THE POWER OF IRONCLADS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVI, Issue 2, 13 May 1898, Page 19

THE POWER OF IRONCLADS.

Very few people have any idea of the enormous power of the modern honclads. The hitting power of the 21 British battleships and 44 cruisers of the fighting line which were present at the Record Reisrn naval review, for only 10 minutes' consecutive fire from all their guns combined, computes to no less than 125,2!)9.18fi foot ton's. To put this in a more understandable form, the following is given: The Great Pyramid contains ]<)<i,M()0,000 cubic feet of s-tone and weighs 5. 500,000 tons. Nevertheless, the gun power developed by the 6." ships mentioned, as exemplified by this muzzle energy in foot tons, would suffice — in ten minutes — to lift the Great Pyramid of Cleops 15ft a^ove the level of the sands of Memphis ! Yet the Great Pyramid is eight and a half times heavier than the combined French and Russian fleets.

Mr. E. W. Dunne, bookseller, George street, advertises in this issue a list of standard Irish works including works that will be read with interest in connection with the approaching 'OS cent3nary. The firm also advertise for tale " The Orange Society," by the Rev. 11. W. Cleary— Advt. In another column particulars will be found of a Crown Land sale to be held at the Court House, Xaseby, on the Bth of next month. — Advt. The winners of the prizes in the art-union held recently in aid of the Catholic Church and school, Meanee appear in another column in this issue. — Advt. Messrs. Morrow, Bassett and Co. are the sole asrents in New Zealand for the " Patent elastic steel Horse Collar." The collar will ease and prevent sore shoulder*, and each collar can be adjusted to three sizes. The firm's advertisement regarding it appears in this issue. — Advt. Messrs. Dwan Bros. Hotel Brokers, Willis street, Wellington, report the following sales : — Mount Egmont Hotel, Midhirst, to Mr. J. G. Colville, late of Carterton : Bunnyfhorpe Hotel, Bimnythorpe. to Mr. Symon Glogoskie : Tenui Hotel. Tcnui. to Mr. T. D. Thompson, late of thp Empire Hotel, Mast^rton ; Taueru Hotel, Taueru, to Mr. K. MoTntosh ; Makakahi Hotel, Makakahi, to Captain North, late of the s.s. '• Waihi " : Marine Parade Hotel, Whakataki. to Messrs. Parsons and Williamson, late of the Wairarnpa ; Grand National Hotel, Petone, to Mr. W. Biggs, contractor' Wellington ; Pahautanui Hotel, Pahautanui. to Mr. R. Saunder* late of Rangitikei ; and the Royal Hotel, Thorndon Quay, Wei lington, to Mr. E. J. Searl, well known in the Wairarappa. — Advt. Symington's Coffee Essences are undoubtedly the premier essences on the market. They are made from the best materials by the most improved process, are of a uniformly high quality, and are absolutely pure. — Advt. If anybody wishes to buy a whole archipelago, says the London Tablet, now is the chance. In the local paper of Funchal, Maderia, lately appeared an advertisement : — To be sold. — The Selvagens Inlands. Furthur particulars at the office of this paper. These islands, it seems, consist of three large and four small ones, all uninhabited and poorly supplied with water, but rich in game, lying between Maderia and Tenerift'e. Historically and politically they belong to Maderia. Formerly their chief product was orchilla, but latterly they have chiefly supplied puffins, of which birds between 20.000 and 22,000 are caught annually for the sake of their flesh, feathers, and oil. For lovers of natural history the islands offer a virgin soil. In presiding over the annual dinner of metropolitan proofreaders in London Mr. Murray cold some excellent stories of the humour of proof-reading. For instance, a well-known clerical author prepared a work published by the house with which he was associated. The author himself undertook to correct the proofs, and not until the book had run into a second edition was it discovered that the printer had turned the Bishop of Cremona into the Bishop of Cremoine. Q Laughter.) A very amusing mistake was that discovered by a proof-reader in a work written by Dean Stanley. The latter wrote, to use a colloquialism familiar in printing establishments, the '" vilest " hand that ever puzzled the compositor. In one chapter the l>ean was describing a journey to Jerusalem, the frequent recurrence of the name of the Holy City causing him to use the contraction '• Jers." Narrating the approach of his party to Jerusalem Dean Stanley described their ascent up the hills overlooking the city. He pictured in glowing language and striking phrases the effect of the setting sun as it gilded the hill-tops in a golden haze, concluding — as the compositor put it — in these words : "And as we slowly turned our faces to the east our eyes met with Ihe glorious sight of Jones. '

The New Zealand Jjoan and Mercantile Agency Company report as follows : — Wheat — The market remains very firm and for prime velvet higher prices can be secured, best malting fetches 4s ]Id to 5s ; medium. 4s <Sd to Is lOd ; best Tuscan and red wheat, 4s i)d to 4s to 4s lOd ; medium to good ; 4s (id to 4s 8d ; inferior, 3d lOd to 4s 'id ; broken, 3s to 3s (id (ex store, sacks in, terms). _^ Oats — A very good demand is experienced and all offered for sale are readily placed at advanced iaXe* ; bast milling Sutherland are fetching 2s 5s to 2s (id ; best bright feed, 2s 3d to 2s 4d ; medium to good, 2s lidto2s 2id ; odd lots ior seed, 2O2 O 7d to 2s Sd (ex ■store, sacks extra, net). Barley — The position is still in favour of buyers. Quotations for best bright malting, 4s '.)d to ~>s ; good to be^t, Is 3d to 4s (id ; feed and milling, 3s 3d to 4s (ex store, tacks extra, net). Grass Seeds — Ryegiass seed is in mud< j r<ite demand. Best farmers' dressed, nominally, 3s to 3s 3d ; medium, 2s lid to 2s (id (ex store, sacks extra, net). Cocksfoot, best dressed, in small lots, 4^d to 04-d ; medium. 4d to 4£d per lb (ex store, sacks, extra, net). Chaff — The market being fully supplied prices show but little difference, best fetching L 3 15s to L 3 17s lid ; medium, L 3 2s Gd to L 3 12s 6d per ton (ex truck, sacks extra, net. Potatoes — The market for these is very firm, best Derwents fetching at auction on Monday L 5 10s to L(i 10s ; medium, L 3 2s (id to L 4 17s 6d per ton (ex store, sacks in, net). Messrs. Stronach Bros, and Morris report as follows :—: — Wheat — The market has again advanced slightly during the week, and prices are now firm at the following quotations : — Prime milling velvet, 4s lOd to 5s ; medium, 4s 8d to 4s 9Jd ; prime Tuscan, etc., 4s 8d to 4s lOd ; medium, Is (id to 4s 7d ; fowl wheat, 3s to 4a per bushel (sacks in). Oats — Market firm. Prime milling, 2s 5d to 2s 6d ; good to best feed, 2s 3£d to 2s 4Jd ; medium, 2s 2d to 2s 3d p^r bushel (sacks extra). Barley — Market unchanged. Prime malting. Is 9d to ."is 3d ; medium, 4s 4d to 4s 8d ; feed and milling, 2s Gd to 3s Gd per bushel (sacks extra). Chaff — There is a fair quantity offering, and prices are much the same as those ruling last week. Prime oaten sheaf, L 3 15s to L:s 17s Gd : extra prime, L 4 ; medium. L 3 ."is to L 3 10s per ton (bags extra). Potatoes — Market very bare and prices advanced consid' i\ibly. Best derwents, LG .« to LG 10s per ton (bags in). Mr. F. Meenan, King street, reports : — Wholesale price only — Oats : good demand ; feed, 2s 3d to 2s Gd ; milling, 2s 4d to 2s 7d ; fowls' wheat, 3s Gd to 4s ; milling, 4s Gd to 4s I'd : chaff, L 3 .Is to L 4, fair supply. Ryegrass ard clover hay, L 3 I ."is to L 4 Straw, pressed 28s per ton ; loose, 28s. Potatoes : market bare, LG Flour : Roller, LI 2 to Ll2 lOs ; Oatmeal: Ll2 10s in 25lbs. Butter: Dairy, !)d to 11^; factory, Is Id. Eggs, Is Gd. Bran, L 4. Pollard, L 3. Onions, L 8 per ton.