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18 THE Marine REVIEW Victorian, and it is expected that they will at no distant date demonstrate further their faith in the turbine by issuing the specifications for the two coming vessels, larger and faster than the Virginian and Victorian, and similarly pro- pelled. As is well known the turbine is at a great disad- vantage at low speeds, hence reciprocating engines were in- tended for the new vessel from the first, the question of turbines never once arising. The question of the extent to which marine underwriters are involved in the San Francisco disaster interests many in Britain, but there has been great difficulty in arriving at an estimate, and it is believed that the losses are not nearly so heavy as was at first anticipated. The Pacific Mail Com- pany's two steamers, Mexican and Columbian, which suffered by the earthquake shock were covered for $600,000, and_ it is believed that the loss will not exceed from I5 to 20 per cent of the policy value. Another claim, it is said, will arise in the case of the ferry steamer Columbia, which was in dry dock at Oakland and capsized. Liverpool and London underwriters are interested in the above insurances, and M. S. Cross, underwriter of the Thames & Mersey Co., has pro- ceeded to San Francisco on behalf of his own and other Liverpool companies and Lloyds underwriters. The British solicitor general (Sir William Robson), of opinion that any agreement on international maritime law will carry with it far-reaching and beneficial results. It was, he said, sought to lay down a code of _ international maritime law which should meet with the respect and ap- proval of all maritime nations, and English lawyers just now were working out a great event: which he believed would fill an important place in the history of the world so far as arbitration and federation was concerned, The sale of British battleships, cruisers, gunboats and other fighting craft at Devonport dock yard on May 15, is quite an event in the ship auction trade, and the fact that the vessels in question are to be sold with no obligation as to breaking up, will provide an opportunity to some of the smaller states of the world to acquire a ready made navy on very short notice. Progress in warship construction proceeds at so rapid a speed nowadays that vessels become quite out of date for a first class power long before they cease to be really useful fighting ships, and it may be well worth the attention of various foreign representatives in Britain to examine the big batch for sale at Devonport in the hope of picking up a really cheap and effective lot. The Cunard liner Lucania, which left Liverpool on Satur- day afternoon for New York, included in her freight gold in bar and coin to the value of $2,500,000, weighing about five tons, On the previous Saturday, the Etruria from Liy- erpool to New York, carried $3,500,000 worth of gold bar and coin (seven tons), and the Campania from Liverpool to New York a week further back still took out no less an amount in value, $6,250,000, weighing between eleven and twelve tons. ages the Cunard company's steamers have carried gold to the very respectable total. in weight of nearly 24 tons, and in value $12,250,000--a. fact which shows the confidence entertained in the Cunard line as a medium of transit.. Readers of the MArtne Review will doubtless be inter- ested in the official statement of what the British Cotton Growing Association is doing to develop cotton growing in British colonies. It is believed that the multiplication of the sources of cotton supply will not fail in the course of time, by averaging climatic risks and consequently preventing usual shortages, to exercise a steadying influence on cotton prices, with a resulting restraint on cotton gam- bling.. Replying to a question put to him in the house of commons, the assistant secretary for the colonies said the amount of cotton grown under the auspices of the British Cotton Growing Association was in 1903 1,900 bales, valued Hence it will be seen that in these three voy-. at $145,000; in» 1904, 6,000 bales, valued' at $400,000; 'in: 1905, 14,200 bales, valued: at' $950,000, ' and the estimate for: 1906 was 20,000 bales, valued at $1 650,000. The government was in cordial co-operation with the association in the furtherance of its work. After' a detention of over a week the Dewey dock has now passed through the Suez canal, and has arrived at Suez, says the Shipping Gazette, London. The passage seems to have been void of untoward' incident, so, by slow: degrees, the ponderous structure is' working her way out to the Philippines. The towage of the Dewey is undoubtedly unique in maritime history; both by reason of the long leagues of ocean to be traversed, and the weight of the towed struc- ture. -The Dewey is understood to weigh somewhere about 10,000 tons, and her form does not make her at all a "handy" tow. The construction. and dispatching of this mammoth naval dry dock to the Philippines is, of course, entirely an American venture, but the three steamers engaged in the tow- ing, the Glacier, Caesar, and Brutus, although they are now United States naval vessels, were all built in Britain. The Glacier, formerly the British steamer Port Chalmers, was built at Sunderland 'in 1891; the Caesar, launched at Stock- ton-on-Tees in. 1896, was at one time the British steamer Kingtor; whilst the Brutus, formerly the Norwegian steamer Peter Jebsen, was put into the water at South Shields in 1894, and the massive hawsers used in towing were, so says the same authority, manufactured in Britain. SUMMARY OF NAVAL CONSTRUCTION. Following is the summary of progress on naval vessels, as compiled by the bureau of construction and repair: 1906 Name of vessel Building at Per cent of completion : April 2. May 1. BATTLESHIPS. Vite 3.55.73 Newport News S. B. Co... 99% 99.9 Nebraska <i ¢..77, Moran Br6s;-Cou..s. s4 45 92 92.65 Georpia... ccciess Bate fron Worms. ........ 95.75 96.58 thew Jersey .... More River SB. Co:....... 98.5 99.5 Connecticug. 0... Navy Yard, New York.;.. 67.11 07.41 Loiisiatia <<. Newport News S. B. Co... 97.92 98.98 Nermont ..0,.3. Pore Biver 5. 0. Co. os. 2. 79.3. 838 Marteae ot New York 5. 8..06...<:.. Pee ae Minnesota ...... Newport News S. B. Co... 85.27 88.28 Mississippi. ... «. Wm. Cramp & Sons... .... 52.84 54.88 Tao. ot 2 Wim, Cranip & Sons....... 51.44 53.52 New Hanmipshire New York S: B. Co.:.:.... 40.4 42.5 ARMORED CRUISERS} Catitornia ..i4%. Union Iron Works... ...... 91.9 692.8 Sout Dakota'... Union Iron Works.:...... 89.8 90.4 Tennessee ...... Wyo). Cramp. & Sons.,,.... 96.37. 97.51 Weosnineton .... New York S. B. Co....:.. 96. 97.3 North Carolina... Newport News S. B. Co... 39.97 42.73 Montana (..5 75.5 Newport News S. B. Co... 35.40 38.24 PROTECTED CRUISERS. Bt ous. <3). Meahe & Levy S..& E. B. es, 93. 95.66 Milwaukee ...... Union Iron Works....... y ae 94.3 es TRAINING SHIPS, Cumberland .... Navy Yard, Boston........ 95. 95. intrepid 4.50... Navy Yard: Mare Island... 07.5 97:5 SCOUT CRUISERS, erieh ie, Path iron Works. ........ 26.15 20.44 Birmingham .....Fore River S: B..Co...... 26.6 . 31.3 mele hk Hore River' S B. Co....., 28.0 . 32.2 SUBMARINE TORPEDO BOATS. Submarine T. B. No. 9, Fore River S. B. Co. 63.9 68.2 Submarine T. B. No. 10, Fore River S. B. Co. 52.5 53.5 Submarine T. B. No. 11, Fore River S. B. Co. 58.2 60.5 Submarine T. B. No. 12, Fore River S. B. Co. Si.4. S35 The Detroit Steel Co tikes Co., of Detroit, Mich., has just placed contract for a large addition to present plant, 125 x 180 ft. Two basic furnaces are to be added, which will double its present capacity. This company will make a specialty of- large marine castings.