The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-11-05
THE UNKNOWN NAYIES.
GOVERNMENTS WHOSE SEA POWER
Is RARELY REFERRED TO.
Mexico. Notwithstanding Her Long Coast
Line. Possesses Practically No Navy
Roumania Has Quite Good Navy, Con.
Sidering Her Size.


Roumania Has Quite Good Navy, Con.
sidering Her Size.
The world hears a good deal about
the navies OF the big countries, but
there are many governments Of more
or less naval prctenSious OF whose sea
power no mention is made, writes John
Edward jerks, in the Saturday EScHine
F0SL There are some very interesting
facts connected with these unknown and
uuadvcrtlSed and unmpreSsivc navies.
] he great nations keep watch too, on
what the smaller governments are doing.
lest one OF them. like Japan, jump from
a picture-book little island TO a world
power
1t will surprise most people to know
that Mexico. which has a long coast
line and many varied interests. possesses
practically no navy. although She enjoys
the luxury OF a Shipbuilding program
for which one million dollars has al.
ready been voted. 1t is to be carried
out in the course of FIVE years. and eight
gunboatS OF 1000 tons displacement and
speed OF eighteen knots will be built.
as well a two torpedo boats. 1t is in
tended that four of the gunboats will
be for patrol service on the Pacific Coast
and four for the Gulf OF Mexico. The
ships at present on the Mexican regis
ter comprise steel vessel of 1900 tons
tour gunboatS and five torpedo boats.
none of them of much account.
Egypt Is another power which las no
efficient warShipS. The Republic of Ec-
uador has a navy consisting Of two old
French dispatch vessels. the Pap;n and
the lnconStant. built of wood and iron
in 1886. In addition to this squadron
the government possesses 4 torpedo
boat and two steam transport Yessels.
Belgium has a navy OF packets
Twelve such vessels Of between 40 and
oS4 tons were built between 1870 and
1888. and constitute the power OF Bel
gium on the sea.
During the last year the calamity
overlook Liberia of the total loss OF her
entire navy. She had only two vessels.
the Gorronomonah and the Rocktown.
The former sank as she Law at anchor.
and the other was wrecked.
Impoverished Turkey has placed ,
number of contracts with shipbuildinp
firms, including the Cramp, in Phila
delphia, for the construction OF vessels
OF war, and krupp. the German gun
maker is under contract TO supply 4
large number of quick-hring guns. The
vessels are of modern design although
none OF them are very large.
Bulgaria has a navy of eleven steam
ers OF small size, of which one is the
Princes yacht. Two armored gunboats
for the defense of the Danube arc now
IN course of construction at Leghorn
and other vessels are to be built. Haiti
possesses a steel gun-vcSsel of o4o tons
gunboat Of eco tons, an iron corvette
OF 1900 tons, and three iron or steel
sloops Of from 500 to 600 tons. Most
OF these vessels are armed with quick;
firing machine guns.
he navy of Morocco consists of 4
torpedo cruiser of about 1900 tons dis.
placement, $500 horsepower, eighteen
knot speed, and carrying two guns.
Two gunboats of $50 tons are being
built Tor that government. Persia has
a I2oo-ton dispatch vessel capable Of at
tanning high speed. She is called the
Persepolis and is armed with five small
breech-loading guns. Peru has an arm
ed vessel OF 100 tons and a screw
steamer OF 400 tons.
Roumania has quite a good nay as
compared with some other and larger
nations. and enjoys the opulent luxury
OF a shipbuilding program. The navy
consists Of I2oo-ton protected cruiser.
a 3So-ton composite gunboat. six very
small gunboats, six ninety-five-ton
coast guard vessels, screw steamer OF
go tons, and six torpedo boats of TWEEN
ty-onc-knot speed, built, however i'm
1882 Roumania intends to build eight
monitors of 500 tons. twelve to-pcdo
boats and eight vedettcs for the Danube.
SIX coaSi-dcfenSc vessels of $500 tons.
tour destroyers of 800 tons, and twelve
torpedo boats.
Santo Domingo possesses three YES
sells; one Of them. the Independence
was built in England in 1904. and car
ries seven Hotchkiss quick-hring guns
Venezuela has a Pun-vcssel OF 932 tons
and this navy will be augmented some
day by four river gunboats now in
course Of construction. Three gunboats
OF twelvc-knot specd con titute the in
vinciblc navy Of Uruguay. n force which
would have a hard time with the mobi-
lied feet Of Siam. which has two 300
ton corvettcs. six gunboate. a 2soo-ton
deck cruiser armed with fourteen guns
and q 6sO-ton cruiser.
The remote monarchy in Bornco
known as Sarawak. the ruler Of which
rs rajah and a nephew of the English
man who rescued the territory from
barbarism has a little navy Of its own.
il is made up Of two gunboats Of r.,
and IS tons respectively. Of low pccd
and each armed with two guns
Strange Wanderngs Of a Word.