana mas Deen
sold by the Spanish Government for $780,
600 to a syndicate of Vera Cruz mer-
chants.
The Russian Minister of Marine has set
aside 81, 900 900 for the Improvement of
Port Arthur naval station. Besides for
tiications it is proposed to deepen the
channel in the harbor to a depth of
thirty-two feet and to build two jetties
The Japanese torpedo-boat destroyers
built by Yarrow and Thorneycroft are
giving satisfactory results on their trials.
The Sazanami, built by Yarrow, averaged
313S2 knots over the measured mile, and
the Kageron, a Thorneycroft boat, aver
aged 1924 knots during three hours trial
at sea.
serious accident occurred on board
the British battle-shp Prince George on
October 6. A boat was being hoisted out
by means of the large steam derrick,
when the arm of the derrick broke, pre-
cipitating the boat to the deck and in
juring seven bluejackets. One of the
sailors lost leg and the others were
more or less hurt.
Quite a number of steam trials came off
last month of British war vessels, more
or less satisfactory. The battle-ship
Canopus had a trial of eight hours under
full power, giving 1888 horsepower, an
excess of 263 horsepower, but the speed
1875 knots-fell short one-quarter knot of
the calculations. OF the 3O-knot torpedo
boat destroyers the Spiteful made 29.9
knots and the Cheerful 3O.152 knots.
At the beginning of the present century
the money value of the British fleet was
not quite $50 900 900 Since 1889 Great
Britain has expended $500 900 900 in build
ing new ships and the present value of the
4S9 serviceable vessels is given at $780,
600 900, segregated as follows: Sixty-four
battle-ships, S260, 900 900: 119 protected cruis-
ers, s145, ,1S5 600; % armored cruisers, $780,
1000, and the remaining 2S4 vessels. con-
sisting of cruisers, gunboats, torpedo
boat destroyers, etc, at s7S,1So,Ooo.
The Swedish Government recently in
vited bids from ship builders at home and
abroad to build couple of armored ves-
sells of limited size. Eighteen bids were
received, of which four were from home
yards, eight from Great Britain, one
Danish, three German and two French.
The absence of American bids is not be-
cause of inability to compete in that line
but on account Of all the prominent At
! lantic shpyards having q surfet of
private and Government work.
| A European naval war would bring
many disagreeabie surprises to the sew
eral powers, for the number of lame
! ducks" would be numerous. The French
and Russian navies abound in such; the
modern armored fleet of France is rarely
away from the dockyards undergoing he
! roic treatment, and there are ugly rumors
about some of the new ships of Russia
The armored cruiser Rurik, of II 900 tons
on the China station, is said to be in a
! bad state, the wood sheathing being rot
ten and the supposed armored belt of II
| inches is alleged to consist in places OF
wooden blocks which also are rotting
The French torpedo-ship Bouvet OF
| POS tons, completed only few months
! ago, has been ordered to Toulon for ex,
| tensive repairs Her trial developed the
| fact that the engine foundations were toe
| light, and as consequence could not
work up to the requisite horsepower. The
repairs, as they are called will consist in
! taking out the triple-screw engines, re-
moving the foundations, which are part
of the hull, and substitute adequate beds
for the machinery. all of which will con-