The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-11

states IN command OF Russian
squadron. During his stay here he
thoroughly examined the work in
hand for the United States navy and
expressed to the president of the
Cramp Shipbuilding Company the
opinion that the imperial Russian
government would be inclined TO place
orders here for two or more ships up
on suitable application.
This led to a considerable CORE
spondence between the head of the
shipbuilding firm on one hand and
Admiral Kaznakoff and other leading
spirits in the Russian navy on the
other. with the result that at the be-
ginning of 1898 Mr.. Cramp' proceeded
to st. Petersburg. and after consider
able discussion of plans, etc, two con-
tracts were subsequently signed, one
for the construction of n first-class
protected cruiser called the Variag
and frst-class battleship called the
Retvizan.
The imperial Russian protected
cruiser Variag was completed and de-
lived to the Russian government in
1900. She went Immediately to st. Pc
tersburg upon leaving Philadelphia
and was received by the Emperor and
his people with great eelat. The EN-
peror was so well pleased with the
cruiser that he selected her to escort
the imperial yacht from st. Peters
burg to Cherbourg.
The Variag has a speed of twenty
three knots per hour The machinery
was designed and calculated to develop
10000 horse power, and is capable OF
doing so If required.
The vessel is designed to fulfill the
highest requirements of a high-speed
protected cruiser, carrying a large bat
terry of quick-firing guns and provided
with an unusually large number of
water torpedo tubes.
The battery of the ship is as fol-
lows: Twelve six-inch 4b-caliber,
rapid-firing guns, twelve 50-caliber
raptd-firing gums and six three pound
err Hotchkiss guns. The torpedo bat
terry consists of one bow tube, one
stern tube and four broadside training
tubes.
The vessel carries the following ar
NOR, all treated by the Krupp pro-
cess: Main water line belt for length
equal by two-thirds the length of the
vessel and with a. thickness of nine
inches. Easement armor, six inches in
thickness, extends above this to the
line of the main deck, and armor OF
FIVE inches extends to the line of the
upper deck protecting the six-incr
guns. All the armor extends for two
thirds the length of the vessel, For
ward and, abaft these limits the yes
sci is fitted with nfckel-steel arnlol
two inches in thickness to the bow
and STERN respectively s
The amount of coal carried at tria
displacement was LOIS tons, and the
coal bunker capacity allows for ra-
dius,. Of action of $3.50 miles at ter
knots speed.
Accommodation is made for an adj
miral and his staff. for captain
twenty-six officers and twelve petty
officers and 740 crew.
The equipment of the vessel is most
elaborate, the auxiliary machinery, as
In the case OF the Kasagi, being driven
by electricity throughout.
Japan being eminently a maritime
country, her institutions are "steeped
in brine" and from time immemorial
a hardy and numerous class of seamen
has been reared. The Japanese navy
at the present day comprises a fleet of
warships capable of contending with
a formidable enemy in action. AS a
rule the Japanese sailors are skilled
seamen and handy on board ship, equal,
in fact, to any maritime nation in the
world for they have been accustomed
to sail their vessels under all difficult
ties Of navigation and frequently dur
ing the dreaded cyclones which sweep
their seas.
Among the Japanese sailors there are
few equal in physical strength to
American seamen AS a rule, they are
smaller men. of slender build and be-
come soon tired at their guns In action.
Hence the firing parties ON Awarsl1ips
have to be relieved more frequently
than in European warships. However,
both officers and men are imbued with
brave, warlike spirit. which they have
shown when coming into contact with
foreign squadrons.
The Russian is good sailor. He
has an utter contempt for fear and for
the life of any man. The feeling OF
honor, however, among the Russian Of
ficers is developed in its noblest form
His sense Of duty is very keen, but as
men they are capable of abusing their
power. and the sailors on warships are
frequently ill-treated, despite their ex-
hibitions of good fighting and seaman
shin.
Owing to it's geographical situa ton
and it's widely separated seas, Russia
has to maintain four. distinct squad
rons, the Baltic. the Black sea, the Pa
cific. and the Caspian. Consequently,
notwithstanding a very considerable
and continuous increase In the expen-
diture on the navy. the fleet is strong
in none OF these seas.
Russia has twenty battleships, eight
coast defense vessels, twenty-four
cruisers, forty-one gunboats, forty-five
torpedo boats, besides $50 first-class
and second-class boats. The torpedo
boats can be transported from the Bal
tic to the Black sea. The total num-
Der of officers and men in the navy is
.E 900.