New-York tribune., 1901-03-24

completion Of the "belated' battIeshfps for the
British navy. The question has been asked: why
Is 1t that foreign vessels of be built and
equipped In England in far less time than IT takes
to finish vessel for the British Government?" The
contractors reply that it is because of the nu-
merous alterations proposed by the Admiralty dur
ing construction of ship or machinery and the time
taken by the Admiralty to decide finally upon mod
ihcattons Of the original plans. The government
officials make the that the delay is due to
the slow delivery of armOr. guns and machinery by
the contractors On the other hand. OF the
officers of the assert that the delays are at
the door of the Admiralty. who do wish to
hurry the delivery of vessels because there are
not officers and men sufficient to the ships al
ready fit 70 commission. This latter reason seems
TO nit i'm with the fact that relief the Admiralty
have recently suggested a plan similar to that
tnor1zed ny congress Tor the american Navy-the
employment of officers and men of the retired and
reserved lists
The use Of water tube boilers vessels Of war Of
the larger type has resulted in improvements OF
various kinds. One of the recent ones adopted IN
the English navy is the "econOmizer." Tt is also
being tried in the Russian navy. but not with the
success hoped for. II consists of series OF tubes
placed above the ordinary portion Of the boiler-tn
the uptake of the boiler between the tops of tho
ordinary steam generating tubes and the base OF
the smokepfpe Thus. the gases and smoke from
the fires in the boiler furnaces are made pass all
around the external portion of the econozer tubes
before ascending the smokepipes. The feed water
for the boilers pumped through the interior por
ton of the econonzar tubes before it is let into
the boiler, hence becomes heated TO considerable
degree by the furnace flames, etc. and thus saves
a considerable amount of heat and fuel
Steam trials of new vessels OF the British navy
are keeping the engineering departments of dock
yards and fleet reserves active The cruiser Minerva
is undergoing a series of exhaustive experiments
with water tube boilers under the Admiralty Water
Tube Boiler Committee and in few weeks the
cruiser IIyacinth will begin series of similar
trials These two vessels have been selected-ons
fitted with cylindrical and the other with Belle
willie boilers-for the purpose of making a cornpart-
son Of results because they approximately SIM
liar In lines, displacement and power Trials arc
also in progress with Two cruisers hve nattesnps
are finished the active service will have a con-
siderable acquisition OF rev ships
The British Admiralty planned to employ
many of the retired officers in the new royal fleet
reserve about established IL is also intended
to employ many of the pensiOned enlisted men tn
this way with view TO their assisting in the
and maintenance of the vessels composing the re-
serve But they will not be employed at except
in wartime.
The protected Russian cruiser Askold which
was launched nearly year age. is about ready
for her commission. She is described a vessel
with slender lines. a powerful armament, large
coal supply and strong wateFtght subdivision
throughout The bow has a form. there
five tall. slender smOkepipes in a fore and aft
line and light pole masts rugged for signalling
purposes. There also six torpedo tubes-one
forward above water. brOadside under water,
two broadside above water and one astern- She
has also three sets OF triple expansion engines.
driving three screws. and her estimated speed is
% knots a twelve hours endurance trial In
the arrangement OF machinery the idea of En-
Chief Melville has been followed in some
OF the essentials for speed and maneuvring
The Russian battleship Czarevitch. now buildna
at La Seyne, is TO be launched next MONTH Her
principal dimensions Length. SSSSi feet; beam.
T6 feet; draught 26 feet; displacement 15G0 tons.
TIar ant will oft
1912 inch guns in turrets. twenty s-inch rapid
firing guns (sixteen in batteries and four the
bridges), twenty ls5-inch rapid firing guns twelve
the bridges and eight in the tops). six L45-inch
rapid firing guns in the tops. six guns of about
the same caibre for the launches, and four torpedo
tubes. She will also carry two torpedo boats, each
in length.