RUSSIA AND HER FLEETS.

Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 108, 30 May 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

RUSSIA AND HER FLEETS.

The Vossische Zeitung says that the Eussian Government is just now taking extraordinary pains to develop its navy. A great part of the new loans are said to be employed for that purpose, especially in the enlargement of the Black Sea fleet, and in rendering Sebastopol the chief station for that fleet. At the present moment 10 men-of-war are being built in Russia, five of which are heavy ironclads, three half -plated cruisers, and two torpedo rams. These ships are to be divided as follows : — For the Baltic — One ironclad, the Moskwa (type of the Peter the Great); three plated cruisers, the Admiral Nachimoff, Admiral Arkas, and Alexander 11., and two torpedo rams, the Vityaz and the Einda. For the Black Sea — Four ironclads, the Tcheßme, Sinope, Catherine 11., and another not yet 'named. The cruisers building for the Baltic are of 8000 tons burden, with 14 cannon, six of which are of large calibre. It is expected that these cruisers will have a speed of 16 knots. The Admiral Nachimoff will be ready next spring; the others a year later. The torpedo rams are not plated. They have a displacement of 3000 tons, and are calculated to go 14 J knots. They will be armed besides two torpedo apparatus, with six 9-inch and four smaller guns. It is expected that the Vityaz will be finished during thiß year. The four heavy iron-clads for the Black Sea will be the strongest ships Kussia possesses. Their dimensions are : Greatest lenth (ram included) 104.2 metres; greatest breadth, 21.03 metres ; middle depth, 7.62 metres : displacement, 9000 tons ; armament,

six 30 centimetre pieces arranged in three Barbette towers, and seven 15 centimetre pieces in the casemated battery. The strength of the iron plating is given at 38 to 40 centimetres. Theßussianfleet in the Black Sea will then consist of 4 heavy ironclads, 2 Popoffs, 2 plated gunboats, 4 corvettes, about 20 steamers, 14 screw schooners, and as many torpedo boats, and a number of smaller vessels. The Russians believe that in two years their fleet will excel that of the Turks. Besides the abovenamed ships, four plated cruisers for the Baltic, and three torpedo rams for the Black Sea are being planned. It is worthy of note that Russia is making such efforts to rise to the rank of a second-rate naval Power. In a short time she will be more powerful at sea than she has been since the Crimean War. Hitherto she has spent her strength on the Baltic fleet, and in those waters she is still the first. Besides her two great fleets on the Baltic and Black Sea, Russia has three flotillas, counting together about 70 steamers and vessels, in Siberia and the Caspian and Aral Seas. During the last three years, under the Archduke Alexis, the Russian Navy has been entirely reorganised, and greater energy seems now to reign in it than during the last war with the Turks.