

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



391 



in certain contingencies, to consult with the First 

 Naval Lord regarding combined action, and to 

 report on military needs annually. 



The Navy. At the close of 1888 the British 

 navy numbered 204 steamers, 28 sailing vessels, 

 and 35 store, training, and other stationary ships. 

 There were 62 effective armor-clads and 29 pro- 

 tected vessels afloat on Jan. 1, 1889. Of the ar- 

 mored vessels 17 were battle ships of the first, 15 

 of the second, and 6 of the third class, 12 were 

 coast-defense vessels, and 12 were cruisers of 

 the first class. Of the protected vessels 10 were 

 cruisers of the second, and 18 of the third class, 

 and 1 was a torpedo ram. When the present 

 programme of construction is completed in 1894 

 there will be 13 first-class and 2 second-class 

 armored battle ships, 11 first-class, 41 second- 

 class and 6 third-class protected cruisers, and 1 

 torpedo depot ship additional. Among the un- 

 protected vessels are 10 second-class cruisers,- 1 

 corvette, 8 gun vessels, 17 sloops, 10 torpedo 

 cruisers, 4 torpedo gunboats (of which 27 more 

 are to be built), 62 gunboats (which will be in- 

 creased to 71), 80 first-class torpedo boats (with 6 

 more in prospect), 51 second-class torpedo boats 

 (to be increased by 10), 2 dispatch vessels, and 1 

 torpedo depot ship. The total cost of the ar- 

 mored vessels was 22,829,256 ; of the protected 

 vessels, 4,106,551 ; of the unprotected vessels, 

 8,699,912. The contemplated additional con- 

 struction will cost 22,669,000, besides 1,546,- 

 000 to complete vessels that are building. This 

 does not include 7 vessels that are under con- 

 struction for the Australian squadron. The Gov- 

 ernment has contracted for 23 fast steamships 

 (vessels of the Cunard, White Star, and Peninsu- 

 la and Oriental lines), which will be fitted out as 

 cruisers and commerce destroyers in case of war. 

 The above enumeration does not include 29 ves- 

 sels now in commission which will be removed 

 from the effective list before April 1, 1894. On 

 Jan 1, 1890, there were 5 first-class battle ships, 

 2 first-class, 3 second-class, and 6 third-class pro- 

 tected cruisers, 1 torpedo depot ship, 7 torpedo 

 gunboats, 2 sloops, 9 first-class gunboats, and 1 

 sailing brig cruiser in process of construction. 

 The armament of the effective navy in 1888, be- 

 sides 1,281 breech-loading cannon, ranging up to 

 111 tons, on the " Sans Pareil " and 4i Victoria " 

 and on the 6 barbette ships of the " Colling- 

 wood " type, included 790 quick-firing guns and 

 1,818 torpedoes. The most powerful vessel in the 

 navy is the " Inflexible," having a displacement 

 of 11,880 tons, 8,010 indicated horse-power, and 

 3,275 tons of armor, 16 to 24 inches thick over 

 the vital parts, with a strong backing of teak. 

 Each of the 2 turrets contains two 80-ton 

 Armstrong guns, firing 1,700-pound shot with a 

 charge of 450 pounds of powder The " Ajax " 

 and the " Agamemnon " are built on the same 

 plan, but on a smaller scale. The " Dread- 

 naught," " Devastation," and " Thunderer," with 

 10 to 14 inches of side armor and 35- and 38-ton 

 guns, have a coal capacity for voyages of from 

 3,500 to 6,000 miles, making 10 knots an hour. 

 The steel sister ships, the " Colossus " and the 

 " Edinburgh," having 14 to 18 inches of steel- 

 faced armor and carrying four 44-ton guns each, 

 are likewise built for steaming long distances. 

 The 6 barbette ships, having 18 inches of com- 

 pound armor at the water line, are capable of 



making from 16*4 to 17'1 knots. The "Con- 

 queror," " Hero," " Rupert," and " Hotspur " de- 

 pend for their offensive power chiefly on their 

 sharp rams, 8 feet below the water line, and pro- 

 jecting 12 feet. Of peculiar construction is the 

 " Polyphemus," a steel tube, entirely submerged 

 except a part of the convex deck rising 4 feet 

 above water, carrying only quick-firing and 

 machine guns, but having a powerful ram 8 feet 

 long, with a tube for firing Whitehead torpedoes 

 directly ahead. 



Of 21,500,000 that were voted by Parliament 

 in 1889 for the increase of the navy, 10,000,000 

 are charged on the consolidated fund, constitut- 

 ing a source of revenue for the navy independent 

 of the annual votes. The remaining 11,500,000, 

 distributed over the five years, form a part of the 

 annual naval estimates. With this money 38 ves- 

 sels are to be built, and of these 21 were already 

 begun before April 1, 1890, and 7 were to begin 

 during the ensuing financial year, while 10 of 

 the lighter type were left till a'fter March, 1891. 

 With the sum charged upon the consolidated 

 fund 32 vessels were to be built by contract, and 

 of these 26 were ordered during 1889-90. The 

 remaining 6, being torpedo gunboats that can be 

 quickly constructed, were left till later in order 

 to have the benefit of the newest improvements. 

 Of the uncompleted ships of the old programme 

 23 were made ready for service in 1889-'90 and 

 10 others that were begun before 1889 were ex- 

 pected to be completed in the course of 1890-'91. 

 In the new cruisers special attention has been 

 given to the development of high speed under 

 ordinary conditions, and not as an exceptional 

 performance. The great 111-ton guns have 

 proved quite unmanageable, and the Admiralty 

 Board has decided to have no more made besides 

 those already ordered, 6 in number. The 67-ton 

 or 13-inch" guns are in favor. 11 having been 

 furnished in 1889 and 48 more ordered. The 

 vessels for the Australian service were ready be- 

 fore the end of 1890. The cost of this squadron 

 is to be divided between the home and the co- 

 lonial governments, the former providing funds 

 for construction and armament and officers and 

 seamen, and the latter paying an annual subsidy 

 for twelve years in return for the protection af- 

 forded. Five of these are of the same design as 

 the " Pallas," a second-class protected cruiser 

 launched at Portsmouth, in June, 1890, the first 

 of a series of four built under the Navai Defense 

 act. She measures 260 feet, with a breadth of 

 41 feet, a draught of 15| feet, and a displace- 

 ment of 2,573 tons. A steel deck protects en- 

 gines and magazines, and the hull is subdivided 

 into water-tight compartments. With an indi- 

 cated horse-power of 4,500 with natural draught, 

 she is designed to steam 16| knots, or with forced 

 draught 19 knots, and has coal capacity for 4,800 

 knots, running 10 knots an hour. The arma- 

 ment consists of eight 4'7-inch, eight 3-pounders, 

 and several machine guns, with a torpedo equip- 

 ment. The total cost of this vessel is 150,186. 



In the naval manoeuvres of 1890 one fleet was 

 given twenty-four hours' start, and the other, of 

 slightly superior speed, had the task of finding and 

 engaging the former, the problem being to ascer- 

 tain how long a fleet can maintain itself on one of 

 the principal trade routes and intercept traffic 

 without being brought into a general engagement, 



