GROUND GLASS TUBES FOR USE WITH THE NAVIGATIONAL SOUNDING MACHINE. HOW TO MAKE THEM ON BOARD SHIP.
By Lieutenant J. B. Blish, U. S. Navy.
The glass tubes used with the Thompson Navigational Sounding Machine are coated inside with a chemical which changes color when wet with salt water.
After a tube is brought up from the bottom, the distance from the closed end to the line of discoloration shows how much the air within the tube was compressed by the water, and, measured on the scale provided, gives the depth to which the tube was sunk.
Among the disadvantages connected with the use of these tubes are:
(1) Their great cost.
(2) The number of soundings is limited to the supply of tubes.
(3) The supply cannot always be renewed when needed.
(4) The liability to be ruined by salt air or water getting to the coating before using.
(5) The coating sometimes assumes a sort of porous condition that causes the water to discolor the coating above its real height and then indicate too great a depth.
The Bassnett " sounder " and the Thompson " recorder " sometimes used in place of these tubes are:
(1) Very expensive, and therefore ships seldom carry more than two.
(2) They require constant and intelligent care and frequent examination and adjustment.
(3) They are very liable to injury in letting go and in getting them on board again.
(4) They add considerably to the resistance of reeling in, and therefore increase the danger of parting the wire.
(5) They cannot be sent to the bridge for the inspection of the captain, as the glass tubes are on board some ships.
Glass tubes with their inside surfaces ground make perfect substitutes for the Thompson chemical tubes and are free from all the above faults and can be readily made on board.
The principle of these tubes is that dry ground glass is translucent—light passes through it, but you cannot see through it; when wet, ground glass becomes transparent and looks like plain glass. So the height of the water in the tube is marked by a sharp, clean-cut change from the white dry ground glass to the colorless wet ground glass. This effect is readily shown by wetting the finger and making a mark with it on an ordinary piece of ground or frosted glass.
Quite a number of these tubes were made on board the U. S. S. Ranger some years ago by the writer, and their use with ship's and boat's sounding machines demonstrated their perfection. They were made as follows:
Two or three wires were taken from a 10-foot length of copper wire rope which had been a lightning conductor. One end of this strand of wires was made fast to a beam overhead and the other rove through the glass tube and held in the left hand. The wires were wet and then covered with powdered glass. The tube was then slid up and down the wires until its inner surface was ground by the powdered glass rubbing against it. If the strand of wires is kept taut the wires lie close together and the tube slides with very little friction; when the strand is slacked up the spring of the wires, caused by the twisting when they were laid up in the rope, forces them out against the inside of the tube and the friction is very much increased. By putting the foot through the bight of the strand, between the tube and the left hand, the friction can be controlled exactly. Not over a dozen motions up and down of the tube (through the distance of a foot or less) are necessary. The wire rope not being at hand, common copper wire can be used to make the strand and a twist given it before the tube is put on.
Powdered emery can be used in place of the powdered glass, but the latter works perfectly and can be made by crushing any kind of glass and sifting it; it ought to be of the fineness of that used by engineers for grinding in valves. Any kind of glass tubing can be used; old Thompson tubes answer perfectly. They must be 2.4 inches long to make use of the scale provided with the Thompson tubes. This length need not be exact, a quarter-inch or so not making a perceptible difference. After grinding, the tube is washed thoroughly and dried, and will then be white inside.
To put on the cap: The caps used on the Thompson tubes are ordinary percussion caps with the fulminate removed. The end of the tube is dipped in melted ordinary sealing wax and the cap is put on while the wax is hot. Care must be taken that the wax is not too fluid and that the tube is not dipped too deeply, otherwise the wax will extend down in the tube from the end and the readings will be that much too small. It must only cover over the end, not enter the bore.
After these tubes are once used, the salt which adheres to the inside sometimes remains damp and prevents the tube from drying properly. In this case the cap and wax must be removed by holding the end of the tube in a flame, the tube washed out, dried and wrapped. The same process must be gone through with if moisture should collect in the tube while not in use. If the tubes are kept on deck in a tin tube (such as the Thompson tubes come in), with their closed ends up and a half inch or so of oil in the bottom of the tin tube, they ought to keep ready for use for any length of time.
EFFECTS OF SMALL-CALIBERED RIFLE BULLETS.
All recent reports seem to indicate that the great military nations have gone too far in the reduction of the calibres of their small arms. French officers who were present at the Dahomey expeditions state that the bullets of the Lebel gun did not stop the advance of the natives. A number of heavily wounded warriors, shot through and through, advanced up to the very French lines and did not break down until some time after the attack.
Similar reports come from Madagascar. Officers of the marines report that the bullets of the Gras gun, used in the Soudan and at Tonkin, were much more effective than those of the 8-mm. Lebel gun in Madagascar.
In Chitral the English used the Lee-Metford 7.7-mm. rifle, and it was frequently observed that one of the enemy was hit but failed to fall. The natives called the rifle the child's gun, on account of its smallness as well as because they were not afraid of it.
In the battle of Makaland a native was struck by six bullets, in the ankle, about the knee, near the hips, and in the head. The last-named wound was made by a bullet entering the nape of the neck and coming out at the mouth after knocking out several teeth. The wounded man had strength enough left to betake himself to an English field hospitg,1 to have his wounds bandaged. He had fully recovered in a very short time after. The surgeons attached to the expedition were able to observe that even very heavy wounds did not cause the falling down of the wounded; they not only continued to march, but even continued fighting for some length of time after they had been hit.
After Jameson's raid in the Transvaal the wounded of both sides were treated in the same hospital at Kriigersdorp. The surgeons testified that the wounds caused by small-calibered bullets were very smooth; the very narrow wound of entrance closes of itself, and hemorrhages, the principal cause of weakness in the wounded, were very slight. One of the wounded at Kriigersdorp was shot through the lungs, yet after a few days of treatment the wound was healed and the patient discharged. When these things became first known in England there was intense excitement, and many newspapers loudly complained because the Martini guns had been so hastily supplanted by the Lee-Metford rifle. The Italian Paravicino-Carcano rifle, model 1891, calibre 6.5 mm., sending a bullet of 155 grains weight with a velocity of 2320 feet per second, was named "the rifle which does not kill" by the Abyssinians.
The Italian military journals repeatedly hinted at the possibility of the defeat of General Baratieri having been due to the ineffectiveness of the new Italian small-calibered weapon in stopping the rushes of King Menelik's troops, and deplored the absence of the Vetterli rifle. The Italian Colonel Nava, who for some time was a prisoner of the Abyssinians, was able to observe a great number of Abyssinian wounded. He remarked that all wounds not touching vital organs healed with great rapidity, and he came to the conclusion that the new weapon of the Italian infantry was decidedly less deadly than the old one. He also reports that the Abyssinians had given it the name, "the rifle that does not kill." This name gives food for thought, for it is certainly the first time that a weapon of war has been thus characterized. Colonel Nava's reports were corroborated by other witnesses of the effects of bullets of different calibres in this campaign. Comparing the losses of both sides in the battle of Abba Carima, the loss of the Italians was estimated at 14,000 dead and a very few wounded, whereas the Abyssinian loss was 4600 dead and a considerable number of lightly wounded. One witness concludes that the new Italian gun did not impress any fear upon the enemy, whereas the Vetterli and the Gras rifles had inflicted frightful carnage. A man struck by a bullet from one of these latter weapons receives a heavy shock, is frequently spun around three or four times before falling to the ground.
During the campaign against China the Japanese soldiers were armed with different models of the Murata rifle, one of which, calibre 8 mm., closely resembled in weight and initial velocity the Lebel rifle. An American officer visited the hospitals in Tientsin and reported that the wounds from the bullets of the 8-mm. Murata rifle were characterized by extremely small wounds of entrance and exit, were smooth and healed very rapidly. The opinion of the English surgeon in charge of the wounded was that nine out of ten cases under his charge would have resulted in immediate death had the patients been struck by the ancient lead bullets of io or II mm.
A military commission in Roumania tested the Mannlicher rifle, calibre 6.5 mm., against live horses at a distance of about 1500 yards. Examination of the wounds showed that when the bones or arteries were struck the wounds were very heavy; but when soft parts were struck the wounds were light, and would have been insufficient to stop the rapid advance of the horses, as would be the case in a cavalry attack.
Doctor H. W. Danforth, who has been with the insurgents in Cuba, reporting on the effects of the Mauser bullet, 7.65 mm., states that he saw a man who had been shot through the head fully restored at the end of the year. Another man, Major Osgood of the artillery, lived three hours after he had been shot through the middle of the forehead; had this been an ordinary bullet he would probably have not lived as many seconds. In another case a bullet entered about one-eighth of an inch above the heart and for three hours it was impossible to tell whether or not the heart had been grazed. The man was brought to the hospital, and was discharged at the end of the seventh day. Still another man received a bullet through the thigh bone and wished to remain on horseback for further participation in the fight. The doctor reports having ripped open his trouser leg, and after having applied a plaster around the outer and inner wounds, the man ten minutes later rode in a machete charge. An ordinary bullet would have necessitated amputation of the leg.—Deutsche Heereszeitung.
AUTOMATIC FIN-BOATS.
In his fin motors, H. Linden, of Naples, imitates the tail-fins of dolphins, etc., for the purpose of automatically moving a boat against the waves. The boat is fitted with two horizontal fins placed so as to, rest on the surface of the water, the one front and the other aft at right angles to the keel. Each fin consists of a steel bar from which flat blades, thicker near the bar, project backwards, resembling a comb with flat teeth. The waves bend the steel blades, which, reacting, press the water backward and therefore the boat forward against the motion of the waves. If both the fins are reversed so as to point forward, the boat moves backward; if one is reversed so that they point towards another, the boat remains stationary. The fins can easily be taken out and fixed in position again, and an ordinary rudder may be used for crossing the waves at an angle. The boat may also be steered by placing the fins obliquely. A boat 14 feet in length requires a total active fin surface of ro square feet. Experiments have, according to Dingler's
Journal, as yet been made with boats only up to 18 feet in length. Larger
boats are said to require comparatively less fin surface and to move
faster. With a small boat a speed of 5 kilometres, over 3 miles, was obtained on a sea which was stirred up by a strong wind from the south. One application of this new type of boat has already been found. We know that oil smooths the waves; but the oil drifts with the wind, and the remedy is hence of little use to crafts sailing in the teeth of the wind. For- the benefit of fishing smacks particularly, Linden has constructed little wooden boats to carry nothing but oil bags. They are taken out in tow and afterwards despatched to quiet the sea around, or to allow the boats to make for the shore. These wooden boats are steered in the simplest possible manner. They need no rudder. The fins are inclined, or the boat is unsymmetrically loaded. If she leans over to the right, she will tnove to the right. By properly inclining the fins the boat may finally be made to describe a circle. These wooden boats, which are supplied by S. Reitzenbaum, of Berlin, have received the name of " autonauts."—Engineering.
LANDING OPERATIONS IN RUSSIA.
This year's landing operations in Russia were eminently successful. On one and the same day, August 25, two landings of troops on an extensive scale were made, viz. at Odessa, the r5th division of infantry, four mounted batteries, two Cossack divisions, a company of marines; and at Sebastopol, three regiments of infantry of the 13th division, four mounted batteries, four companies of sappers and miners, a Cossack division, and a company of marines were embarked in boats and vessels of the Black Sea fleet, besides seven hired vessels.
After 24 hours at sea, and after having by means of feint demonstrations misled the defending land forces (consisting of the 34th division of infantry, with its artillery and the 7th Cossack regiment), the troops were landed in the neighborhood of the little town of Skadarsk. On account of the many horses and wagons, the landing had to be kept up during the night of August 26 to 27, .the landed troops having had a successful engagement with the defending corps. During the whole of the 27th constant engagements took place between the two attacking columns and the reserves, which latter were put in the field by the defending corps of the Crimea.
On August 28th the two divisions re-embarked, which operation was not without its difficulties, as it depended entirely upon fleet facilities, and the majority of the vessels, on account of shoal water, were anchored more than three miles off shore.—Deutsche Hcereszeitung.
SYSTEM OF FOG SIGNALS.
Numerous systems of signals to lessen the dangers of navigation in fog have been suggested. All of them are meritorious from a naval point of view, but they fail in practice. The latest is from Professor E. C. Pickering, director of Harvard College observatory, who presents a method of determining the position of a vessel in a fog based upon the velocity of sound. If two fog horns of different pitch be placed at equal distances from the middle of a channel or entrance to a harbor, and be sounded simultaneously at regular intervals of about a minute, Professor Pickering says it will be evident that a captain of a vessel will be able to locate his position with a fair accuracy by noting when the sounds of the horns are heard. If the two sounds are heard at the same instant the vessel will be in the middle of the channel, and if they are heard after one another, it would be possible to judge from the interval between the two how much the vessel is out of the middle of the channel. For vessels passing one another, Professor Pickering suggests that each should whistle or blow the horn or siren as soon as the sound is received from the other vessel. Then, if they are five miles apart, each will whistle every fifty seconds, and the distance in miles between the two vessels can always be determined .by dividing the intervals in seconds by ten. It is claimed that by placing two different fog whistles on a long steamer, one at the bow and the other at the stern, and arranging that the sounds emitted by both should be heard together by an observer standing at the bow, many collisions might be prevented. Instructions could be given to sailing vessels to keep quiet so long as both signals were heard separately, for they would then be in no danger, but to fire a gun or make other loud noise when both whistles were heard together, for they would then be in front of the steamer. These various methods may be combined indefinitely, according to a circular pertaining to the system, but, says the Marine Review, it is probable that the signals will never be given a trial, as they are too complicated, which is the objection to all such systems.—Engineer.
TONNAGE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING STEAMSHIP LINES.
Fairplay, of London, publishes an interesting table of statistics, giving the tonnage in actual use by the 16 largest steamship companies of the world. It is compiled from the latest reports of the Bureau Veritas and Lloyd's Register, together with other authorities, and shows at a glance how the great mercantile marine companies compare with each other. According to the statistics thus available, it appears certain that the claim that the Hamburg-American line is the largest shipping company in existence is a just claim, beating, as it does, the largest British company according to tonnage (the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company) by 3805 tons gross and 10,154 tons net.
SPEED OF THE ELUDE.
The 8o-ft. yacht Ellide, built for E. B. Warren, vice-president of the Barber Asphalt Co., from the plans of Charles D. Mosher, has made the astonishing record of 37.89 miles per hour. She thus beats the Turbinia's record of 37.7 miles per hour. The Ellide is 8o ft. long over all, 8 ft. 4 in. beam and 3 ft. 6 in. draft. She is of composite construction, with a double mahogany skin, fastened by Tobine bronze bolts, and steel frames and scantlings. Five steel bulkheads divide the hull into six water-tight compartments, and there are in addition a number of copper air-tanks. The motive power is a quadruple expansion engine, with 9, 13, 18 and 24-in, cylinders and xo-in. stroke. The Mosher boiler is practically that used in the new torpedo launches and in the submarine torpedo-boat now building at the Columbian Iron Works, in Baltimore. The speed trial trip mentioned was made on the Hudson River over a mile course measured by the U. S. Coast Survey, and this distance was covered in 1.35 minutes.—Engineering News.
RUSSIAN SMOKELESS POWDER.
The new smokeless pyro-collodion powder adopted for the Russian Navy has given the following results at official tests: With the 12-inch gun of 40 calibres, throwing a projectile of 710 lbs., the initial velocity of 2749 feet per second was secured; with the lo-inch gun of 45 calibres the initial velocity was 2697 feet per second; the 4.7-inch gun gave 2598 feet per second with 45-pound projectile; the 3-inch gun gave 2798 feet with the toy, -pound projectile. With the 6-inch gun and 88-pound projectile an initial velocity of 2880 feet per second was secured. An 8-inch projectile fired from a 45-calibre gun pierced a 10-inch plate of steel with a striking velocity of 2847 feet per second, and after passing through still had a velocity of 700 feet per second.—Le Yacht.
TESTS OF ARMOR AND ORDNANCE.
ARMOR TESTS.
[UNITED STATES.]
A Carnegie armor plate, representing a lot of 500 tons for the 8-inch turrets of the battle-ships Kearsarge and Kentucky, was tested at the Indian Head Proving Ground on the Potomac with excellent results. For testing purposes two 8-inch shells, one a Carpenter projectile and the other a Wheeler-Sterling, were fired at the plate, one at a high and the other at a low velocity. Neither penetrated nor cracked the plate, but partially welded themselves into it. The test was regarded as entirely satisfactory and insures the acceptance of the armor. Subsequent to the test the ordnance officials fired a third projectile at the plate. It was what is known as a capped shell and was fired to show the penetrating power of projectiles of this character. The results were satisfactory, the shell, fired at a high velocity, going entirely through the plate. The delivery of the 500-ton lot of armor will complete the contract which the Government has with the Carnegie Company for the supply of armor for naval vessels. It is not expected that any more contracts for armor will be entered into pending the settlement of the whole armor question by Congress.
BULLET-PROOF ARMOR.
A bullet-proof armor, invented by Mr. W. Lennard Foote, of Brooklyn, N. Y., was recently tested, it is stated, with satisfactory results. The character of the material is kept secret, but some of the claims made for it are: That it is so per cent lighter than steel plates, having the same resisting qualities; it is non-magnetic, and can be placed around ship compasses where steel cannot; it will not corrode or scale; and when penetrated by bullets it does not splinter, and the bullet hole closes instantly, thus preventing the entrance of water. The test was made by shooting at a block of the material 2 1/2 ins, thick, using a Krag-Jorgensen and a Winchester rifle. In a preliminary test, made to show the penetrating power of these rifles, shots were fired at a column of 24 1/2-in. boards placed 'A in. apart. The bullets penetrated all but the two last boards. A shot fired at a 4-in, steel plate bent it badly, and a 1/4-in. steel plate was penetrated. The test shots failed to penetrate the special armor, and were found embedded in it, with the entering hole entirely closed. A plate of glass placed behind the armor was not shattered, showing the ability of the material to absorb vibrations. The shots were fired from a distance of 50 ft.—R. R. Engineering News.
[ENGLAND.]
Two armor plates, manufactured by Messrs. Cammell & Co., of Sheffield, were tested on board the Nettle, target ship, at Portsmouth, The first plate tested was 6 inches thick, with a superficial area of 8 feet by 6 feet, backed in the usual manner. At a range of 30 feet the plate was fired into five times with a 6-inch breech-loading gun, the 100-lb. Holtzer forged steel armor-piercing projectile being used in each case. The penetrations ranged from 2 1/2 inches to 2 3/4 inches, but as no cracks were developed, the plate was capable of resisting five more projectiles under the same conditions. In each case the velocity was 1960 foot-seconds, and the projectiles were broken into small pieces. The second plate was 4 feet square and 4 inches thick, against which three rounds were fired from a 5-inch breech-loading gun, the projectile weighing 50 lbs. At the first round the projectile had a striking velocity of 1400 foot-seconds, and at the other rounds of 1750 foot-seconds. At each round the projectile splashed on the face of the plate, and while the shells were pulverized, the plates were only scratched. No cracks were developed, and, as the plate was apparently uninjured, the results in both cases were regarded as highly satisfactory.—Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.
VICKERS 6-INCH GUN.
Messrs. Vickers' 6-inch quick-firing gun, in which so much anticipatory interest has been taken, has been tried at Portsmouth, and the results have surprised even the ordnance officials of the government. It differs in many respects from service guns. In the first place it is longer than most other 6-inch guns, being 22 feet 6 inches, while 20 feet is the usual length of the bore, including chamber. It weighs 7 tons 8 cwt., about the same as the service 6-inch gun, but it has great advantages. In the first place the breech-block, instead of having the usual uninterrupted screw with screw and plane surfaces alternating, has only two plane parts in the circumference, the other screwed parts being of various diameters. This gives a lighter breech-block with greater resistance, since the screw thread is operative round a greater part of the circumference of the block. Again, the cordite charge does not require to be in casing, so that in this way the cost of each round is reduced by nearly £2, while the saving of the weight of the cartridge casing is an important item in the stores. But all these incidental advantages are as nothing to the high muzzle energy developed and the consequent great penetrative power. The best of our 6-inch guns give a velocity of 220o foot-seconds; this new gun repeatedly developed 2780 footseconds, the pressure being 15.9 tons. The striking energy was 5374 foot-tons, whereas 3356 foot-tons is the highest with our service 6-inch guns. This is only equaled by the Elswick 8-inch 2o-ton quick-firing gun, which with a 210-lb. shot and 46 lbs. of cordite develops 5357 foot tons, although with a 250-lb. shot they get 6167 foot-tons. The Vickers' 7-ton gun, indeed, has got quite 66 per cent. more energy for the same size of gun than any other weapon, and there is with this even a higher speed .of firing. Aiming at a target 3000 yards off the gun was fired at the rate of one round per to seconds, while unaimed shots were fired at the rate of one shot in 9 1/2 seconds. This equals the ordinary performance with 100-lb. shot, while with the 250-lb. or 300-lb. shots of the 8-inch guns, giving little more energy, the rate of firing does not quite reach three rounds per minute. The results are regarded as most satisfactory, for although the gun was fired in all 110 times, examination showed that it sustained no injury whatever.—United Service Gazette.
SHIPS OF WAR.
[CHINA.]
HAI YUNG.
On the 15th September the first of the three cruisers which are being built for the Chinese Government was launched from the Vulcan Yard at Stettin in the presence of the members of the Chinese Legation and of the Minister Hsu Chin Cheng, who performed the christening ceremony after the sacrifice, according to Chinese custom, of a pig and sheep on board. The cruiser was named the Hai Jung, or Wide Ocean. Her dimensions are as follows: Length, 328 feet; beam, 41 feet; draught, 23.7 feet. When fully armed and carrying 220 tons of coal, the ship will have a displacement of 2950 tons and a mean draught of 16.4 feet. She has two screws, driven independently by engines which indicate 7500 H. P., and the maximum speed guaranteed is 191A knots. The cruiser carries three guns of 15 centimetres (5.8 inches) calibre, and eight of 10.5 centimetres (4.1 inches), by Krupp, all Q. F., six Maxims, and one gun for a boat. There are three torpedo tubes, one below the waterline and two on deck. Of the numerous watertight compartments, several on the water-line are filled with coal.—Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.
BUILDING PROGRAM.
Since the peace of Shimonoseki China has purchased or ordered the following ships of war:
1. For the Peiyang Squadron: the torpedo cruisers Feiying and Feiting already delivered. The former has a tonnage of 850, engines of 5500 H. P., and a speed of 22 knots. The latter displaces moo tons, with 2400 I. H. P., and a speed of 21 knots. Under construction are three armored cruisers, each of 2850 tons, 7500 horse-power, and 19 2 knots speed; two armored cruisers of 4300 tons displacement, 17,000 horsepower, and 24 knots speed. The three smaller cruisers and the Feiying built at Stettin, the others at Armstrong, all to be delivered by spring, 1898.
2. For the Nanyang Squadron: delivered are two Schichau torpedoboats of 130 feet length and 24 knots speed, and two Vulcan boats of 140 feet length and 24 knots speed. Under construction at Schichau works are four destroyers of 195 feet length and 32 knots speed.
During the late war the crews of the vessels behaved well under fire, as a rule, being made up almost exclusively from inhabitants of the coast regions, a hardy, seafaring people. The personnel of the officers has been reorganized to some extent. There is no commissary department, however. The crew contract at present with the ship's cook. The medical department is still in bad shape. There is a lack of centralization and no proper mobilizing system.—Deutsche Heereszeitung.
[ENGLAND.]
CANOPUS.
The Canopus battle-ship was launched from the building slip at Devonport. She was designed by Sir W. H. White, and measures 390 ft. be tween perpendiculars by 74 ft. beam by 26 ft. draught. She will be fitted with engines aggregating 13,500 horse-power, supplied with steam by Belleville boilers designed for a working pressure of 300 lbs. per square inch, which will be reduced to 250 lbs. before entering the high-pressure cylinders. The designed speed of the boat is 18 ½ knots, and she will carry 1900 tons of coal. Protection is afforded by an armored deck and by belt armor, the latter being 6 in. thick, whilst the barbette armor will be 10 in. to 12 in. thick. Plating 2 in. thick, of nickel steel. extends from the belt to the bows, and is arranged to support the ram. The principal armament of the Canopus will consist of four 12-in, wire guns, and there will be an auxiliary armament for twelve 6-in, quickfirers, the latter being protected by Harveyed plates 6 in. thick.
PELORUS.
The third-class cruiser Pelorus has satisfactorily concluded her trials, reaching a speed of 19.7 knots under natural draught.
ARROGANT.
The second-class cruiser Arrogant maintained a mean speed of 19.6 knots during the eight hours' full-power trials, with a total of 10,290 indicated horse-power. During the 30 hours' trial at 2000 H. P. the speed was 12.5 knots; with 30 hours' run at 7624 I. H. P. a speed of 17.8 knots.
The coal consumption, as a result of thirty hours' test under varying conditions, was as follows: During the first 8 hours the steam cut-off inthe high pressure cylinder was 51.3 per cent, giving an I. H. P. of 2087. The coal consumption for the main engines was 4909 lbs., or 2.35 lbs. per I. H. P.; that for the auxiliary engines was 962, making a total of 2.81 lbs. per I. H. P. After this the cut-off was altered every few hours, varying from 23.8 to 6o, giving a mean coal consumption of 2.1 lbs. per I. H. P. for the main engines alone, and 2.8 lbs. with the auxiliary engines working, the average speed being 12.48 knots.
ROLLING GUN PLATFORM.
The Admiralty have ordered designs for a round-bottomed vessel, which is to be built for the purpose of teaching gunners to fire from a rolling platform. The vessel is to be about 150 feet long, and when completed will be attached to the Cambridge, gunnery school-ship. Rolling platforms have been in use ashore, but this is the first vessel of the kind ever built in the British Navy.—Journal R. U. S. Institution.
CHAMOIS.
The Chamois, torpedo-boat destroyer, built by the Palmer Company, of Jarrow-on-Tyne, carried out her second three hours' 30-knot trial at Portsmouth on the 23rd of September under peculiar circumstances. Starting at 8.45 A. M., the engines had worked up to their required speed when the vessel had to return into harbor owing to a hot bearing. A new bearing was substituted, and the vessel started again, but the steering gear failed to answer, and it was found that a pin had been carelessly removed. This defect was made good and a fresh start was made, the official trial being at 2.25. On the measured mile, with 397 revolutions, a mean speed of 30.368 knots was maintained, and the mean speed of the three hours' run, with 394.4 revolutions, was 30.22 knots. When the vessel returned into harbor with a hot bearing she had to ship fresh coal so as to restore her to her proper load, and this occupied some time.
The Chamois, torpedo-boat destroyer, on the 1st inst., left Portsmouth for a 12 hours' coal-consumption trial at a speed of 13 knots, but owing to her falling in with thick weather the trial lasted only II% hours. While the mean speed of the run was 13.046 knots, the consumption worked out at 1.86 lb. per unit of power; showing that the vessel can steam at this speed for 36 knots per ton of coal, giving her a radius of 2880 knots for her full load of 8o tons of coal.
MALLARD.
The Mallard, torpedo-boat destroyer, built by Messrs. J. I. Thornycroft & Co., of Chiswick, left Chatham Dockyard on the 24th of September for her official full-power three hours' trial, the results being a speed of 30.096 knots as a mean of six runs on the measured mile, and 30.115 knots during the three hours' continuous run. The vessel afterwards returned to Chatham.
CRANE.
The Crane, the fifth of the 30-knot torpedo-boat destroyers delivered by Messrs. Palmer, of Jarrow-on-Tyne, carried out her first official trial at Portsmouth on November loth with satisfactory results. The weather was hazy and the sea smooth, but the wind, when the Crane was steaming against it, was strong. During the last hour the engines were worked up to more than 400 revolutions a minute, but the mean of the three hours was 395.5, giving a speed of 30.138 knots. The mean of six runs on the measured mile gave a speed of 29.62 knots, but the highest speed past the mile was 32.75 knots. While the vessel was running on the mile the air pressure was 2.9 in. and the vacuum 25.2 in. The principal condition of the trial was that she was to make 30 knots with a coal consumption of 2.5 lbs. per unit of power per hour; but though the consumption was not worked out, it is believed to have been economical. The engines maintained a mean of 6428 horse-power, working smoothly, while there was an entire absence of vibration.—Engineering.
POWERFUL.
The Powerful, cruiser, Captain the Hon. H. Lambton, began her torpedo trials, under the direction of the staff of the Vernon, in Stokes Bay, October 1. The vessel is provided with four submerged torpedo tubes, two being abeam and the other two on the quarter, and in the course of the trials two Whiteheads were fired from the starboard quarter and one from each of the other tubes. The engines were worked up to four-fifths of their natural power, and the time taken at one of the runs over the measured mile was two seconds under three minutes, showing that the ship was traveling at the rate of slightly over 20 knots. Torpedoes were fired while the ship was turning at various degrees of helm, and the results were regarded as highly satisfactory.
ILLUSTRIOUS.
The results of the 30 hours' coal-consumption trial of the Illustrious, battle-ship, built at Chatham, are as follows: Draught of water, forward, 25 ft. 7 in., aft, 26 ft. 6 in.; speed, 14.51 knots; steam pressure in boiler, 142 lbs. per square inch; revolutions, 83.1 starboard, 83.0 port; horsepower 3101 starboard, 3054 port—total, 6155; coal consumption, 1.77 lb. per indicated horse-power.
PORPOISE.
The Porpoise, cruiser, which is to be commissioned at Portsmouth for service on the Australia station—where she will relieve the Pylades, cruiser, Corn. Horace R. Adams—after swinging on the15sth November for the adjustment of compasses, carried out a two hours' natural-draught trial, on the completion of an extensive refit of hull, boilers and engines. She was required to develop 2200 horse-power, but without any air pressure, and with 128 lbs. of steam in the boilers the engines gave 2237 indicated horse-power. The revolutions were 132 per minute, which gave the ship a speed of 15% knots.
SIRIUS.
The Sirius, cruiser, Captain G. M. Henderson, was taken into the Channel on the i6th November from Plymouth for a three hours' full-power trial, preparatory to leaving for the Mediterranean station with relief crews for the Fearless and the Hebe. The mean results were: Steam in boilers, 146 lbs.; air pressure in stokeholds, 0.37 in.; vacuum, starboard, 26.6 in.; port, 27.1 in.; revolutions, starboard, 126.1; port, 126.2; indicated horse-power, starboard, 3427; port, 3476—total, 6003; speed, 16.8 knots.—Engineering.
POMONE.
The latest addition to her Majesty's fleet, the third-class cruiser Pomone, was launched from Sheerness, November 25. She is one of eleven practically similar vessels, eight of which are either built or building, whilst the remainder are on the programme, and are known as the Pelorus class. They are nominally 20-knot third-class cruisers, and carry eight 4-in, quick-firing guns as their main armament, with eight three-pounders, other small guns, and two torpedo tubes as the secondary armament. The displacement is 2135 tons; length, 300 ft.; beam, 36 ft. 6 in.; draught, 17 ft.; and she is propelled by two propellers with 7000 indicated horse-power.
She forms one of a squadron which should prove of great importance for dispatch work, as not only can they attain a high speed, but are of a size capable to work well in a heavy sea, and are sufficiently armed to give a good account of themselves against torpedo destroyers and other vessels of their own class. These vessels have 2-in, protective decks, but are otherwise only lightly armored round the gun positions.—Engineer.
SHEIKH.
H. M. S. Sheikh, twin-screw river gunboat, 145 ft. long by 24 ft. 6 in. beam (a sister ship to the Sultan, which is now in Egypt), constructed by Messrs. Yarrow & Co., Limited, had her official two-hours' speed trial in the river Thames, November 4. The draught was only 2 ft., carrying a load of 35 tons, and the mean speed for the two hours was 11.466 knots, equal to 13.177 statute miles, with only 140 lbs. steam. The boilers are able to work at 200 lbs., so that a considerably higher speed could have been maintained, if wished. The above vessel is one of several building to Admiralty designs for use on very shallow rivers. The armament consists of two 12-pounder quick-firing and several automatic guns.—Engineering.
CONDOR AND ROSARIO.
An Admiralty order has been issued directing two new war-sloops, designed by Sir W. H. White, to be laid down at Sheerness Dockyard. They are to have a length of i8o ft., beam of 32 ft. 6 in., and a mean load draught of II ft. 6 in., with a displacement of 960 tons, and are to be fitted with engines of 1400 H. P. under forced draught, with a speed of 13.25 knots, and Imo H. P. under natural draught, with a speed of 12.6 knots. Their armament will consist of six 4-in. and four 3-pounder Q. F. guns, and they are to be named the Condor and Rosario.—Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.
VINDICTIVE.
H. M. new cruiser Vindictive, which was floated out at Chatham, Thursday, December 9, is of the same class as the Furious, Arrogant and Gladiator. The length is 320 ft.; breadth, 57 ft. 6 in.; mean draught, 21 ft.; and displacement, 5805 tons. She is fitted with twin screws, and her engines, which have been built in Chatham Dockyard, will develop with natural draught to,000 indicated horse-power, the speed of the ship. being 19 knots. There are eighteen boilers of the Belleville type in three water-tight compartments. The engines are triple expansion, with cylinders 26 in., 42 in., and 68 in. diameter respectively, and 39-in. stroke. The coal capacity is 1175 tons, which would enable the ship to, steam 37 1/2 days at 10 knots. The fore conning tower is of 834-in. Harveyed steel of circular form. From the base of the conning tower a forged steel communication tube, 4 in. thick, is led down to the armor deck, inside which are the controlling shafting to the steering engines, etc. On the bows there is protective plating of 2 in. nickel steel, and the protective deck is composed of two thicknesses—on the flat one of 1 in. and one of 1/2 in., and on the slopes one of 2 in. and one of 1 in. The armament comprises four 6 in., six 4.7 in., eight 12-pounder and three 3-pounder quick-firing guns, one 12-pounder field gun, and five Maxim machine guns. There are two submerged tubes for 18-in. torpedoes. The complement of officers and men is 419. The first keel; plate was laid down on January 27th last year.
[FRANCE.]
GUICHEN.
The first-class cruiser Guichen, built as a commerce destroyer, was successfully launched from the building slip of the Societe des Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire at St. Nazaire, October 26. Her dimensions are as follows: Length, 436 ft.; beam, 54 ft. 10 in.; maximum draught, 24 ft. 6 in., with a displacement of 8277 tons. She will be provided with 36 water-tube boilers of the Lagrafel and D'Allest type, divided into six groups, placed before and abaft the machinery; the total grate sur ace will be 163 square metres; the heating surface 4692 square metres. She will be fitted to burn either coal or petroleum fuel; and pulverizers will be fitted for the petroleum when it is used in conjunction with the coal. The ship will be driven by three screws, and the engines are to develop 23,670 I. H. P., giving a speed under forced draught of 23 knots, with a coal consumption of 160 kilogrammes per square metre of grate surface; under natural draught the engines are to develop 14,500 I. H. P., giving 105 revolutions, with a coal consumption not exceeding 0.87 kilogramme per H. P. per hour during a 24-hour run; and it is expected that a speed of 20 knots will be easily maintained. The ship is built of steel, but she is to be wood sheathed and coppered; there is an armor turtle-back deck 2.3 inches thick, and a cofferdam running right round the ship, to be filled with cellulose or some similar substance. The armament will consist of two 6.4-in., six 5.5-in. and ten I.8-in. guns, all Q. F. The only protection for the 6.4-in, guns will be 2-in, shields of chrome steel; but there will be a conning tower protected by 6-in. Harveyized steel armor, and communicating with the armored deck by an armored tube of similar thickness, and the six 5.5- in. guns will be in casemates, also protected by 2-in, chrome steel. There are no torpedo discharges.
D'ESTREES.
The new third-class cruiser D'Estrees was launched at Rochefort, October 27. She is 308 ft. 6 in. long, with a beam of 39 ft., a mean draught of 16 ft. 4 in., and a displacement of 2450 tons. Her engines are to develop 8500 I. H. P., giving a speed under forced draught of 20.5 knots. The armament will consist of two 138-mm. (5.5-in.) and four 100-mm. (3.9-in.) Q. F. guns, with eight 3-pounder Q. F. guns. Her cost will be 5,205,000 francs, and she is to be completed in 1899, having been laid down in July of last year. She is built of steel, but is to be wood sheathed and coppered, as she is intended for service on foreign stations.
DUNOIS.
The torpedo-aviso Dunois was launched at Cherbourg. She was laid down in March of last year, and is the first of her type to be fitted with Normand water-tube boilers. Her dimensions are: Length, 241 ft.; beam, 27 ft. 6 in., with a displacement of 890 tons. The engines are to develop 6400 I. H. P., giving a speed of 22.6 knots; the coal stowage will be 137 tons, giving a radius of action of s000 miles at Da knots, and 56o miles at full speed. Her armament will consist of six 6-pounder and six 3-pounder Q. F. guns, and she will have no torpedo equipment.—Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.
CASSARD.
The new second-class cruiser Cassard has made a successful full-speed trial at Cherbourg; the engines developed 10,143 I. H. P., being 643 H. P. over the contract, with 137.8 revolutions, which gave the ship a mean speed of 19.8 knots during the four hours' run; the coal consumption per horse-power per hour was 0.876 kilogramme. The last trial of the Du Chayla, another ship of the same class, was not so successful, as the engines only developed 89oo I. H. P., instead of the contract horsepower of 9500.—Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.
MONTCALM.
On November 17th the Minister of Marine signed the contract for the building of an armored cruiser, to be named the Montcalm, by the Forges et Chantiers Co. The principal dimensions are to be as follows: Length, 456 ft.; beam, 64 ft.; depth, 43 ft.; displacement, 9515 tons. Steam is to be furnished by 20 single Normand boilers, or by 8 double ended Normand-Sigandy and 4 single Normand boilers. Furnaces are to be fitted for liquid fuel as well as for coal. Three vertical triple expansion engines, each turning a separate screw, to develop a total of 19,600 horse-power, and giving a speed to the ship of 21 knots. A belt of 6-in, armor to extend along the water-line, above which the sides in wake of the cellular structure are to be protected by armor varying in thickness from 1/2 to 39.4 in. A protective deck, and a second thinner splinter deck, will complete the protection of the vitals.
The armament to consist of two 7.6-in, guns, model 1896, placed in turrets, one forward, one aft; eight 6.4-in, rapid-fire guns in armored casemates, disposed like those on the Entrecasteaux; four 4-in, rapidfire guns, protected by shields, on the spar-deck; sixteen 47-mm. and six 37-mm. guns on the decks, bridges and in the two military tops. Two submerged torpedo tubes. The designs are those of M. Bertin. The turrets and ammunition hoists to be worked by electricity or hand.—Le Yacht.
[GERMANY.]
KAISER WILHELM II.
The Kaiser Wilhelm II, just launched, is the sister ship of the Kaiser Friedrich III, which was launched on July 1st, 1896. She is built entirely of German steel, and her dimensions are as follows: Length, 377 ft. 4 in.; beam, 67 ft.; and with a mean draught of 25 ft., a displacement of 11,130 tons. Protection is afforded by a 1.8-in, water-line belt of hardened steel, tapering forward to 6.4 in., which extends from the ram aft for three-fourths the length of the ship, with a depth of 6.5 ft.; the turrets for the heavy guns have 9.8-in, armor, also of hardened steel, while the guns of the secondary battery are protected by 6-in. armor. The armament consists of four 24-cm. (9.4-in.), eighteen 15-cm. (5.9-in.), twelve 8.8-cm. (3.3-in.), and twenty small and machine guns, all quickfirers, with six torpedo tubes, five of which are submerged. The engines are to develop 13,000 I. H. P., driving three screws, while the estimated speed is to be 18 knots.—Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.
PRINCE BISMARCK.
The German armored cruiser Prince Bismarck, the first of the type yet built in Germany, was launched on the 25th of September from the Imperial yard at Kiel. She was laid down in April, 1896. Her length is 393.6 ft., beam 67 ft., with a displacement at 26.24 ft. draught of 10,650 tons. She has three sets of triple-expansion engines, the collective power being 14,000 indicated horse-power. The armor belt, which extends from stem to stern, is 7 1/2 ft. deep, and there is also a protective deck of 1.9 in., with a second armored deck aft below the usual protective deck. The coal capacity is moo tons. There will be four 9.6-in. quick-firing guns in the armor turrets, and twelve 6-in, guns in separate casemates on small revolving turrets; amidships ten 3.6-in, guns behind shelters, and ten 1.6-in, machine guns. The cruiser has six torpedo tubes for i8-in. torpedoes, all with the exception of the stern tubes being under water. The speed is expected to be 19 knots, and the ship's complement 560 men.—Engineering.
ERSATZ KONIG WILHELM.
The Ersatz Konig Wilhelm, which is to replace the KOnig Wilhelm, is being built by Krupp, to be ready by 19oi. Her length is to be 125 metres, beam 20, draught 7.3, and displacement zi,000 tons. She is to have three screws, driven by engines of 13,000 horse-power in all, and it is hoped that she will make 18 knots. Her belt, 30 cm. thick, is to be of hardened nickel steel, and the turrets for the heavy guns are to be covered with plates of the same metal 25 cm. thick. The ironclad deck, which is to protect the vitals, especially the engines and boilers, will be 71/2 cm. thick. The armament will be the same as that of the Kaiser Friedrich der Dritte. The cost of the vessel will be 14,120,000 marks, exclusive of guns and torpedoes.
The newest torpedo-boat built by Schichau has just begun her trial trips. It differs from the older boats only in the engines, which are built for greater speed. The eleven armored gunboats of the Wespe type will shortly be removed from the active list, and the type itself will probably disappear from the German Navy. In 1897-98 the personnel of the German Navy will amount to 23,302 men.—Admiralty and Horse Guards Gazette.
It is stated, on the authority of the North-German Gazette, that the construction of dispatch boats for the German Navy will be discontinued. Beyond battle-ships and armored vessels for coast defense, only large and small armored cruisers will be built in future. The small cruisers will be employed in the same manner and for the same purposes as those for which dispatch boats have hitherto been employed. Their decks will be protected by armor, and they will be equipped with quick-firing guns. Their engines and construction will be such as to enable them to attain a very high speed. "As a matter of course," it is stated, "there will continue to be torpedo-boats and school ships for the training of naval cadets and boys for the navy."
[ITALY.]
EMMANUELE FILIBERTO.
There was launched on the 30th of September, in the presence of the Prince and Princess of Naples, at Castellamare, the new Italian battleship—named after the victor of Saint Quentin and the liberator of Piedmont. Her principal dimensions are: Extreme length, 342 ft.; extreme breadth, 68.6 ft.; average draught, 24.5 ft.; and total displacement, 9800 tons. The engines are expected to give 13,500 indicated horse-power, with a maximum speed of 18 knots. The hull is of steel throughout, with a double bottom rising to the level of the deck along the entire length of the engine-rooms, while from stem to stern extends an armored deck of a thickness varying from 2.7 in. to 1.5 in. The bridge and the guns are protected by Harveyized steel armor, varying from VA in. to 6 in. in thickness, according to position, while the armor of the fore and after turrets is 7 in. thick. The armament of the vessel consists of four 9.9-in, guns, two of which are placed in the fore and two in the after turret; eight 5.9-in. quick-firing guns, situated in the central tower; eight 4.6-in, and eight 2.2-in, quick-firing guns placed laterally on the central tower. Ten other small-bore quick-firing guns, distributed fore and aft, and four torpedo tubes complete the armament. It is hoped that the Emmanuele Filiberto will be ready for service at the beginning of 1899.—Engineering.
GARIBALDI.
The Italian armored cruiser Garibaldi was launched on the 26th of September at Genoa. Like the Varese, floated some weeks ago, she belongs to the new type of medium-sized warships which has recently found favor in the eyes of Italian naval engineers, and in the construction of which they appear to excel. Sister vessels to the Varese and Garibaldi were built some time ago for the Spanish and Argentime navies, and in view of their satisfactory performances it was decided to construct others of the same type for the Italian navy, adding such improvements of detail as experience might suggest. The Garibaldi is of 6840 tons displacement, with an extreme length of 326 ft. and an extreme breadth of 6o ft. The average draught is 23 ft. She is protected by an armored belt 7 in. thick and 54 in. wide at the prow and 47 in. at the stern. Her armament will consist of two 8o-ton guns of 254 mm., say 9.75-in, calibre; six 54-ton quick-firing guns of 120 mm., say 4.75-in, calibre; and ten 12-ton quick-firing guns of 152 mm., say 5.75-in, calibre; in addition to the usual Maxims, mitrailleuses and torpedo tubes. Her engines are expected to give a combined total of 13,000 indicated horse-power, with a normal speed of 19 knots. The Garibaldi will be ready for service in January next. Her total cost will be about 14,000,000 lire, say 538,000.—Engineering.
NAVAL BUDGET.
The Italian naval budget for 1897-98 amounts to $20,244,929. The personnel is to be increased by 1084 men. The programme includes the completion of the San Bon, E. Filiberto, Garibaldi, Varese, Puglia, Agordat, Coatit, Carlo Alberto, and Vittor Pisani; the armament of the Garibaldi and Varese; rebuilding the Marc-Antonio-Colonna. The building programme comprises the construction of 89 new vessels, viz., one first-class battle-ship, two of the second-class, ten cruisers, ten torpedo cruisers, five gunboats, and sixty-one torpedo-boats.—Le Yacht.
[JAPAN.]
NEW CRUISER.
Japan has ordered a cruiser from the Chantiers de la Loire, work to be commenced at once. The vessel is to be 446 ft. long, 59% feet beam, 25 feet draught, and to displace 9436 tons. Her engines are to develop 17,000 I. H. P. and give a speed to the ship of 20 knots. There is to be a light steel protective deck, and a 6.2-in, steel belt extending the full length. She is to have a battery of 7.8-in, breech-loaders in two turrets, fore and aft, with twelve 5.9-in, quick-firers, eight of which are in armored casemates, the other four on the upper deck will have shields. In addition there will be twelve 2.9-in, and twelve 1.8-in. guns. The vessel is to be propelled by twin screws, with triple-expansion engines and three groups of Belleville boilers, to be built at St. Denis.—United Service Gazette.
THE NAVAL EXPANSION OF JAPAN AND RUSSIA.
Whatever truth there may be in the alarmist telegrams which periodically come from the Far East, that war between Japan and Russia is inevitable, there can be no doubt that in a comparatively short time the naval forces of these two powers will be the strongest on the Pacific. In a recent issue we gave a list of the names and the tonnage of the warships of Japan with their armaments, and when it is remembered that they are all concentrated within easy reach, it is seen that they form a force which may at any time become a very powerful factor in any question which may be submitted to a settlement by force of arms. Mr. Charles Cramp, of the well-known shipbuilding firm of Philadelphia, has recently been visiting the shipyards of Europe, and he has been surprised at the amount of work which is being done for the Japanese. He comes to the conclusion that unless Russia and the United States awaken to their position in the Pacific, Japan will be able to defy either of them in three years, and both together in less than ten years. He states that the development of the Japanese Navy since the war is not to be described as progress; it is a cyclone, Japan being second only to England in naval activity, being ahead of France, much in advance of Germany, and vastly in the lead of Russia and the United States. Moreover, her ships are all of the best and highest types of naval architecture. During the course of his travels he observed the following ships under construction for the Japanese:
1. Three 14,800-ton battle-ships, which are well advanced, at Armstrong's, Thompson's, and the Thames Iron Works respectively.
2. One battle-ship of about to,000 tons, commencing at Armstrong's.
3. Four first-class armored cruisers of 9600 tons displacement and 20 knots speed: two at Armstrong's, one at the Vulcan Works, Stettin, and one at the Forges et Chantiers, France.
4. Two 5000-ton protected cruisers of about 23 knots speed, one at San Francisco, and one at Philadelphia.
5. One protected cruiser of 4300 tons, and about 23 knots, at Armstrong's.
6. Four 30-knot torpedo-boat destroyers at Yarrow's.
7. Four more of similar type at Thompson's.
8. Eight 9o-ton torpedo-boats at the Schichau Works, Elbing.
9. Four more of a similar type at the Normand Works, France.
10. Three 3000-ton protected cruisers of 20 knots, three torpedo gunboats, and a despatch vessel, at the Imperial Dockyard, Yokosuka, Japan.
11. A fifth armored cruiser of the type already described (960o tons and 20 knots), to be built at Yokosuka.
And he has no hesitation in saying that the vessels Japan is building in the shipyards of England, France and Germany are superior to any vessels those nations are building for themselves, class for class. Discussing the question against whom the naval power of Japan is destined to be turned, he evidently thinks it will be Russia, for there are many points on which differences may arise between that power and Japan. The Russian Navy estimates for next year have been prepared and they show a total of 8 1/2millions sterling, as compared with 5 1/2millions five years ago, but of that amount a considerable part is to be spent on naval harbors, barracks, arsenals and workshops. For instance, 134 millions is to be spent on the extension of Vladivostock harbor, and on ice-breaking steamers to test practically the experiment of keeping it open throughout the winter, and other considerable sums are to be spent on other harbors, and on dredges. About 4 1/2 millions are to be spent on shipbuilding, or about 700,0001. more than in the previous year. Some of the ships are of large size, but neither in speed nor in equipment do they seem to have been kept so nearly up to date as those being built for Japan. As regards the number of ships, Mr. Cramp comes to the conclusion that in the race for naval supremacy in the Pacific, Japan is gaining, while Russia and the United States are losing ground. It is quite evident that after the next struggle which takes place, Japan will be in a stronger position to retain the stakes and the spoils of victory than she was on the conclusion of the war with China; and, therefore, that it is probable when the next treaty comes to be signed at Shimonoseki, the representatives of Japan will not be found so pliant as they were on the occasion of the last, when they had to resign some of their original claims on account of the intervention of European diplomacy. The Japanese show plainly that they have more faith in ships and guns than in diplomacy.—Engineering.
[RUSSIA.]
SIGNALING EXPERIMENTS.
Last year experiments in night signaling were made on board the Admiral Ushakov at sea at various distances. At a distance of 2 miles the number and color of the lanterns could be distinguished with the naked eye, but at .4 miles this could only be done with a glass, and at 6 miles it was difficult to do so even then. The atmosphere was quite clear at the time. This winter fresh experiments were made with the electric signals of Colonel Tabulevich, but were soon abandoned, and the lanterns of Colonel Miklashevski were again tried. These were spread over a considerable length of time and were made under various conditions of atmosphere and wind, and were entirely satisfactory, as we learn. The force of the wind was from 5 to 6 balls, according to the Beaufort anemometer, and the lantern never once went out. Signals with red and green lights were made from the marine telegraph station too feet above the level of the sea in clear weather, during some 45 minutes, which were watched at St. Petersburg from the third story of a house in the Galley harbor. The distance was upward of 25 versts, yet all the flashes were clearly distinguishable, and only one lantern had to be replaced. The flashes were like those of vivid lightning or the glare from a conflagration, and could not be confused with anything else.—Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.
GILYAK.
The Gilyak, twin screw gunboat, built at the Admiralty works on the Neva, was launched October 6. She is intended for Chinese waters, and was laid down in March, 1896. Her dimensions are 1(38 feet length, 37 feet beam, 963 tons displacement. Two triple expansion engines, steam supplied from Belleville boilers, to develop about moo I. H. P., giving a speed of 12 knots. The armament consists of one 4.7-in., five 2.95-in., four 1.85-in. rapid-fire guns, and two 22-in. field guns. There are two torpedo launching tubes.—Mittheilungen aus dem Gebiete des Salvewens.
SVETLANA.
The Russian Imperial yacht Svetlana, built at Havre by the Society Forges et Chantiers, has had satisfactory trials. She is a cruiser yacht with protective deck, of great speed, destined to carry the flag of the Grand Duke Alexis. Her principal dimensions are as follows: Length, 330 ft.; beam, 42.5 ft.; maximum draught, 18.75 ft.; displacement, 3828 tons. Her engines of 85oo horse-power to give a speed of 20 knots. She carries two military masts, with small tops for search-lights, a signal yard, three smokestacks, and very pronounced ram bow. Passageways, conning tower and communication tubes, as well as deck openings, are protected by armor plates varying from 2 to 5 in. in thickness. The triple expansion four-cylindered engines drive twin screws. The armament consists of six 6-in., ten 47-mm. rapid-fire guns, four torpedo launching tubes. The first trials for coal consumption were held November 4 under a speed of ten knots. On November 24 and 25 were held the speed trials and tests of battery. The speed trial lasted 6 hours with a mean speed of 20 1/4 knots, the highest speed reached was 21.625 knots.—Le Yacht.
[SPAIN.]
EXPANSION OF THE FLEET.
The strengthening of the Spanish fleet is proceeding fairly rapidly. The first-class armored cruiser Emperator Carlos V has concluded her steam trials satisfactorily and is approaching completion; she is a vessel of 9235 tons displacement, with engines developing 15,000 I. H. P., giving a speed under forced draught of zo knots; her length is 380 ft., beam 67 ft., with a maximum draught of 25 ft.; protection is afforded by a 6.5-in, turtle-back armored deck, the two turrets for the heavy guns having 10-in, armor, and she has also a central battery with 2-in. steel plating; her armament consists of two 11-in. Hontoria guns, in turrets, one forward and one aft, eight 5.5-in. Q. F., four 3.9-in. Q. F., with six 3 and I-pounder Q. F. and six machine guns; she was built at Cadiz. There are five other first-class armored cruisers under construction and four already completed. The new first-class protected cruiser Alfonso XIII, a vessel of s000 tons, iti,000 tons I. H. P., with a speed of 20 knots, has also completed her trials; she was constructed at Ferrol. Three torpedo cruisers, the Dona Maria de Molina, Alvaro de Bazan, and the Marques de la Victoria, are under construction at the Villa de la Grana Works at Ferrol; the first two of these have been launched, the last named having taken the water on the 14th September of this year. All three vessels are identical, being 235 feet long, with a beam of 26 feet, a maximum draught of 20 feet, and a displacement of 823 tons. The engines are to develop 2500 I. H. P., under natural draught, giving a speed of 17 knots, and 3500 I. H. P. under forced draught, with a speed of 19.5 knots. The armament will consist of two 4.7-in. Hontoria Q. F. guns (Loma system), four 3-pounder Nordenfeldt Q. F. guns, and two Hotchkiss machine guns. There is a torpedo tube in the stern and two torpedo tubes on deck. Under construction at Thomson's, Clydebank, are four torpedo-boat destroyers of the Terror type; two of these, the Audaz and Osado, have already successfully completed their steam trials; while the other two, the Pluton and Proserpina, are approaching completion. The battle-ships Pelayo, Numancia and Vitoria, which have been undergoing extensive repairs and alterations at the La Seyne Yard, Toulon, are to be completed for sea by the end of the year. The second-class cruiser Navarra is to be employed as cadet training-ship at Carthagena. Fourteen ships have been struck off the strength of the navy, among them the two frigates Lealtad and Concepcion, and the armored frigate Duque de Tetuan, and the monitor Puigcerda.
PERSONNEL.
The number of officers on the active list, as fixed by the royal decree of 21st June, 1897, is as follows: 1 admiral, 6 vice-admirals, 15 rear-admirals, 24 captains (first class), 47 captains (second class), 87 commanders, 117 lieutenants (first class), 313 lieutenants, 224 sub-lieutenants. For the marine infantry: 1 major-general in command, 4 brigadiers, 52 colonels, 16 lieutenant-colonels, 32 commandants, 540 captains, 164 lieutenants, 8o sub-lieutenants. The marine infantry consists of 3000 men, divided into 3 regiments, of 2 battalions of 4 companies each, of which the headquarters are stationed at Carthagena, Cadiz and Ferrol; I demi-brigade is in Cuba, and 2 battalions in the Philippines—Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.
FORTIFICATIONS.
In the Budget for 1897-98 a sum of 2,000,000 pesetas is devoted to the improvement of the fortifications and at the following ports: Cadiz, 105,000 pesetas; the fortified lines opposite Gibraltar, 6o,000 pesetas; Carthagena, 331,000 pesetas; Barcelona, 525,000 pesetas; Ferrol, 250,000 pesetas; Palma (Majorca), 225,000 pesetas; Port Mahon, 360,000 pesetas; Uanta Cruz de Teneriffe, /09,000 pesetas; Las Palmas, 385,000 pesetas; Ceuta, 450,000 pesetas; and Melilla, 100,000 pesetas.
PLUTON.
The official trials of the Spanish torpedo-boat destroyer Pluton, constructed by the Clydebank Engineering and Shipbuilding Company, Limited, to the order of the Spanish Government, have been successfully completed. The Pluton is 225 ft. long, and is thus somewhat law than the latest class of British torpedo-boat destroyers. She is, therefore, enabled to carry a considerably greater deadweight, the actual load on board during the trials being 73 tons. The results of the trial gave a mean speed of 30.12 knots on the measured mile, and during a continuous run of 1 1/2 hours a speed of 30.02 knots was maintained. At the conclusion of the forced-draught trial the vessel was, according to contract, run for a further period of two hours under natural draught, the speed attained being 22.7 knots, or A knot over the contract. During the tests there was a noticeable absence of vibration, and the engines worked to the entire satisfaction of the Spanish Commission. A sister ship, the Proserpina, has been launched from the Clydebank yard.—Engineering.
[UNITED STATES.]
PROGRESS OF THE NAVY.
The progress of the new navy is shown in a tabulation recently made public by Chief Naval Constructor Philip Hichborn, U. S. N. At the beginning of 1807 the armed force afloat, neglecting all but the vessels of the new navy constructed since 1883, consisted of 3 first-class battleships, 2 second-class battle-ships, 18 cruisers, 7 gunboats, 6 double-turreted coast-defense armor-clad vessels, 3 torpedo-boats, 2 dispatch boats, and the ram Katandin. During the first ten months of 1807 there were added to this force r battle-ship, 8 gunboats, and 3 torpedo-boats, or 12 new vessels in all. There are now under construction 5 first-class battle-ships, 1 gunboat, 16 torpedo-boats, and 1 submarine torpedo-boat.
WINSLOW.
The trial trip of the torpedo-boat Winslow, built by the Columbian Iron Works, of Baltimore, was a success. The contract required the boat to make 24 1/2 knots an hour on a trial run of two consecutive hours. She accomplished the test with 24.8 knots to her credit, leaving, as one of her critics expressed it, a safe margin by which her speed is to be computed. The highest speed she made on the run was 25.2 knots, while she was on the first half of the course, with a strong wind in her teeth. She did not seem to be affected by the conditions of the sea, and made her speed apparently independent of them.