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i . : : 3 : : : have been reported as commenced or about to be laid down, but nothing official has transpired in connection with these vessels. Nor does it appear that any more armored cruisers are in hand, although there are several protected cruisers in various stages cf construction. Among the small craft five destroyers were com- pleted during the past year and several torpedo boats. The fol- lowing list contains the names of the battleships and armored cruiser completed or constructing: Name and Dis- Date when be- where built or place- gun, launched, building. ment. or completed. Battleships. Pebieda, St. Petersburg, (Baltic) 12.674... ..... Completed 1902 Recvisan, Philadelpnia i... 23.2. 12,700........Completed 1902 Oslabia, St. Petersburg, (Admir- Buy eee ce EY A ee eee L.. July. 20, 1001 Orel, St. Petersburg, < Galney)....13,600, -.....: Completed 1902 Kniaz Suvaroff, St. Petersburg CBSO) ee as es $3,000 us ad: L,. Sept. 25, 1902 Slava; ot. Petersburg, (Baltic) ..13,600........ Begun 1902 Kniaz Potemkin 'Tavritchesky, MiROlgiet ous ; vine. 1G,000%< 1 ool Oe, ©, 1000 Borodino, St. Petersburg, (Admir- iy ete or A eee 13,6005...) .:L. Bepte 6,100 Alexander III, St. Petersburg pee) a ar i oe. $9,0004 25. L. Aus.3, 1o0r Geateverh, ba Geyne .. 2.2... 5. (SOT. 6S L. Feb. 23, 1901 Armored Cruiser. Pavan 1b eye. 6 a ss 7800-6) ies Begun 1902 ITALY. For Italy no battleships have been launched during the past year. Four are under construction, the names of which are given in the table below, and a sum sufficient to complete them has been voted by the Italian chamber. 'Three other battleships are projected. The armored cruiser Francesco Ferrucio was launched at Venice. The budget for this year, while making provision for the advancement of the. above-named ships, also provides for a number of small craft, including three submarines. The battleships and armored cruiser in hand are given in the following list: Nameand Dis- Date when be- where built or place- gun, launched, building. ment. or completed Battleships. : Benedetto Brin, Castellamdre |. -.13,427......<. LL. Sepe, 100% Regina Margherita, Spezia ....... To4e0 2. 8. 1. March, 1oor Vittorio Emanuel, Castellamare ..12,624........Begun I901 Resina Elena, Spezia <2... 12604 43a. Begun 1901 Duca d Aosta, (A.), Castellamare, 12024 703. Begun 1900 Duca di Getiova, (K.), Spezia... 12021 3.3 Begun 1902 Duca deglia Abruzzi,(C.), Venice.12,624........ Begun 1902 Armored Cruiser. Francesco Ferrucio, Venice ..... 12,0243. 4 <,. Apiil 23.1002 THE UNITED STATES. Of the thirteen battleships of the United States navy in hand or projected at the beginning of 1902, six have been com- pleted and commissioned; the others have been considerably advanced. 'I'wo, the Connecticut and the Louisiana, are just beginning. The general naval board in 1901 recommended the construction of four additional battleships, and the submitted program of 1903-1904 contains two to make up this number, but as they have not yet been authorized, they do not appear in the annexed table. The ships in hand have been greatly delayed, owing to the failure of the contractors to deliver material. With regard to the armored cruisers, there are a large number in hand, but the two of last year's program are not yet ordered. Ten- ders have been called for, and the specifications provide for ves- sels of 14,500 tons, with a speed of not less than 21.5 knots, the cost not to exceed $4,650,000. No less than seven firms have bid for the building of these ships, most of the bids specifying that the ships shall be delivered in forty-two months. Messrs. Cramp, however, have offered to build one ship in thirty-nine months for $4,200,000, or two ships in thirty-six and thirty-nine months, respectively, for $4,000,000 each, and if they may build to their own design they will guarantee a speed of 22 knots. Even when the program of ship building for 1903-1904 has been definitely settled it may not be until some time later that the construction of the vessels will be begun. The battleships and armored cruisers completed, in hand, or authorized, are given below: Name and Dis- Date when be- where built or place- gun, launched, building. ment, or completed. Battleships Mine Philadelphia ............; 12,300..55. 7. Completed 1902 Illinois, Newport News ......... 40505. Completed 1902 Piepams, Philadelphia ...-.2...- i On... Completed 1902 Wisconsin, San Francisco ........ EUSDS 0.2 2G: Completed 1902 Missouri, Newport News ........ 42.700 22. Begun 1900 Po. San Francisco .-.: =<... 12300. Begun 1899 Meee ath es 15.320 .525 07: Begun 1900 New Jersey, Weymouth ........ i220. Begun 1900 - 1903.] MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD, [ 29 Virginia, Newport News ........ 14,048" 2 eli. Begun 1900 Rhode Island, Weymouth ....... fA 0A5 2 Begun 1900 Nebraska, Philadelphia'... 5 2. ?: £53202 v7. Begun 1900 Connecticut, Brooklyn 3227 16,000°. 05.944 Begun 1902 Louisiana, Newport News ....... EG,000 2) cea} Begun 1902 Armored Cruisers. California, Union Iron Works...13,800........ Begun 1900 West. Virginia, Newport News...13,800........ Begun 1900 Pennsylvania, Seale =. 22. 3. 13,800 2.5.00, Begun 1900 Colorado, Philadelphia 7.3.7.2... T3000 a, Begun 1900 Maryland, Newport News ....... 13,8007 7a. Begun 1900 South Dakota, Union Iron Works.13,800........ Begun 1900 Charleston, Newport News ...... O;700 PEF. Begun 1900 Milwaukee, Philadelphia ........ 0,700 rei ees Begun 1900 ot.. Louis, Philadelphia .. 2. 3.73 ©,700". 5 5 Begun 1901 Tennessee ee 14,500.52, Authorized 1902 Washingt0h lis. 2 14,500... 05% Authorized 1902 THE RELIANCE, NEW DEFENDER. Editor Marine Review:--On April 1 the new defender's crew, Scandinavians by birth, American by naturalization, are ordered to report on the tender Sunbeam. Each member of this necessarily large crew, from Christian Christensen, the first mate, to the humblest rope puller, will be comfortably housed, copiously fed, and generously paid. The new defender, according to the nautical Solomons who have their headquarters in Bristol, is declared to be a remarka- ble boat, and promises to be phenominally successful as the cup's guardian. As an instance of the exaggerated reports cur- rent in this American boat's 'birthplace, her spread of canvas is | said to be at least 18,000 ft.--duck of special quality, of a special weave---and her recently-completed main sail the biggest ever turned out. It is a fallacy to suppose that a beautifully-bound book, which Mr. Lawson commissioned some one to write with a vitriolic pen, is the sole reminder of the defunct Independence. When racing the courses are over equilateral triangles--one leg expected to be to windward, one reaching, and running free over the third. When "close hauled," and also when "reaching," the Independence was a nonentity compared with the Constitu- tion and the Columbia. The Boston boat's speed when "running free,' however, was noticed by all, and made her a dangerous fival "in a fair wind, The New York Yacht Club has not published a book in response to the Bostonian's caustic remarks anent the former's behavior, but, on the contrary, Mr. Herreshoff has sincerely flattered Mr. Lawson by giving the defender some of the special features that enabled the Independence to make such good pro- gress when "going before it." While the new beat is not of the "scow" type, and her bow is so fashioned as to eliminate all danger of pounding, when running she will rival the Indepen- dence, and yet make the other courses as speedily as the Colum- bia or the Constitution. The Independence has surely not lived her short life in vain if the eminent Bristol boat builder saw fit to duplicate some of her points. The Columbia has been painted, the Constitution thoroughly overhauled, and when, as is expected, the new boat is launched during the middle of April, there will be three boats on this side of the Atlantic against which the Shamrock's chance of success- ful competition can safely be regarded as a forlorn hope. Eng- lish marine journals devote much space to Shamrock Iil., bur that the writers are unacquainted with the subject is shown by their declaring that said boat's sail area is going to be very small. For racing in August south of Long island, no sane vachtsman will let a boat compete that is not carrying all the canvas she can stagger under. Several authorities on matters nautical in general, and yachting in particular, even without the preju- dice of national superiority, are confidentially predicting the American boat's success. But, as the Bristol wiseacres say when some of their statements are declared to be improbable--'*Wait and see," Bristol, Rib, Mar. 18; 1902. TALK WITH PRESIDENT PENJE, Concerning the contracts which the Seamen's union has en- tered into with the vessel men President Penje says: "This is the first season in history when the owners of ves- sel property on the lakes have signed contracts with the Seamen's union and agreed to engage only members of the organization - when they can be secured. We are going to show the owners that we mean to stand by these contracts and conduct our union as a business organization." Mr. Penje is thirty-seven years old. He has been in the great lakes district since 1888. He was formerly a salt water sailor. Trouble may be experienced on the Montreal wharves at the opening of navigation. The difficulty will be between the ship laborers and the contractine stevedores. The men are de- manding ten hours as a day's work with 20 cents an hour for day and 30 cents an hour for night work and double price for Sunday.