The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-06
RUSSIL'S WAR VESSELS
Five Battleships TO Be Built in the
United States.
Orders far Them to Be Placed Within
Year-An Expenditure of SO
oeuizes American ShipbuiIders
Superior to Amy in the World.

NEW YORK, Nov. 6.-Russia is to place
orders during the next year for five new
battleships with American shipbuiiders-
Particulars are net yet forthcoming, and
secrecy seems TO be the order with those
in position to give information. News
of the bare fact that in prosecuting her
naval construction programme Russia will
favor American builders comes, however,
from an authentic source, according to
Joseph Spencer Kennard, one of the Com
missioners from this country to the Paris
Exposition, who arrived here yesterday on
the French line steamship Touraine, and
is now stopping at the Union League.
Contracts for five battleships Will in
yolve an amount of more thar $4,000, 0G0,
and the fact that Russia contemplates
placing these orders here is regarded as
speedy recognition of the merits of the
Anne. lean built Variag, which, designed TO
make a speed of % knots, showed herself
capable in her speed trials of maintaining
a speed of 2+.6 knots. Now being pushed
to completion by the Cramps, who built
the Variag is the battleship RetviZan, the
first battIeship built here for a foreign
country. She was launched October 2S
These vessels we're begun in 1893, and
the following January the Russian Gov
ernnent placed orders fer a battleship
and some smaller craft with the Vulcan
Works, at Stettin, Germany. That the
prospective orders are to be placed here
now is therefore felt to be particularly
gratifying.
Mr. Kennard spoke yesterday of the
matter in connection with an enthusiastic
L. r-raaE -ssEr nj
exhibit OF the United States at the PARIS
Exposition and the interest attracted 10
the military and naval exhibits, among
the latter being a model of the Oregon,
which attracted much attention. beyond
the information that the order was 10 be
placed here he said that he could say
nothing, and that he could not with pro-
priety make known the name of his in
formant
The Variag already delivered to Russia,
is a protected cruiser of $500 tons dis
placement and 400 feet in length. She
cost $3.50, coo. The trial to which she
vas subjected was g particularly severe
me as It was necessary that she should
maintain the contract speed of twenty
three knots for twelve hours under Latu-
raj draught. She exceeded the require
ments Speed and absence of wood were
the conspicuous features in the creation
of both the Variag and the RetvlZan, the
alaItef. though baIlitSElip- bSiAi5 S>iNAA ~
to make eighteen knots The only wood
used in construction in each case was the
man deck sheathing, even the furniture
Throughout being of metal.
In armament the Variag mounts twelve
s6-inch guns and a secondary battery OF
twelve 2-inch. six 17-millimetre, two ~
lnillimetre. and four smaller guns and six
torpedo tubes Her bunkers AIRY rs tons
of coal
The Retvizan is of II, 700 tons displace-
Inent and gives perhaps an idea OF the
craft which are next TO be built here tor
Russia. She is 36S feet in length, - iest
beam and has a draught of 20 feet
She is one of the most completely aTmor-
ed of war ships. her 9-inch belt of krupp
armor extending two-thirds OF her length,
while from this to the extremitles are Z
inch belts of nickel steel. Over the armor
are the s-inch easements, while the turrets
are OF 19-inch thickness. The primary bat
terry includes four Pinch guns, mounted
in pairs in the turrets-
From the classmates protTude the barrels
of twelve 6-inch rapid fire guns The sec
Ondary battery comprises twenty 3-inch
guns, twenty Al milIimetres, six 81 MILL
metres, two 21-2-inch, all rapid fire, and
there are sly torDedo tubes.
Electricity is extensively introduced, all
the auxiliary machinery being operated by
il. and triple expansion engines are Install
ell in connection with the electric plant.
The Retvizan has bunker capacity for 1000
tons of coal.
Vladimir Teplow, the Russian Consul
General returned yesterday on the Tou
Taine after an absence of four months in
Russia He left St Petersburg October 20.
Seen at his home last night Mr.. Teplow
said he could not confirm the report Of
the prospective placing of orders for battle
ships in this country, but he said that there
was such enthusiasm in Russia over the
Variag and the Retvizan that it is likely
that the next warships built for Russia
will be laid in American shipyards.
''All Russians" he said, are perfectly
satisfied with the Variag and the Retvizan
They are fine ships. We think American
builders are among the best in the world.
Some builders show sample ship and OBJ
tain an order for one like it, but the fin
ished product likely does not correspond
with the sample. But this is not so with
American builders. They make US a ship
Just like the model