5 Field Officers, 4 Officers, and 4 non-commissioned officers. Regiment on a war footing is (not counting non-combatants):5 Field Officers, 64 Officers, 12 fähnerichs, 76 non-commissioned officers, 444 corporals and lance-corporals, and 2,288 men. Company peace footing: France. 3 Officers, 6 non-commissioned officers, 8 corporals, 66 men. Company war footing: 4 Officers, 10 non-commissioned officers, 17 corporals, 224 men. A regiment is composed of 4 battalions of 4 companies each and 2 depôt companies, the latter having the same cadres as a company on a peace footing, but 170 men instead of 66. The regimental and battalion staff consist of: 7 Field Officers, 5 Officers, and 4 non-commissioned officers (adjudants). Regiment on a war footing is (not counting non-combatants) : 7 Field Officers, 69 Officers, 148 non-commissioned officers, 256 corporals, and 3,584 men; and a depôt of 12 Officers, 12 non-commissioned officers, 16 corporals, and 340 men. Company peace footing: Austria. 3 Officers, 1 cadet, 5 non-commissioned officers, 10 corporals and lance-corporals, and 70 men. Company war footing: 4 Officers, 1 cadet, 5 non-commissioned officers, 30 corporals and lance-corporals, and 180 men. An Austrian battalion has 4 companies; and an infantry regiment in war time is composed of a field regiment, a reserve regiment (or 5 field battalions) and one ergänzung battalion (which has no cadet). The regimental staff is composed of 8 Field Officers, 8 Officers, and 11 non-commissioned officers. Regiment on a war footing is (not counting non-combatants) : 8 Field Officers, 108 Officers, 20 cadets, 125 non-commissioned officers, 750 corporals and lance-corporals, and 4,500 men. Company peace footing: Russia. 3 Officers, 1 younker, 9 non-commissioned officers, 16 corporals, 80 men, and 4 reserve men without arms. Company war footing: 4 Officers, 1 younker, 17 non-commissioned officers, 20 corporals, 148 men, and 12 reserve men without arms. Battalion staff, 1 Field Officer and 1 Officer. Regimental staff, 5 Field Officers and 1 Officer. A regiment consists of either 3 or 4 battalions, and each of these is composed of 4 field companies and 1 rifle company. Regiment of 3 battalions on a war footing is (not counting noncombatants): 8 Field Officers, 64 Officers, 15 younkers, 255 non-commissioned officers, 300 corporals, 2,220 men, and 180 reserve men without arms. Company peace footing : Italy. 4 Officers, 7 non-commissioned officers (2 of these corporal-majors), 13 corporals and lance-corporals, and 73 men. Company peace footing: 5 Officers, 13 non-commissioned officers (4 of these corporal-majors), 33 corporals and lance-corporals, and 145 men. A regiment consists of 3 battalions of 4 companies each; the regimental and battalion staff consist of: : 5 Field Officers, 4 Officers, 10 non-commissioned officers (of which 3 are corporal-majors) and 1 corporal. Regiment on a war strength is (not counting non-combatants) :5 Field Officers, 64 Officers, 166 non-commissioned officers, 327 corporals and lance-corporals, and 1,740 men. ESTIMATES FOR THE ITALIAN NAVY FOR 1878, AND ACCOUNT OF THE NEW IRONCLAD " ITALIA," BUILDING AT CASTELLAMARE. (Translated from the "Révue Maritime et Coloniale.") THE provincial budget for the year 1878 has been already presented to Parliament by the Government of Italy. The preliminary statement puts forward figures not very different from those of last year. As to the Navy, the proposals are presented in the following manner : Lire. The total estimate, as voted in the past year 41,630,778 Total 2,315,329 On one side the reconstruction of the matériel of the Navy, on the other a larger number of ships commissioned and an improvement in the position of the petty officers, have made an increase in the estimates appear necessary. The Naples newspaper, Il Piccolo Giornale Della Sera, of November 5th, contains some information regarding the new ironclad, the "Italia," on the stocks at Castellamare, which has appeared to us of sufficient interest to be brought to the knowledge of our readers. This ironclad, the largest of all the ships of war in the world, has the following dimensions approximately : The hull is so constructed as to constitute a sort of gigantic armed girder. A double bottom 302 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, divided into cells, protects the lower parts of the ship against the effect of torpedoes. Two longitudinal water-tight bulkheads run from the fore part to the after part of the ship, so as to form, in horizontal projection, 53 large compartments (40 above the double bottom, 3 abaft, and 10 forward). These compartments, in turn, are divided from top to bottom by four watertight decks : 1. The deck, plated with 24 inches of armour, situated about 8 feet below the water-line, presenting a considerable curve (34 feet). 2. A deck, forming a hollow girder, 4 feet 10 inches above the water-line. Between these two decks are compartments filled with cork; to this space the armoured belt exactly corresponds, but the Italian paper does not mention side armour. 3. The battery deck, 14 feet above the water-line. 4. The upper deck, 21 feet above it. On the upper deck is fixed the armoured citadel, oval in form and 6 feet 6 inches high, the axis of this oval makes an angle of about 20° with the keel; the guns fire en barbette and are placed symmetrically at the extremities of the citadel. The space comprised between the second deck and the upper deck does not seem to be armoured. The funnels and the passages for the supply of powder only are surrounded by plated casings, starting from the armoured deck; but whilst the first have only a moderate height, the others are carried up to the citadel. The vessel is to be propelled by two screws of 19 feet diameter; each of them being worked by an engine of six cylinders. The boilers will be twenty-six in number. The power expected is to be 18,000 horse-power, and it is hoped that a speed of 16 knots may be attained. Without attaching over importance to information collected in the communication of a newspaper reporter, it is not beside the question to remark that the figures of the principal dimensions agree very fairly with the information published concerning the first constructed large Italian ironclads, the "Duilio and the "Dandolo." The "Italia" ought to be a vessel having nearly the same general fineness of form. If we calculate, by analogy with the former vessels, the surface of her midship section, we shall find it to be about 473-13 feet. From this, then, it would result, that in order to attain a speed of 16 knots, there should be exerted a power of about 125 horse-power per square metre of the midship section; though it may generally be admitted that from 90 to 100 horse-power is more than sufficient. Moreover, supposing that the boilers have each three furnaces, and that every one of them develops 200 horse-power, which would be a high maximum, we reach a figure of 15,600 horse-power. There is ground, therefore, for these two reasons, to consider the power mentioned as somewhat exaggerated. The armament is not mentioned, but it would seem probable that it will be composed of four guns of 100 tons, mounted in pairs on turntables. The form adopted of a casemate surrounding the two turntables, instead of two separate turrets, as on board the "Dandolo," has for its object the diminution of the development, and, consequently, of the weight of such a surrounding. It seems strange that a protected deck placed below the water-line and running throughout the entire length of the ship should have been adopted. That, where there is no side armour, before and abaft, the armoured deck should be placed below the dividing compartments, is a necessity; but where there is the protection of an armoured belt, it is evident that the plated deck ought to be carried to the upper part of that belt, instead of creating a sort of reservoir, in which projectiles striking in a plunging direction must necessarily explode. It is very probable that these early data will be modified hereafter, but they are not the less interesting as characteristics of the new steps made in the path of building gigantic ships. It is very possible that this will be the last, and that, instead of seeking to produce marine Colossi, a return will be made-in displacements of 8,000-to the dimensions of manageable ships, and to a cost such that it will not be necessary to stake our total resources on one or two elements of a problematical success. (Signed) P. DISTERE, Sous Ingénieur de la Marine. FLOATING OF THE STRANDED FRENCH MAN-OF-WAR "ESCOPETTE." From the Moniteur de la Flotte of February 10th. WE announced in a recent issue the floating of the gunboat "Escopette," belonging to the naval division in Indo-China, which had grounded by touching an unknown rock on her way to Baria. The work of saving her has been accomplished with devotion, energy, and perseverance. The operation was divided into two parts. From the 29th of October to the 6th of November, the object was to get the chains, intended to lift the gunboat, into place. This work was rendered very arduous by the nature of the bottom, a soft mud, in which the "Escopette" was imbedded, and by the necessity of working at a particular time of tide, however great the heat of the sun. The depth of water was 6 fathoms. It was not till the 16th of November that the second portion of the work could be taken in hand: it was to raise the wreck and transport it to a hard bottom dry at low water. 66 THE RUSSIAN ESTABLISHMENT AT VLADIVOSTOCK. On the 18th was reached, in a depth of 54 fathoms, the entrance of an arroyo, hitherto unsurveyed, in which M. Havard, Captain of the Escopette" at Framée," had marked a bank of hard sand, which uncovered at low water, and on which it was necessary to place the " first, in order to temporarily stop the leaks, and put her in a condition to be towed to Saïgon without the help of lighters. The distance intervening between the starting point and this bank was a mile. Two It was only on the 21st, after many difficulties, that they were able 'Escopette" on the top of the sand-bank. to place the "Escopette" engineers of the "Framée," the 2nd class engineer, Journaux, and the stoker-mechanic, Pascal, took steps to stop the leak. It was necessary, to achieve this result, to attach to the hull close to the keel, two plates of sheet-iron, each about 5 feet long, kept in place by a hundred bolts, compressing coverings of woollen stuff. As soon as the fall of the water allowed the work to be resumed, these two men began without delay, one outside in the muddy water up to his waist, the other inside with his head and body under the boilers; both worked with admirable energy and persistence. On the 26th, the gunboat floated without making any water, and arrived at Saigon on the 27th, at 7 o'clock in the evening, her hull being perfectly dry. Although having often worked during the hottest hours of the day, occasionally without any shelter from the sun and always in the muddy emanations from the arroyo, none of the men who took part in getting the vessel afloat have been ill. This result is due to the excellent superintendence of the men by Lieutenants Chassérian and Havard, who were in charge. The engineers Journaux and Pascal have obtained special promotion in their class, and a communication expressing the satisfaction of the Minister of Marine has been addressed to the Officers and men who were engaged in the work. THE RUSSIAN ESTABLISHMENT AT VLADIVOSTOCK. (Translated from the Rivista Marittima.) FROM a report made by the distinguished Cavaliere Canevaro, commanding the "Cristoforo Colombo," to his Excellency the Minister of Marine, we have extracted a portion which has a general interest, and we believe that in publishing it we are conferring upon our readers a real present. Simonoseki, 31 August, 1877. “Russia has made an important acquisition on the coast of Manchouria, ceded to her by China a few years back. Although the Czar already possessed the whole eastern coast of Siberia, his dominion over the inhabitants of the seashore was only exhibited in several military establishments like Petro-Paulosk and Nicholaievsk, and a few others of inferior importance, which had no vitality of "their own, and cost the Central Government a great deal without 66 |