The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-30
Worlds Eaval News.

The four German battleships on the
China station will soon be ordered
home for refit. The present armament
of heavy guns will be removed and
batteries OF six-inch quick-firers sub
stituted.
The japanese armored cruiser Iwata,
launched at Elswick March 30, 1900,
was handed over to the government ON
March Is last, and left the Tyne for
Plymouth on the following day, to
proceed for home. The Iwata is $500
tons, is fitted with Bellevllie boilers
and has a speed of twenty one knots.
The Vickers-M Maxim Company, at
Barrows, has declared a dividend OF 20
per cent. The directors recommend an
increase in the ordinary share capital
to 81, 100000, and the issue OF 100000
new shares to the stockholders. The
business Of this company is almost ex-
clusiyely in warships and war mates
rial, and is is probably the best paying
dividend concern of it's kind in the
world.
The Olga, third-class cruiser IN the
German navy, has been fitted out for
a gunnery training ship. AN upper
deck has been added, and she IS now
armed with eleven quick-f1rers ana
eleven machine guns The hull is built
with iron frames planked with wood
and coppered, and although over TWEEN
ty years old is still good for many
years service as sea-gorng gunnery
ship.
There has been a commendable rap
idity in shipbuilding in French dock
yards of late years, notably In that OF
the armored cruiser Jena, OF 12,05z
tons, built at Brest. The vessel was
begun in January, 1898, launched In
October of the same year, and COM
pleted for sea by January l. 1901. Rus
STA has likewise done some quick work,
no Lot 4 49,. Il
and sent out to the China station the
armored cruiser Gromoboi, of 1886
tons, while England during the same
time, has been unable TO complete
some of the 1000 ton cruisers, one. of
which is still at the dockyards, and all
OF them more or less unsatisfactory
as to general results.
Newfoundland fishermen have fire.
quently asked through the home gov
eminent for permission to join the
Royal Naval Reserve of Great Britain.
and the Admiralty has finally decided
O send a cruiser to ST. Johns TO serve
IS a training ship. The vessel selected
$ the Calypso, sister ship to the Cal
l;c.oe, which was the only war vessel
/ II weathered the Samoan hurricane
| III ! p Probably no finer material for
! war personnel exists than among the
| brave and hardy fishermen of the
| newfoundland banks. and the United
l
encoura cement to the equally efficien,
scattering population of the Maine and
! MasSGcausetts coasts to organize a
naval reserve for this country.
An armored cruiser named the Victor
Hugo is about to be built for the
| French navy. Its tons displacement
| is y $50. length 480 feet, breadth 70 feet
3 riches. Her armor protection will be
an sll-around belt $50 inches. protect
i've Geek 21s inches. and upper deck
! IL inches. The armament includes
| four inch guns in two turrets, six
| teen - inch, of which twelve are p1ac-
| ed in six turrets, twenty-five three
poundrs and two machine guns. All
] guns of the main battery are quick
| firers The main barbettes are 7.Si
inches, and other barbettes 5.51 inches
Triple screw engines of 1880 horse
power will propel the ship at twenty.
| two knots speed. The complement 1:
$50 crew and 3S officers. and the tota
estimated cost, including guns, is So
} S49,FO0.