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MARINE REVIEW 19 tion outside of the redoubt or citadel, reduced to 7% in. within. The turrets themselves will be protected by armor 12 in. in thickness. The 8-in. turrets will, in all cases, whether superposed or independent, be protected by 6 in. of armor, with 6% in. port plates, and their barbettes will be protected by similar armor. The conning tower and its shield will be 9 in. in thickness, and the armored tube, 5 in. thick, will be of sufficient size to receive all voice pipes, wiring, etc. In addition to the conning tower, there will be, aft, a second tower, known as the signal tower, which will be constructed of 5-in. armor. From the bottom of the waterline armor belt there wll rise a curved turtle backed nickel steel protective deck, 1% in. thick on the flat and 3 in. thick on the sloping sides, to make assurance doubly sure that no projectile of the enemy finds its way into the vitals of the ship. As an addi- tional protection to stability, a cofferdam belt, 3 ft. in thick- ness, and packed to a density of eight pounds to the cubic foot, will be worked along the two sides, above the protective deck, for the entire length of the vessel. The material of construction is the high quality of steel which has entered into all the vessels of our navy. The main, or upper deck, in addition to being built of steel, will be the only one upon which wood is to be laid. The lower decks will all be of steel, covered with linoleum. The use of wood in the construction of this vessel will be limited even more strictly than it has been in the later battleships, and all wood- work above the protective deck, except deck plank, will be fireproofed. Bilge keels and heavy docking heels are fitted. It is proposed to make all the vessels of this class flagships, and to do this it is necessary to make provisions for the ac- commodation of one flag officer, one commanding officer, one chief of staff, nineteen wardroom officers, ten junior officers, eight warrant officers and 772 crew, including sixty marines, making a grand total of 812. Both officers and crew will have washrooms, bathrooms and other similar conveniences, such as will place the comfort and healthfulness of these vessels very high in the scale. The applications of electricity on board are much wider than in the case of any other battleships in existence, with the possible exception of the Kearsarge and the Kentucky. All the turrets have electrical turning gear, and the ammunition hoists, blowers to the turrets and general ventilation, the gen- eral workshop and practically all of the auxiliaries outside of the engineers' department and excepting capstan and steering gear, are to be electrically driven. To provide for the power required for these purposes there will be installed eight en- gines and dynamos, mounted on combination bedplates, two having a rated output of 1,250 amperes at 125 volts and six with 625 amperes at 125 volts. In this class of vessels all the latest approved equipment will be provided for the accommodation of the officers and crew, the ventilation and drainage being of a high standard; the 'hospital quarters airy and commodious; the bakery and galleys; with their issuing rooms and refrigerating plant, hav- ing been worked out with a view to thorough efficiency; laun- dry and drying rooms are fitted with the latest machinery, electrically driven, and the living quarters are carefully pro- tected by insulation from cold in winter and excessive heat in summer. Take it all in all, the designs of the Virginia class embody the latest developments in naval architecture, and these vessels will prove most formidable additions to the fighting strength of the navy. The new cruiser Denver made a second attempt last week to come up to the speed requirements in a trip over the Cape Ann course. Her average speed for four hours was 16.70 knots per hour, but the contract requirements were for 17 knots. The navy department will accept the cruiser at the reduced rate. She was built by the Neafie & Levy Ship & Engine Building Co., Philadelphis, Pa. SEEN AND HEARD ON THE LOOKOUT. According to the latest reports the United States may soon "read its title clear" to the Panama canal. Though none need suppose that its cost can speedily be defrayed by its revenue, the project of this new waterway is almost unanimously popu- lar in this country. For obvious reasons it is favored by those interested in shipping; patriotic enthusiasts are delighted with the idea of having the stars and stripes displayed at both terminals, and thousands are ready, like Mr. Pickwick in the Eatonswill campaign, "to hurrah with the largest crowd." It is the opinion of international real estate experts that the strip of land known as the "canal zone" is worth, with its con- cessions, $40,000,000. Upon payment of this sum, and an in- cidental $10,000,000 "douceur" to the Republic of Panama, the uninitiated confidently believe that the influx of the pick and shovel brigade immediately will commence. But this might be called reckoning without the climate. While it cannot be conceived that anyone could doubt America's ability to pay a paltry sum for a much needed waterway, no country can conscientiously afford to send its subjects into the region of the yellow fever's definite polarity without previously adopting measures for preventing, or, at least, restricting, a prevalence of disease among the diggers. At a dinner in New York city recently, given in honor of Dr. St. John Prossa, the latter, speaking of the altered position of the medical man, said: "Formerly he only sought to cure; now to prevent." And in imitation of these altruistic medical men of the twentieth century the canal commission is now devising plans to demon- strate their belief in the maxim "Prevention is better than cure." In this connection it may be interesting to hear of methods in another part of the world to prevent a spread of cholera. Several cases of this dread disease having been brought to the notice of the authorities of the Island of Java some years ago, captains of vessels, employers of labor, and the public in general were commanded, under penalty of a heavy fine, to report to the nearest health officer anyone com- plaining of pains in the stomach. A thoughtless mentioning to a French captain, whose acquaintance [ made in a Batavia hotel, that I did not feel well since eating a certain foul smelling, though tasteful native fruit, resulted in my being examined by a physician and my ultimate temporary banish- ment to a place devoted to the manufacture of cholera im- munes. Crowds composed of men from all walks in life, and whose only points of similarity were a white skin and a stomach ache, traveled to this concentration camp. In this camp one had to rise at 5 a. m.; then bathe in ice cold water that had been ingeniously collected by means of a system of Camboo pipes, and partake of breakfast at 6 a. m. At 9 the government's cholera experts paid visits to their com- pulsory patients, and at 12 another meal was served. After : 10 a. m. cold beverages could no longer be procured, but luke warm tea may be had for the beckoning. At 3 p. m. attendants compelled all to retire to their Camboo sleeping apartments with explicit instructions to remain there until "reveille" at 5 a.m. next morning. A country in which martial law has been declared may be regarded as a land of freedom compared with Java at a time when a medical man was given the power of a Torquemada. Again referring to Panama--work on the canal is presently going to be resumed more vigorously than ever. Should the canal commission, however, permit doctors to round up anyone afflicted with a headache the building of sufficient hospitals will be a greater undertaking than the actual canal digging. _-- The tardy withdrawal of the winter's forces did compel ' yachtsmen to postpone until an exceptionally late date the usual preparations for a season of aquatic pleasures. The majority of the yachts in ordinary in the basins along the north Atlantic shores retained their unsightly winter covering long after the date which in preceding years saw them resplendent