THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL STATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1660, 14 January 1895, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIAN NAVAL STATION.

Pbr Electric Telegraph — Copyright. Peb Press Association. Sydney, January 11. Admiral Bowden-Smith m the course of an interview said that no station was better supplied with coal and docking accommodation than the Australian station, first class docks being situated m Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland, with docks of smaller size at Lyttelton and Port Chalmers. He considered that the Australian squadron m its present strength was quite sufficient for any emergency. Cruisers of the Tauranga class were excellent vessels, but rather small for keeping at sea m all weathers. On this] station he still. found it very useful to have a certain number of masted vessels to carry on work among the South Sea Islands, not only because sail power enables them while on a cruise to economise coal consumption, but because that class of ship is found more comfortable and cooler than the modem steel cruiser. With reference to the defence of ports he said that the matter was of the greatest importance. Sydney, he thought, as the headquarters of the squadron, should be absolutely safe from attack, though if means could be found for adding some first-class torpedo boats, the knowledge that such boats existed would be a source of anxiety to vessels threatening the port. Sydney, to his mind, was peculiarly adapted for a torpedo defence, which could be easily manned by the local naval brigade. From a naval point of view it would be an excellent thing if Fiji was connected with Australia by means of the Pacific cable. In. concluding his remarks the Admiral paid a high tribute to the kindnesß of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand m carrying letters and intelligence which had been of great use to the vessels under his command.