The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-10

day. "she has been
quietly adding 10 her fleet there until to-
fay an array Of warships ccnfronts Japan
and Great Britain that car be counted
upon to uphold the honor OF the flag
no matter what occurs"
The attaches confidence was founded
largely. n was explained, on the size
and strength Of the Russian ships and
the car sful training received by their
crews 'r .he art OF naval warfare Rus
sia. IL aprear. has for years past sought
to secure just the ships that are best
suited 10 yer necessities. regardless Of
what Other nations have done. Since 1864.
when RgsSs launched a number OF mon
itovs o, the Ericsson class the feet has
been augmented by boats % the newest
model and all the Old ones retired or
renovated. so az to keep the fleet al
ways up 10 the highest point of pFofi-
cheney.
Prior 20 the Crimean war Russia placed
her reliance In vessels Of the Admiral
class. ships that ranged In displacement
from s7D< in tho LazareY 10 1853 in the
Tchi.onachonn. In 1871. however. the
Russians made radical departure by
the al option for Crimean defense OF the
circular class Of vessels. warship Just
suited 20 the shallow waters OF the coast.
because. being Of circular form, the ves-
sci could, with heavy weights. carry a
y
draught. These circular vessels could at
tain a speed Of only nine knots, but they
carried an armament OF two forty-one-
ton breech loading guns and four smaller
pieces in an unarmored breastwork.
To the Russian belongs the credit OF
solving the problem OF an armored cruiser
In which great speed could be combined
with effective protection In an encounter
with the warships then ano~t. THIS gave
to the Russians the General Admiral.
launched In 1873 and one OF the best OF
the boats built Of iron. wood sheethed
under water and ooppered. This vessel Is
2sb foef inches in length. u feet 2 inches
In beam and with q feet drauGht has AZ
tons displacement She was designed to
steam thirteen knots, carry LOO tons Of
fuel and have a GOAL endurance Of $500
miles At ten knots. the battery and belt
are srmored win six-inch plates; the
belt IN seven feet wide at the water line.
and has, level with Its upper edge. a
highly curved deck OF iron. his type
Of vessel has proved so successful that
II has been reproduced and improved In
most Of the great navies
Tho powerful battleships OF the decade
old Fsussian fleet include the Catherine
H.. Tchesme and the Sinope They are
built Of tron and steel wood sheathed and
coppered), have raw bows and are of the
following dimensions: Length, 339 feet
beam. % feet: mean draught. B.5 feet.
displacement. i0.la tons. They are en-
circled by belt OF compound armor IL
to II inches thick. and have a complete
aHlch protective deck Within a N-inch
arrored pear-shaped redoubt six I2-inch
rioes are mounted on disappearing bar
bekSs cagrtaNes. seven 8-iuch guns are car
ried on the gun deck. six IN broadside and
ous on shifting pivot mount. and the
secondary battery 10 composed of seven
H0schhise revolving cannon and seven
torpedo tubes, The engincx OF the Cath
crime H. and tho Tchssme are OF the
vertical compound three-cylinder type
and develop II 600 horse power and ID
knot speed. The engines OF the Sinope
are of the triple expansion type and de-
vetpp 1000 horse power with natural and
1a6u0 with forced drausht
Another ship OF the Emperor Alexander
II. tNDe. named Nicholas, the First, dis
places SEQ tons, is 327 feet In length, 81
feet In beam and 1855 feet draught These
ships carry a complete belt OF steel armc-
to Ia inches thick and inches wide
and curved steel deck inches thick
covers their under water bodies. The bat
terry consists " two l2-inch guns mount
ed In pear-shsped bartette tower for
ward; In the broadsde there are four g.
inch. eight 6-inch and four s5-inch rifles,
together with number Of Hotchkiss
guns, The barbette tower has steel ar
NOR ten inches thick. and the usual tor
pcdo tubes. The horse power Is 5000 and
the speed sixteen knots.