The San Francisco call., 1904-03-25

4 naval blue book recently published
shows that the health of the personnel
in the British navy is steadily incproV-
ing. The total force afloat in 1902 was
SO coo and the average number of men
sick daily was 1923 30, a decrease Of
.02 per cent per 1000 compared with
1901 and II III per cent in comparison
with the last Eve years. In the United
States navy the average strength of the
navy and marine corps was S1.240 for
1902. ashore and afioat, and the daily
average Of patients was only l025.s3.
A verv interesting part Of the above
report is edited by Deputy inspector
General T. d. Preston, r. n, contain
ing extracts from naval medical Off
GERS journals from 1893 to 1856 In
1929 a case Of ophthalmia was cured
by the medical officer ordering the pa
tient TO be fiogged. Another superin-
tendent formed among the prisoners
themselves society for the suppress
sion Of vice generally" and nominated
as president "a saint with only ore
leg" A third surgeon proposed in 1925
that all convict ships should be fitted
with "A trademill to work paddles sim
liar to those of steam vessels and so
10 propeI the ship in calms." This
.'trademilT' was TO be worked by the
prisoners.
One Of the most notable references is
the following brief account Of Admiral
Nelson's loss Of an arm off Santa Cruz,
his treatment and his remarkably rapid
recovery: >'Theseus, 1877. July "A and
25-Admiral Nelson-COmpound tract
ure Of the right arm by musket ball
al he al
bow. an artery divided, the arm was
Immediately amputated and medicines
administered. Rested pretty well and
quite easy. Tea, soup, sago. Lemonade
and tamarind drink July 31-One Of
the ligatures came away; looks well.
August CONTINUED getting well very
fast; stump looked we'll: no bad symp-
tom; sore reduced TO size Of a shilling.
Two British torpedo-boat destroyers,
the Express and Arab, have been the
cause Of much trouble to their builders
and the Admiralty. The Express was
built under contract Of March II. 1897.
70 be delivered by October 4, 1897 It's
contract speed was to be SO knots, sub
5ect TO a penalty of s250O for every one
quarter or fraction Of one-quarter knot
between 53 and 80 knots, and $4,000 for
every one-quarter knot between 80 and
81 knots. The first trial took place IN
October. 1885 and between that time
and June. 1901, the vessel was lunsuc-
cessfVlly tried thirty-seven times. 1t
was hhen decided to accept her at 81
knots and the final trial took place No
Nember Il. 1901, the realized speed be =
ing 81. .021 knots The penalties for late
delivery footed up TO Sill 995 and $4,000
fine for reduced speed both of which
were reduced to $4,000 and have been
paid by the contractor. In the opinion
of naval experts at the Admiralty the
vessels machinery must have deterio-
rated considerable through the thirty
seven trials TO obtain the required
speed and the vessel was practically
old when finally delivered. The Arab
which also failed to come up to the
guaranteed speed. cost the contractors
SIS 900 in penalties.
The premium system has just been
introduced in the British Admiralty. II
was started about two gears ago al
Carlisle under an agreement between
the Federated Engineering Employers
end the Amalgamated Society of En-
gfneers, and the system has been found
mutually satisfactory. Generally speak
ing it is a method by means Of which
the workman receives pay for any tims
he may save on a job. A time rate is
fixed for all work. such as punching
riveting and calking. The new system
went into effect in the dOckyards on
March IA last
Since William II became Emperor OF
Germany in 1883 the navy has been in
creased by seventy ships, of 3s4,53S tons
displacement. Last year three battle
ships, one armored cruiser, three cruis-
ers and one gunboat of a collective
tonnage Of 59.477 were launched
In 1902 five ships of SO,Ss5 tons were
launched, and during 1901 the output
was six ships Of 81, 80 tons.
The Russian naval estimates for the
year beginning April are considerably
less than for 1894, being 1852, ,42l
rubles. against Jig, ,241 rubles
Tor shipbuilding and repairs A..
z3S,S1O rubles were allowed a yeal
ago. but for the present year the esti.
mates were cut down to 3s743 446 ru
bles. Recent disasters % a number o.
costly ships will materially increase The
low estimates.
The Russian cruiser Jembchug while
completing at the Newski wharf brok,
loose from her moorings and was car
ried nearly half mile up the river BY
the ice. 1t took months work of 50
men to cut canal through the ice anC
bring the vessel back to its propel
place.
The Russian navy personnel wa:
fixed two months ago at 22 vice ad
mirals, 35 rear admirals, lO2 captains
3z9 commanders, 900 heutenants, II
sea cadets, II flag engineers, $40 senio
engineers, 2O2 engineers and IFS assist
ant engineers. There are no regularl,
appointed paymasters in the Russian
navy. The duties are performed in
fashion by the second officer in com