The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-16

/ Inc keel OF the bulWdTht another DAT
tleship Of the Formidable type, was laid
at Davenport December II.
Some Of the Turkish war vessels have
not been dry locked for twenty years and
are consequently unfit for actual service.
The Admiralty Pier extension at Dover
was begun December 81, when the first
! pile was driven. The piles for the Golfer
dam are los feet in length and 20 inches
square.
Turkey has sent two armor-clads to
! Genoa to be reconstructed. The ships
sent are the Messudieh and Assar-i-
| tewfik, and 1t is contemplated to send
! other ships In the course of time to be
similarly modernized.
The Ikadsudchi, one Of the six torpedo
! boat destroyers to be built by Yarrow
| for the Japanese navy, had q prelinli-
| nary trial on December 10, and averaged
! over 81 knots with a load of thirty-five
! tons and seventy-eight persons on board.
! She is 220 feet in length, 20 feet inches
| beam and has engines capable to work up
! to 1000 horsepower.
The Proserpine, third-class cruiser of
2135 tons, built at Davenport dock yard,
made her eight-hour trial last month un-
der natural draught, developing 5000 horse
| power and a speed Of 10 knots. Under
forced draught she is to develop 1000 horse
power and 20 knots. She is fitted with
| Thornycroft water-tube boilers, which
were made at Keyham.
The British cruiser Diadem made the
voyage from Gibraltar to the More last
month in three days at an average speed
of twenty knots an hour. This is the best
record of long distance steaming Of any
war vessel. The Diadem is one of eight
aY-
of one size and type; they are sheathed
ships of II 900 tons, It, 500 horse power and
have a speed under forced draught of
20.5 knots.
The Russian admiralty will once more
endeavor to make Poti-a town lying
north of Batoum-a naval station. Fifteen
million dollars were expended some years
ago-to make it a safe anchorage, but the
work had to be abandoned owing to
heavy western gales to which the road
stead was exposed. One and three-quar-
ter million dollars has been set aside to
recommence the work, and Poti will be-
come a naval base for the Black Sea fleet.
The French superior council Of the navy,
corresponding somewhat to the British
admiralty, has been reconstructed. 1t
now consists of the Minister of Marine
as president, vice admirals on the active
llSI VINO nave DBen III COululdIQ VI oqudd-
rons, the admrals commanding in the
Mediterranean and the Channel, and the
chief of staff, the sub-chief having con-
sultative voice. To this large number Of
officials are Furthermore to be added the
naval projects or commanders Of shore
stations.
The Austrian torpedo boats Boa and
Cobra recently called at Gibraltar and ex-
cited the attention of British naval Off
GERS on account Of their appearance of
strength The general opinion was that
there was more ship and less tin box
full of machinery" and they were con-
sidered to be eminently practical boats,
capable of standing a great deal of
knocking about without deterioration
These boats were built by Yarrow and
are 135 tons.
The French submarine boat Gustave
Zede, it Is claimed, has just passed
through some successful tests at Toulon.
She Is said to have torpedoed the French
armor-clad Magenta twice, once when
the latter was anchored and the second
time when she was moving. The only
drawback it is pointed out, is that the
eddy caused by the boat betrayed her
movements at 1900 yards in broad day
light. The principle of the invention is
that the boat is no longer blind" two
neutenants having invented an EYE,
which facilitates submarine progress. An
other French submarine boat, the Gym
note. is now armed with torpedoes and a
third. to be named the Morse, is to be
ready in March.
The Chataurenault, rated a first class
cruiser in the French navy, but really a
commerce destroyer like the Columbia and
Minneapolis in our navy, is approaching
at Toulon. She was built by
contract at La Seyne, begun May %, 1896,
launched May II last, and is to be finished
next July. Her dimensions are: Length,
442 feet; breadth, SO feet inches; draught,
"a feet inches, displacing So1S tons. The
hull is sheathed and coppered and the en-
gines, driving three screws, are Of $4,000
horse power, calculated to give a speed of
% knots The armament consists of two
ga inch, six SO inch quick firers and ten
3 FOUNDERS and the complement is II Off
GERS 10 cadets, so petty officers, ia engine
room staff and mechanics and 500 blue
Jackets. The coal bunker capacity is POO
tons and the estimated cost is So 033, 000 The
United States cruiser Minneapolis Is 1876
tons. e, S62 horse power and % knot speed,
carries 1891 tons of coal and has battery
of one inch, two inch, eight inch quick
firers, twelve Founders and four
Founders. Her cost, including armament,
was s., S49966 A. While the Minneapolis
has a heavier battery and better gun pro-
lection, than the Chataurenault, the
sheathed bottom of the latter gives her
a decided advantage over the American
ship in economical and reliable steaming.
f-..~