The San Francisco call., 1904-07-11

Admiral Sir John Arbuthnot Fisher
is to succeed Vice Admiral Lord Wal
ter Talbot Kerr as First Naval Lord of
+ the Admiralty in October next. Vice
Admiral Kerr is 65 years of age and
has been in the navy little more than
fifty years, and will be promoted to
admiral of the fleet at yearly salary
of $4,000. Admiral Fisher Joined the
navy at the age of Is and is just So
years old. He has brilliant record,
having served with great distinction
in the Crimean war of 1854; China
war, 1S59-60, and Egyptian war in 1882.
His salary as First Naval Lord, to-
gether with his half pay as an admi-
raj, amounts to nearly $1,000.
The new yacht, named the Enchan-
tress, built for the admiralty by Har-
land G. Wolff, Belfast, appears TO be a
worse failure than the Victoria and
] Albert She is of 3190 tons displace-
ment and was calculated to have
! speed of Is knots, but she only reached
10 knots. What is still worse is the
alleged fact that the vessel rolls heav-
lily, and on recent trip seas invaded
the staterooms, spelling much valuable
furniture. The yacht has been return
Z
The surveying vessels in the British
navy are doing a vast amount of work
valuable to mercantile and military
fleets. The work extends all over the
world. from the home coasts to the dis
i tant regions of the Far East, from
British Columbia to the shores of West
! Africa. During 1903 four vessels were
/ employed in the home work and seven
abroad. The operations were ham,
/ pered by bad weather, still, no less
than 627 miles of coast line were chart
! ed and an area of 20,467 square miles
was sounded. No less than 344 rocks
and shoals were reported as dangerous
TO navigation. OF these 40 were re-
ported by surveying vessels. 21 by
| other navy ships: 245 were notified by
colonial and foreign governments, 13
were unfortunately discovered by
striking and IL were reported by other
vessels. The yearly expenses of the
photographic Department and Coast
Survey offices is about $31O,0OO sum
| that is not extravagant considering
the vast amount of work done that is
| of incalculable benefit to all maritime
nations.
LAUNCH OF A BRITISH CRUISER.
The Duke of Edinburgh, an armored
cruiser of l., 500 tons, 23,500 horsepower
and calculated speed of % 1-3 knots.
| was launched June IA at the Pembroke
! q.
! IL, 1903 The ship is the 238th vessel
built at Pembroke. Five armored
cruisers of this type are under con-
struction, two at dockyards and the
others by contract. Their main bat
teries consist of six 9.2-inch and ten 7.5-
inch guns, which is considered by some
naval experts as more effective than
the armament of the United States ar
mored cruisers Tennessee and Washing
ton of 14,500 tons, carrying four 10-inch
and sixteen 6-inch guns.
In the Italian navy the battleShip
Regina Elena was launched at Spezia
June 10. The battleships Vittoria En-
manuel and Roma are to be launched
in August and November, and a third.
named Napoli, will be ready for launch
ing in February next. These ships are
of the same type, size. dimensions and
speed, namely 435.5 feet length 12.425
tons displacement, 20. 900 horsepower
and % knots calculated speed
According to a French exports es-
innate, the French battleShips of the
Patrie class, of 1866 tons, require lis
horsepower per ton displacement for
a speed Of Is knots. against 1 horse
power for the British London class. of
5000, for q like speed. In the German
Braunschweig class, of 13 200 tons. the
ment For armored. cruisers of % to
2315 knots the proportions are: 2.15
horsepower per ton of the British
Drake class of ii. 100 tons. The French
Renan type. of 13.200 tons. requires 2.S
horsepower for 23.5 knots speed. He
also contends that French 12-knot
cruisers require 81 horsepower
against 167 in the British navy
These differences are due to the
superior lines of British ships. In
the American navy the battleships
Maine and Missouri attain a speed
of IS knots with 1.26 horse power
per ton, and in the Georgia class. OF
J $4,000 tons, a speed of 10 knots is cal
culated with horsepower of 1.27 pei
ton. The California class of armored
cruisers. of 1850 tons. will require 1.6S
horsepower per ton for a speed of 2
knots.
CONTEST IN SHIPBUILDING.
There is TO all appearances a race
between the shipyard at Newport News
and the Cramps for the completion OF
/. the armored cruisers West Virginia
Maryland and Colorado. Newport
News is building the two first named
and the Cramps the Colorado. The
contracts for these ships were signed
in January, 1901; the price to be paid
being $3,775,000 for the Maryland
$3,8S5,000 for the West Virginia and
$3,7S0,000 for the Colorado, and they
were to be delivered in January. 1904.
The higher cost of the West Virginia
was due to the fact that she, like the
California and Nebraska, was in
tended to be wood-sheathed and cop
pered. which plan, however. was aban-
doned after the contracts had been
signed and the Navy Department has
g.. L L l. A.