THE RUSSIAN NAVY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 99, 26 April 1879, Page 4

THE RUSSIAN NAVY.

Some authentic particulars of the condition of the Russian fleet were given in (he January number of the Morskoi Sbornik, the journal of tlie Suaeian Minister of Marine. In this paper the naval authorities take credit for having created a very powerful cruiser arm, and developed the torpedo branch of the service to a point &s yet attained by no other European Power. During tho year 1878 thirteen vessels were added to tha fleet at home and abroad. Among these were the cruisers Europe, Asie, Africa, and Zabiavko, purchased and fitted out in American waters, and the Russia, Petersburg, Moscow, and Nijni Novgorod acquired in Germany. The home fleet wns increased by 110 torpedo boata, all acquired or constructed within seven months. Towards the end of March while the ice still encompased CronStadt Admiral Lesaosvky conceived the idea of establishing c cruiser fleet "on the ocean," and accordingly 600 picked seamen and 50 officers, the elite of the Baltic Marine, were secretly sent in the Cimbria from Port Baltic to America. We, in the colonies, heard a good deal of this move at the time, and of the purpose for which the force was intended. In April, when the Baltio opened, three pewerfulsqnadrone | were formed at Cronstadt, Sveaborg, and Navra and Riga. The plan formed by the Russian Admirals (or the defence of the Baltio against attack, in ease of war with England, was to concentrate a powerful fleet at Croostadt, and to defend the other ports with gunbpM9 and torpedo cutters. By the

29th July the plans were so far completed that the Czar inspected eighty ships, of which twenty-four were ironclads, with 200 gone of 8, 9, 11, and 12-inch calibre, and having armour ranging from 4£ to 14 inches in thickness, at ft grand naval review at Cronstadt. The personnel of the force was two fall admirals, 7 rear-admirale, and about 10,000 of all other tanks In the Black Sea the Russian fleet comprised the two PopoffkflP. with their 11 and 12-iuch guns, and their 14 aud 18 indite of armour, four old screw corvettes, six war steamers, 13 steamers of the fourth rank, 13 screw schooners, ei«bt cuttere, and six other vesiels. No vessels of importance are being constructed in the Block Sea at preseut. Iv the Pacific, Russia had four crrvetles and two gunboats, the hulls and naßchinery of which were completely worn out. At Vladivostock two gunboats were launched. It is stated in the report that Admiral Lessovsky's chief attention is now devoted to the organisation of the powerful cruiser service, and the completion of torpedo arranqemeats. With all this, however, tho St. Petersburg Rooeki Pravada, in an article on the Russian navy, conten '.a that it reqnireß thoroughly re-organis-ing, and it concludes in the following scathing terms :— " It is necessary, for the honor of Russia, to create a class of vessels which, when sent to sea, can stay there and fight the enemy, and not run home to our harbors for safely, like our men-of-war of late years have mostly done."