and it may be observed that during the three hours' full-speed official trial of the Santa Fé the feeding arrangements were never touched or in any way adjusted or interfered with. The heat in the exhaust steam or water passing from the pumping engines and returned to the condenser is utilized in raising the temperature of the feed, so that no heat is actually lost in adopting this combination. Whether it would work equally well with other forms of pumping engines we are not prepared to say, but the Worthington pump seems to be ready to meet every possible variety of demand. The invention has been tried for some time in small torpedo-boats, and reflects much credit on Mr. Mariner.

The success of the Yarrow boilers has now been placed beyond controversy. In connection with this success we may say that it is the desire of Mr. Yarrow that it should be known that much credit is due to Mr. Crush, who is the indefatigable head of the boiler department at Poplar. Mr. Mariner, inventor of the automatic feeder, takes an active part in the management of the engineering department at Poplar, a highly responsible post, thoroughly well calculated to bring into play all the qualities which go to make a first-rate engineer.

[JAPAN.]

[ARMY AND NAVY JOURNAL.]

Bids were opened by an Imperial Board at the Japanese Legation in Washington for the construction of two high-class cruisers for the Japanese Navy. The bids were submitted by the Cramps and the Union Iron Works. America is thus launched into the shipbuilding competition of the world. The Japanese Legation, in accordance with instructions from Tokio, issued invitations to the firms mentioned some weeks ago to submit plans, specifications and proposals for two first-class cruisers of the following general dimensions: Displacement, 4700 tons; length, 370 feet; beam, 48 feet; beam draft, 17 feet 6 inches; horse-power, 15,000; speed, under forced draught, 221⁄2 knots; speed, under natural draught, 201⁄2 knots. The general type of the vessels specified is that of the Yoshino, one of the latest additions to the Japanese Navy. The plans submitted by the firms are complete and embody all the latest developments in naval construction. The bids were opened in the presence of the Japanese Minister, Comdr. Miyaoka, the naval attaché of the Legation, Naval Constrs. S. Sakurai and S. Takakura, and Messrs. Charles and Edward Cramp. The amounts of the bids are kept secret. The board will consider them and the plans and will forward them with recommendations to Tokio for the action of the Government. The Japanese Legation in Paris also opened bids for the construction of one cruiser of the same class as above. These bids will also be sent to Tokio with recommendations. The impression prevails that the Japanese Government will accept the American bids in case they are not too much greater than those of the French shipbuilders. It is believed in naval circles that one of the ships will be built at Cramp's and the other at the Union Iron Works.

[CHINA.]

Viceroy Li Hung Chang ordered three cruisers from the Vulcan Works in Stettin. They are to have the following dimensions: Length at water

on account of the shoal waters about the Chinese coast in the neighborhood of Tientsin. Displacement to be 2950 tons. The two engines of 7500 indicated horse-power to give a speed of 191⁄2 knots. The vessels, protected by protective decks, will be armed with batteries of three 5.9inch, eight 4-inch, six 1.5-inch guns, six Maxims and one 2.4-inch boat gun. There will be one submerged bow torpedo-tube and two abovewater broadside tubes. The first of the cruisers to be ready in 15 months, the others in 18 months' time.

HAND-BOOK OF THE HOWELL AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO. Published by the American Ordnance Company. The hand-book, of 42 pages, gives a detailed description of the Howell torpedo, launching gear, motor, and accessories. Twenty descriptive plates from original drawings of the various parts of the torpedo accompany the text, in which they are referred to under the various headings.

Under "Routine for Practice Shooting," full instructions are given for making the different adjustments preliminary to firing, the preparation of the launching tube, the entering, spinning up and firing of the torpedo, how to pick it up and prepare it for a second shot.

Details of additional preparation in war service, routine for monthly inspection, tables of dimensions and weights are also given.

Three plates of target diagrams are very interesting. Plate 21 shows all the shots made at the Tiverton Testing Station during the season of 1894. The second shows 403 hits, out of 428 shots fired, in a rectangular target 90 feet long by 20 feet deep, the upper edge at water-line. There were only II actual misses, and 14 failures were due to accidental causes, such as breaking gear or diving to bottom.

Plate 22 shows sixty proof shots at 400 yards with the 14.2-inch torpedo. The set depth was 7 feet, and all shots were aimed at center with no allowance for tidal currents, yet all 60 shots struck at 5 to 10 feet below the surface in a rectangle 63 feet long.

Plate 23 shows the diagram of a target of eleven consecutive shots with the 18-inch torpedo, at 600 yards, made in December, 1895. This shows remarkable accuracy in the torpedo, which was set to run at 6 feet depth, with a speed of 32 knots at 400 yards and 28 knots at 600 yards.

H. G. D.

LE PASSAGER: GUIDE HORAIRE DE TOUS LES PAQUEBOTS FRANÇAIS ET ÉTRANGERS. Published by Berger-Lévrault et Cie, Paris. A guide-book of five hundred pages, which contains time-tables, itineraries, routes, passenger rates, and generally useful information of every principal passenger steamship line in the world.