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the present form of propeller, in consequence of the great amount of slip noticed, was not exactly suited to the ship. The result was that much of the power developed by the engines was wasted in churning the water. It has been decided to fit the Medea with new screws, after which she will be subjected to a series of progressive mile trials. At the conclusion of the trial the Medea returned to Chatham."

This class leave nothing to be desired in their symmetrical proportions. They are adequately armed, and are well fitted to keep the seas. Being, however, without protection by armour, they are of necessity extremely fragile. Protection by armour could not have been given without adding largely to tonnage and consequently diminishing the numbers which could be turned out for the sum appropriated by Parliament for the construction of cruisers.

class.

We now come to the third class of cruisers. They will be of two Blanche types. For distant service, where dock accommodation does not exist, the vessels of the Blanche class will be wood-sheathed and coppered. For service within the limits of the Channel or the Mediterranean, Barham, two vessels, the Barham and Bellona, are to be laid down which will not be sheathed and coppered. They will resemble the Blanche in armament and protection, but will have higher speed.

The description of the Blanche class is from the Times and the Army and Navy Gazette:

Bellona.

"The Barrosa has for sisters the Barracouta, Blanche, and Blonde. Her dimensions are: Length, 220 feet; breadth, 35 feet; and mean load draught, 14 feet. She has a displacement of 1580 tons, and, although this is only 410 tons more than the Beagle it is sufficient to remove the latter from the category of third-class cruisers. The pro- Protective deck. tective steel deck, which has a sharp slope at the sides, has a maximum thickness of two inches over vitals and a minimum thickness of an inch in parts. She differs from the Beagle in having a number of water-tight compartments, formed by longitudinal and athwartship bulkheads in the forward and after portions of the ship beneath the protective deck. Another novelty is that in place of the usual flat keel she is furnished with a ridge keel, which is also made watertight. Her engines are designed to develop 3000 horses under forced Engines. draught, by which an accelerated speed of 16 knots will be secured. But, while the power of her engines is a considerable advance upon that of the Beagle, her bunker capacity is precisely the same (160 Radius of tons). The amount of coal carried is estimated to enable her to steam 3500 knots at a speed of 10 knots.

action.

"The armament of the Barrosa consists of six 4.7 inch 36-pounder ArmaArmstrong quick-firing guns, fitted with stout armour shields-two on ment.

Barham.
Bellona.

Iris.

elevated steel central pivots, occupying either flank of the forecastle, two similarly situated abaft upon the poop deck, and two mounted upon central steel pivots as sponson guns abeam-four Hotchkiss 3-pounder quick-firing, and two Gardner guns. There are also torpedo tubes fitted. Bow and stern are both sharp in outline, the former being slightly ram-shaped, but without the bec, as it is called in France. On either side of both bow and stern are curious butterfly-shaped pieces cut out of the plates of the vessel. These are fitted with angular, bent port-plates, so continued as only to expose the muzzles of the four Hotchkiss guns, which are mounted upon swivels within, but which have, nevertheless, a wide radius of fire. Hence, in approaching or retiring from an enemy, by a slight deviation to starboard or to port the Barrosa could bring the whole of her 36-pounders and two of her Hotchkiss guns to bear upon the foe simultaneously. When one reflects that each of these weapons can be dischargedwith aim-ten times in the course of a single minute, it follows that the object, if at a reasonable range, would probably receive some 30 or 40 hits during that period. Under such circumstances, the number of possible casualties upon an unarmoured cruiser is too frightful to contemplate."

The Barham and Bellona have 220 tons more displacement than the Barrosa, and finer lines. They have the same armament as the Barrosa. Their estimated speed is 19.5 knots.

In the refits and rearmaments of the unarmoured vessels there is naturally less to notice than in the case of armoured vessels.

The Iris and the Mercury have been rearmed with thirteen 5-inch Mercury. 40 cwt. breech-loading guns. The Cleopatra has received an armament Cleopatra. consisting of four 6-inch 89 cwt. breech-loading guns, on Vavasseur's

central pivot mountings, two being placed on elevated platforms forward and two on elevated platforms aft, eight 5-inch 40 cwt. breechloading guns on Vavasseur carriages on the broadside amidships, one 9-pounder 6-cwt. and one 7-pounder 200 lb. weight field guns, four 3-pounder Hotchkiss quick-firing guns, four 0.45 five-barrel Nordenfelt, and four 0·45 barrel Gardner guns. The charges for the 6-inch guns are 45 pounds of powder, with projectiles weighing 100 pounds. The 5-inch guns have a charge of 16 pounds of powder, and projectiles of 50 pounds. The 5-inch guns were fired with full charges of powder and projectile at extreme elevation and depression.

FRANCE.

1st class

cruisers.

Alger.

The most important additions to the fleets of cruisers in foreign navies will now be described. Quoting from the Admiralty and Horse Guards Gazette, we begin with the recent construction in France. "A French contemporary publishes an interesting summary regard- Cruisers. ing the construction of cruisers built and building for the French Navy from 1886 up to the present time, either in the Navy yards or ordered of private shipbuilders. They number twelve, although originally more were planned, and they comprise two classes. The cruisers of the first class comprise three types, the first of which is represented by the Alger, from the designs of M. Marchal, the second by the Jean-Bart and Isly, from the plans of M. Thibaudier. The Jean-Bart. Alger is of the following dimensions: Length, 346 feet; extreme Isly. breadth, 45 feet 3 inches; draught of water amidships, 18 feet 1 inch; displacement, 4160 tons. This vessel is building at Cherbourg. Her engines, of 8000 indicated horse-power, are being constructed at Creusot. They are expected to propel her at a speed of 19 knots. The Jean-Bart and Isly have the following dimensions: Length, 346 feet; extreme breadth, 43 feet 6 inches; draught amidships, 18 feet 10 inches; displacement, 4160 tons. Their engines, of 8000 horsepower, building at Indret, are to give the cruisers a speed of 19 knots. All these cruisers are, of course, protected by an armoured deck.

2nd class cruisers.

Davoust.

Of the cruisers of the second class two different types were proposed. One type, including the Davoust and Suchet, was designed by M. de Bussy; the other, the Chanzy, was to be constructed to the Suchet. designs of the Société de la Loire. The construction of the latter was Chanzy. countermanded owing to the want of money, as a portion of the extra 26,000,000 francs voted for the cruiser fleet was absorbed by the deficit in the Marine Budget. The third-class cruisers, Lalande, Cosmao, and Coetlogon, could not be withdrawn from the building programme, because the contracts had been ratified by Admiral Aube just before his retirement. The more useful vessels, Chanzy and Mogador, had Mogador. to be sacrificed, while the less valuable ones were commenced. The Davoust and Suchet were built at Toulon Arsenal, their engines at Davoust. Indret. The principal dimensions of those cruisers are: Length Suchet. between perpendiculars, 297 feet; extreme breadth, 40 feet; draught of water amidships, 17 ft. 6 in.; displacement, 3027 tons; engines, 9000 indicated horse-power; expected speed, 20 knots. With their supply of coal they will be able to steam 4000 miles at a speed of 12 knots an hour. Their armament consists of four 16-centimetre Armaguns, four quick-firing guns, and six 37-millimetre revolver guns.

ment.

Forbin.

Troude.
Lalande.
Cosmao.

deck.

The cruisers of the third class, of which the Forbin is a representaSurcouf. tive type, consist of the Forbin, Surcouf, and Coetlogon, built from Coetlogon, designs by M. de Bussy, Inspector-General of Shipbuilding, and the Troude, Lalande, and Cosmao, built from designs by the Société de la Gironde. The Forbin was built at Rochefort Arsenal, the Surcouf at Cherbourg, the Coetlogon by the Société Transatlantique, and the three remaining by the Société de la Gironde at Bordeaux. The principal dimensions of the first three vessels are: Length between perpendiculars, 312 feet; extreme breadth, 30 feet; draught of water Protective amidships, 16 feet; total displacement, 1850 tons. An armoured deck, 1 inch thick, extends over the whole of the vessels, whilst Engines. below is a splinter deck, which protects all the vital parts. The propelling machinery consists of two horizontal direct-acting compound engines, supplied with steam from six cylindrical boilers, placed in three separate compartments. The engines are to develop with forced draught 6000 indicated horse-power, and to propel the vessels at a rate of 19 knots an hour, with 140 revolutions of the engines. At a speed of 10 knots the available coal supply would enable the vessels to make a run of 2400 miles. The Troude, Lalande, and Cosmao differ but little from the above three vessels. Their engines are still under construction. The six cruisers are each to be armed with two 14-centimetre guns, three 47-millimetre quickfiring guns, and four revolver guns.

Protected
cruisers.

Irene.
Prinzess
Wilhelm.

Armament.

The French Chambers have authorised the construction of two additional protected cruisers. They will be armed with two 19 cm. six 14 cm., four quick-firing, six machine guns, and four torpedo tubes. They will be protected by an armoured deck subdivided by coffer-dams and water-tight compartments. Speed, 18 knots, natural draught. Coal endurance, 3000 knots at 12 knots.

GERMANY.

Germany has recently made a few additions to her unarmoured fleet. The list includes the corvettes Irene and Prinzess Wilhelm, two smaller vessels Schwalbe type, and two gunboats Wacht type.

The Irene and Prinzess Wilhelm protected cruisers were designed by the German Admiralty and built by contract. The former was laid down at Stettin by the Vulcan Company in April, 1886, and launched in July, 1887; the latter was built by the Germania Works at Gaarden, near Kiel; she was begun in August 1886, and launched in September 1887.

Each is armed with fourteen 591-inch (15-centimetre) B. L. Krupp

guns, eight of them 22 calibres long and six of 30 calibres; the former are in broadside ports, and the latter on sponsons, four with bow and two with stern fire. A torpedo tube is fixed in the stem below the ram. The secondary battery is composed of six H. R. C. of 37 millimetres.

The contract requires a speed of 18 knots for six consecutive hours Engines. and an I.HP. of 8000 for the engines, which are designed by the contractors. They are horizontal compound, placed in separate water-tight compartments, and drive twin screws. Steam is taken from four cylindrical double-ended boilers; those of the Irene have Boilers. three, and the Prinzess Wilhelm's have four furnaces each. The normal coal capacity is 600 tons, but bunker space is available for Coal 900. supply.

deck.

The hulls are of steel, wood-sheathed and coppered below water. Protective A complete turtle-back protective deck of mild steel is fitted, having a minimum thickness of 0.8 inch, and a maximum of 3 inches over vital parts. All hatches, &c., cut through this deck have armoured coamings and are surrounded by coffer-dams.

The berth deck is 3 feet above the protective deck; the space between them is subdivided by numerous bulkheads, forming three fore-and-aft rows of water-tight compartments. Those nearest to the sides are packed with cork and glue, forming a belt 4 feet 5 inches thick; the midship compartments are filled with coal or patent fuel; two fore-and-aft passage-ways separate the rows. On the berth deck the midship coal-bunkers are run up on and also across the ship over the machinery space.

The principal dimensions are: Length, 308 feet 5 inches; beam, Dimen45 feet 11 inches; displacement, 4300 tons, with a mean draught of sions. 21 feet.

The vessel will have two military masts, poop and forecastle, and a bridge with a 2-inch steel conning tower, from which 4-inch tubes, 2 feet in diameter, lead below.

The complement will be about 320 officers and men. The contract Compleprice for hull and machinery is £190,000.

ment.

The Schwalbe is a composite cruiser, intended for service on the Schwalbe. African coast. She was laid down at Wilhelmshaven in November 1886; launched on August 16, 1887; and completed in May 1888.

ment.

The armament is composed of 10.5-centimetre (413-inch) Krupp ArmaB. L., four in each broadside, the forward and after guns being on sponsons. As a secondary battery, four 37-millimetre H. R. C. are carried.

H

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