The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-30

| Several armor clads in the Russian navy
are undergoing alterations, among which
the Peter Velki, which is getting a new
turret armor and Pinch guns of 40 caliber
installed. The Herzog Edinburgsky has
had new propeller put on, which uron
trial gave speed of 1851 knots, against
1872 of the old screw
The abolition Of joiner work on British
naval vessels has thrown a large number
or Jolners out of employment The dock
yard officials put some at work usually
done by shipwrights, with the result that
the latter made a demonstration, and
there promises to be a lively war of the
unions against the Admiralty.
| The two most prominent torpedo-boat
builders are Thornycroft and Yarrow
Since 1877 Thornycrolt mas built 215 boats,
from SO feet to go feet in length and
ranging in horsepower from $50 to $500.
Yarrow has built during the same period
| 14S boats, of from Sc feet to 220 feet in
length and horse-powers from Sc to
5000.
robbery of $45OO to $4,000 in gold from
the paymaster's cabin of the cruiser Niobe
at Davenport is puzzling the naval author
tiles, and there is not the slightest clew
for the court of inquiry to work with. 1t
is, believed, however, that the money was
taken in installments, and the police are
prosecuting the most searching in
quiries.
The cost of maintaining the several di-
visions of the Russian fleet is given as
follows in roubles: The Baltic and White
seas, comprising seven stations, 2,700, 1913;
Black Sea, 1,S63,S Caspian fiotilla. 1S9.-
773; Siberian fleet, 1872 $3.50; voluntary enlist
ed men, $3.50, and ships on detached SER
vice in foreign waters, $3.50, 4S6, making
total of II ,514, 230 roubles-equal to IS S65 g,(
in American money.
/ The French submarine boat Gustaye
Zede made a successful trip from TouIon
to Marseilles on January g. making the
distance of about fifty miles in eight
hours, the passage being completed with
complete success, Notwithstanding a very
choppy sea. NJ. Lockroy, Minister of Ma
rine, warmly complimented the command
ing officer, Lieutenant Mottez, and the
crew, on their successful voyage
In the Oceanica, recently launched from
the yard of Harland & Wolff, Belfast,
Great Britain will acquire most efficient
auxiliary cruiser. She will be able to
steam $4,000 miles in 81 days, at the rate
of u knots an hour, without recoaling.
The next best auxiliary cruisers, so far
as relates to coal endurance, are the Ma
jestic and Teutonic, which can steam
2l,6O0 miles in 80 days, at the rate of 10
knots per hour, without renewing their
coal supply.
M Lockroy, Minister of Marine of
France, has already done much toward
placing the navy in an efficient condition
Many of the armored ships were abso-
lutely worthless on account of their huge
superstructures, which made the ships I'M
seaworthy. During the past year several
of them have been entirely remodeled in
their upper works, notably the Hoche,
where the medieval castle structure has
been removed The other ships similarly
improved are the Richelieu, Colbert, Tri-
dent, Redoubtable, Devastation, Indomita-
BILE and Tonnant. Even the Massena, only
recently completed, has some changes in
her superstructure and armament
The London Times of December q has
one column summary of Secretary
Longs report on the navy of the United
States. The Times comments are very
complimentary to the navy and Secretary
Long, remarking: "Mr. Longs report is
thoroughly interesting and admirably cal
culated to instruct and appeal to an edu-
Gated public opinion AS Sir Veasy HanliI-
ton has lately pointed out, the advantage
of such lucid and frank statement is de-
MED to Parliament and the British peo-
mendation of new system of reward for
merit for naval officers, the Times says:
Does this presage the establishment of
orders and decorations in the great re-
public?'
During the agitation on fioggng in the
British army some years ago society
was formed. called the Anti-Flogging
League. In November last the secretary
of this society wrote to the Admiralty
concerning an alleged severe f1ogging of
youth on the training ship Boseawen,
said to have greatly affected the culprit's
health. The Admiralty investigated the
case, and under date of January in
formed the Anti-F1ogging Society that
there is no fogging in, the navy, and that
birching as a punishment is confined en-
tirely to boys of certain age, and is
never inflicted except according to refu-
lation and by warrant signed by superior
authority. To the proposition made by the
society that dark cells, with bread and
water. be substituted for t1ogging, the
Admiralty was of the opinion that such
punishment would be entirely too much
for boys for whom disciplinary measures
of prompt kind and less likely to in
jure health were preferable.
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