The San Francisco call., 1904-04-15
Na5aI Notes.

The British arnored cruiser Donegal,
$500 tons, %. 900 horsepower and twen-
ty-three knots speed, has proved dis
appointment owing to her enormous
coal consumption. In a race. concluded
March 26, between two sections Of the
cruiser squadron. from Bermuda TO
Portsmouth, the Donegal was unable
10 keep up with the Drake and Good
Hope. The average speed Of the squad
ron was seventeen knots. at which the
Donegal was burning coal at rate
that would empty her bunkers by the
time port was reached and the speed
had TO be reduced. There are ten ships
Of this class. seven of which, including
the Donegal, are fitted with Belleville
boilers; the Berwick and Suffolk have
Niclausse boilers and the Cornwall has
Babcock and Wilcox boilers. On the
Berwick a stol1er was scalded to death
during the race home through the
bursting of a tube I'm a boiler.
The German navy personnel for
1S04-5 provides for an increase of 21S0.
making a total Of S4.IS2. against 2.O52
FOR the present year and 3O,0l7 in
1923 Commissioning Of two new
battleships. three cruisers and six tor
pedo-bOats necessitates this increase.
The cost Of warships is steadily in
creasing in all navies. Thus the battle
ships Of the Royal Sovereign class in
the British navy, built in 1912, cost
1885 per ton displacement while the
cost S445 per ton. In French battle
ships there is an increase from $3.50
in 1891 10 $3.50 IN 1903. which is the es-
timated cost of the Patrie. In Russia
the advance has been from S365 TO $500.
and Germany pays now S445 per ton.
against 1925 twelve years ago. The cost
Of battleships in the United States
navy has apparently decreased during
the same period. for. while the three
ships of the oregon class averaged
$500 a ton. the ships under construction
win not exceed S4S5 per ton. This ap-
parent decrease is due chiefly to more
reasonable armor contracts and par
TALLY owing TO the keen competition
OF shipbuilders. 1t should be borne in
mind, however, in this connection that
while the average cost Of the OREGON
lana and Connecticut. although of fifty
per cent greater displacement. and
averaging s776O.OOO each. really indI-
Gates an advanced cost Of ship for ship
10 fulfill the requirements of the two
periods.
The cost Of armored cruisers shows
even a greater increase. Thus the
British Australia class, built in 1856
q far 1,ar \ . s-
Sfl0 in the Duke Of Edinburgh class
now building. The Dupuy de Lone
class of 1890, at a cost OF 500 per ton
is now about ssT5 in the latest armored
cruiser, Renan, in the French navy
Russia paid over $500 per ton for its
latest ship Of that class against 1895
twelve years ago. and Germany pays
about $3.50 for its armored cruisers in
course Of construction. Germany, IKE
the United States, had no armored
cruisers as far back as twelve years
ago. the Brooklyn and New York. al
though classed as armored cruisers, do
not come up to present requirements.
hence the cost of these ships. which
averaged $500 per ton, cannot fairly be
compared with the latest additions
which viii cost about $3.50 per ton dis
placement
In June, 1884, Naval Constructor
Philip Hichborn, L. S. N. received
orders from the Navy Department to
proceed TO Europe TO make a tour of
the dOckyards Of England, France.
Germany, Italy and Russia for the
purpose Of observing personally the
improvements in naval architecture.
particularly in the construction Of
steel vessels for war. The trip lasted
about six months and netted much
confidential valuable information TO
the department besides an elaborate
and interesting public report, Of which
two editions were issued. His obser-
vatiOns and conclusions were summar-
lied and clearly set forth in language
strongly apprehensive that, even at
that early day in the DEVELOPMENT Of
modern navies. simplicity was being
lost sight of and that actual war alone
would demonstrate the real value Of
the vessels then building. such a
wal" the report concludes, "or one
such battle would prove. what has
long been the apprehension of intelli-
gent officers. that the warship Of our
day has become far too complicated
for the people who may be called upon
10 work her; and that a balance Of
advantage, unsuspected by many, rests
aith that vessel which has compare
live simplicity, even though it be con-
comftant with greater apparent ex-
posure OF life, lower speed and re-
duced powers Of offense" Until now
there has been no naval war nor single
battle TO establish the fighting values
OF the many types OF war vessels built
during the last twenty years. The
Chino-Japanese war was without de-
finite results in that direction, for nav
arexperts have failed to concur in the
lessons developed; the Spanish -Ameri-
can war was barren in results except to
demonstrate the danger of woodwork
on ships. But the Russo-Japanese war
promises to give some valuable les
sons, the particulars OF which are vet