The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-20
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAvIEs.


The French armored cruiser D'Entre-
castaux is still undergoing steam trials.
She was launched over two years ago and
since her completion has been trying to
develop the designed horse power and
speed. The design called for 10 500 horse
power and 10 knots. but the best results
so far have, been 10, SAT horse power and
1915 knots.
The British battleshfp Victorious is
proving herself to be an undesirable YES
sci on the China station because of her
great draught of water. She has not been
locked for ten months and there is only
one dock in the Far East that can take
her in. This is the Kowloon dock at
Shanghai, but the difficulty of docking
her is also greatly increased by the swift
tide running past the dock entrance and
a risk is run The Victoria draws nearly
twenty-eight feet Of water, and there are
but few ports in Asiatic waters where she
can lie comfortably.
Italian naval appropriations allow S4-
500 600 for new building during the coming
fiscal year The vessels under construc-
ton number twenty, of which nine are
torpedo boats, the others are battleships
and armored cruisers. Notable among
the latter are Amiraglio Brin and Regina
Margherita, sister ships, of 1855 TONS 43S
feet inches in length, q feet 6 inches
draught, and intended to make a speed of
20 knots. The sum of $40, 900 is to be ex-
pended upon these two vessels during the
coming year, which will nearly complete
the Brin.
Penalties for exceeding the time limit
on contract built ships are rarely enforced
in any navy in times of peace In the
United States navy the penalty clause is
entirely ignored, and the British Ad-
miralty appears to be equally lenient with
Its contractors. In 1894 contracts for six
torpedo-boat destroyers were signed, to be
delivered by March 3d. 1886. None had
been delivered up to March 81 1897 and
the penalties amounted to $3.50 ,OO0 1t was
not until January 6, 1885, that the first de-
livery was made, and it is tacitly under
stood that there will be no demand made
for payment of penalties.
Russian specialists claim to have solved
the successful use of petroleum fuel on
board of ships. A splendid result was OBJ
tanned in the trial of the machinery of the
Rotislav. The success is attributed to a
new process of pulverizing petroleum res
1due by mechanical (pneumaticl means in
stead of by steam as. formerly The en-
gines of the Rotislav greatly exceeded the
contract and gave the ship nearly two
Knots more speed than anticipated, and
during six hours at full speed showed the
great advantage which liquid fuel. when
treated by the new method, has over coal
1t is proposed to erect at ST. Petersburg
two large reservoirs capable of holding
5000 tons OF petroleum.
One year ago Great Britain and France
were practically the only naval mowers
that mad coaling stations abroad and tbe
former was especially we'll provided II he
ing possible for her fleets to nrocaad ~
any part OF the globe without running
the risk of getting short of coal. The coal.
Ing stations of France are uni1nnortant
carrying but small supplies, and are in,
differently protected. The United S+o+ar
mad coal piles at La Paz, in Lower Calf
IornIa, at Pago Page in Samoa aud az
Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Is1ands
10 these have now been added Guano and
the philippines in the Pacific, and on the
Atlantlc cuba and Porto Rico will assist
our ships more than half wav across -
Europe Germany has onIy tba $50 ~
IN the territory acquired in China ord
RUSSIA is similarly limited to Asiatic sta-
tons. STA
ne fastest cruisers in the Japanese
navy are the Takasago Yochino Cbitose
ana hasagi, regarding which a hrief s,n,
may Is OF interest just now as showing
the remarkable progress made in +his
country In warship building durine +r.a1,-o
Years. Inc Takasago was built at Els
AoSe year, ana has been delivered in
9 ea pan: She is $50 feet in length. 4s feet
lnches beam and displaces 4300 tons ON
q uldusnt OF IL feet. Her battery is CON-
posed Oh two S-inch quick-frers fen ~
ihcil' ana sixteen 3-pounders ana +he 1
contract speed was "a knots Tba w.
slilo Is also a product of the F,IswicS |
saIo, ana was built in 1891. She is 25o fast /
~ li. lellsth, 80 feet inches breadth with a |
displacement of 41S0 tons on q dro,, ~ ~ |
ieet. Her armament is fonr ? ircb |
luich-nrers, eight 4.7-inch quick -firers md
tMeney-tnree 3-pounders. The st.am
~ o,i q m 1877 gave an average sneeI of
81 6d'o Knots under natural dranght and
1S.OoI Knots under forced draught The
nasag1 built at Cramps. and re- I1,itosa I
a I'm In. elle yard of the Union Iron Works, |
a. aie SISTER ships, and were CONTRACTED for |
-. c5 IN 1896, to be completed in two
years years. me Kasagi sailed for EneIand on I
november last year. after ba ,-;,y nassad /
through the requisite trials I1rder NAT |
an a. urausht the speed is reported at 216
ali. ahu unoer forced draught at as75 knots, /
90 o. sne Chltose is credited with 21.1 ana |
dro,i hiotS under natural snd forced
ln n The two ships are Fs feet in
.enstn, ~ feet beam. and dsnIace ASA
eoiis ON draught of II feet a6cbes rbajr
Yosbin nehts are heavier than that of the
47-in riLo' and consist of tw, S-inch. ten |
ars twelve 12-pounders two s-nound-
40 anu Two 2l5-pounders