Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

12 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

gtdrojjfllitan Gossip.

THE SLADE BARONETCY CASE.

THE VISIT OF THE BELGIANS…

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

THE VISIT OF THE BELGIANS TO ENGLAND. The hospitalities of this country towards our Belgian visitors will commence in a way which cannot fail to give them a favourable impression of our intentions; and it will be gratifying to the English nation to find that the Government has taken upon itself the initia- tive of the actual reception, in a manner worthy of a great maritime Power. The first service to be per- formed by one of the finest ships ever built in this or any other country will be to convey the Belgians from the Scheldt to the Thames. The Serapis would have been a marvel 20 years ago but even now she is a troop ship of which any Government might feel proud. She has never been out of the Thames, nor has she as yet been tried on the measured mile and so much remains to be done towards her completion that 500 workmen are employed in giving her those finishing touches which will make her not only one of the largest but one of the most perfect transports afloat. The Serapis, which was built by the Thames Iron Ship- building Company, now lies in the basin dock off Black- wall, where she will remain till the 8th or 0th of July, when she will ] >roeetd to Warden channel, 22 miles below Antwerp, to take the Belgians on board. She is an iron steam screw ship of enormous proportions, her extreme length being 383ft., her extreme breadth 49ft., and her depth to the top of the floor plates 24ft. Between the perpendiculars she is 360ft. long. Her burden is 4,173 tons she has three masts and an oval funnel. She is built'with a double bottom and in water-tight com- partments, each compartment being 21ft. long. She has a cov ered poop and forecastle, and a saloon on the tipper deck, the like of which few ships can boast of. It is about 100ft. long and 24ft. wide, elegantly deco- rated and furnished, and has dining accommodation for 120 persons. The ship has upper, main, and lower decks, and depths lower still for machinery and bag- gage. On the main deck 500 men may sit down to dinner at one time. She will carry 1,000 soldiers with all their arms, accoutrements, and baggage for foreign service, besides women and children. Her full com" plement of human freight, exclusive of the crew, will be 1,250 souls. The quarters on board for the colonel commanding a regiment are more comfortable than many to be found in barracks, and should he have a wife and children there are apartments for them. Both the officers and their wives will have bath rooms there is an infirmary for officers and another for the men. The latter have their bath rooms also, and there are wash- rooms and baths for the soldiers' wives, off the portion of the ship specially fitted up for women. The decks and sleeping places are plentifully supplied with venti- lators. By means of a very simple contrivance, fresh air is constantly admitted, and the vitiated atmosphere as continually carried off. Excellent stalls have been constructed for a number of horses, and there are at least a score of little departmental offices, here and there and everywhere, off the decks. There are racks and stands for arms of all descriptions, stowage places for knapsacks, and telegraphs by which communica- tion can be made from the officers' quarters to the men's, and by which the commanding officer can at once summon an orderly or a sentry, or either of the latter can give an instant intimation to him. Striking features in the Serapis are the height between her decks and the ample space of all her gangways. Her engines are compound surface condensers, of 700 nominal horse power, but they work up to 4,250; and she is furnished with seven steam pumps for. pumping out water. Her commander is Captain Sodey, R.N., and her first lieutenant the Hon. F. M. Murray. Though, as we have stated,, she has not been tried on the measured mile, and cannot be until after the naval review, at which she is to have the House of Commons on board, her engines have been worked, and Captain Sodey has every confidence that she will behave well at sea. Her permanent employ- ment will be to carry troops between Portsmouth and Alexandria. As at present arranged, the Serapis will leave Warden Channel with the Belgians at four p.m., on the 10th of July, steam slowly out of the Scheldt that evening, cross the Channel during the night, and arrive off Gravesend at between 10 o'clock a.m. and noon on the 11th. From Gravesend our foreign visitors will be conveyed in small steamers up the river and conducted to their various quarters. On the 12th they will march to Guildhall to receive the welcome of the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London and with the civic feast the round of entertainments will begin.

-----._---_--_--MAXIMILIAN'S…

STRONG AFFECTION A CHARACTERISTIC…

;:.,1...... ACTION FOR FALSE…

._--------"MARRY IN HASTE-REPENT…

-----.......-THROWING OIL…

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER…

-..... -------_--.------MEANY'S…

LOST IN THE BUSH.

A GOOD WORD FOR THE HOUSE…