Evening Star Newspaper, November 11, 1893, Page 18

18 THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 11, 1893-TWENTY PAGES. STYLES IN WRAPS. They Are Much Longer and Fuller Over the Skirts, BROAD SHOULDERS AND WIDE HIPS. These Are the Chief Requisites This Fall. BLACK AND WHITE EFFECTS. ‘@pecial Correspondence of The Evening Stan NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 1893. OARING WINDS and biting frosts must be guarded against, and stylish- ly, mind you. But there comes the rub, for the subject of out-door wraps is one calculated to reduce the average woman to a state of utter bewilderment, 80 va- ried are they in cut, fabric, trimming and adaptation to the many functions of so- ciety. They are classed for the car- riage, street, church, reception—every thing in fact, and are get- ting to be almost as eloquent in meaning as the graded width of crape on a fashionable mourner’s cos- tumes. In some things they are alike, as all are much longer and fuller over the skirts than formerly, and all have the col- larette over the shoulders, and high collar at the neck faced and trimmed so as to be turned down at will. The great thing to be achieved is width of shoulders and of hips, especially if it be of the close fitting kind. Nothing but the abnormally slender waist saves the fashionably dressed woman from looking the Amazon when she puts on her coat, buttoned closely, with collar flut- ed and crinkled and skirts fulled on like the pipes of a church organ, or, less poeti- cally speaking, a half umbrella. Skirts are correct, for sometimes you can see three of them fastened one over the other, to a close-fitting body. These voluminous skirts, with the big sleeves drooping at the shoul- der under the heavy collar, the collar wav- ing in and out with fullness, make a mov- ing spectacle over which one wonders at the inventions of genius. Coats are made of velvet, plush, beaver anda heavy diagonal cloth, or satin, as the taste dictates. Black is the color most im vogue in coats to be worn with all cos- tumes. Black and white combined fs the vw None Prettier Than Thi feigning taste just now. For this effect ermine is again brought into use as a trim- ming in capes, collareties, collar and bands, go the woman who can produce this costly fur from among her treasures is conscious of being ultra-stylish in dress, as weil as of wearing a badge of royalty. In the initial picture there is shown a coat with @ cape, both made of blue cheviot. The foundation coat has the regulation sleeves, and Is, of course, double breasted. The circular cape is joined to a round yoke, and Roth cape and yoke are finished by ruffles of cheviot put on with a heading and gar- mished with three rows of black braid, which also comes down the front. Circular cloaks and long loose cloaks with flowing sleeves trimmed with cream or white lace are affected for the carriage. These are in black, brown, blue and light tan, the lighter colors, however, are trim- med with black Angora fur, or Russian sable. When only a licht wrap is needed, as for evening wear, short and very full capes are worn elaborately trimmed with Diack soutache edged with gilt, with the great full collar of the stuff of the cape, or of velvet or fur. There are also double and triple capes with serpentine braid trim- ming which simulates the triple style and is lighter in weight. A pretty style, as well as @ convenient one, is a house dress with @ street wrap to match. A woman can cut her garment according to her cloth and give her soul to peace, for there are models to meet every emergency. Cloth Trimmed With Otier. Capes are the prettiest outside garments g@nd best suited for general use. The se. ond picture shows one made of the hght tan cloth, which still holds its place. has an elaborate collarette of the fichu style edged with crinkled Thibet goat fur. This fur, by the way, {s used in black and white end is also dyed in colors. Here it is black and white, and it appears also on the Medici collar. The garment fs enc cled near the bottom by four bands of passementerie, the whole making a dressy wrap for a calling cos ie and one easily removed when Cesired. The next sketch shows a three-quarter length cleak that is belted in to fit tightly fm the back so as to form deep boxpleats at the bettom. The collar may be made of the same material a3 the cl is of the fleecy cloth or of sotin, ve on full to Ae is trimmed wi . The neck band fs also otter which stands up about the neck and chin in the reg nm These things are rich and costly in appearance yet the economical woman can get the effect at slight expense by making her out side garment of two materia A close bod lee, double or single breasted, vith severa full circular skirts flaring at the bottom @ very obstreperous collarette may be manufactured of remnants, selves, but inexpensive. The big sleeves, the collarette and one of the skirts may be of a material different from that of the body, and style and economy both be sat- ised. Broad shoulders, wide hips and a clear conscience, all these, and even a ‘le- pleted purse could not make you unhappy. The ruling black and white is used quite often in children’s cloaks. One stylish iittle creature is remembered wearing a cloak to her heels of heavy biack satin duchesse with cape, both cape and cloak being lined with white satin. Black satin cloaks have for some years been stylish for children of Your and up, and this season they are also worn with insertions of white lace over white satin. A tiny creature of six wears a great velvet hat in black, with seven big drooping white plumes curling about her face. This with a black velvet cloak made with a cape ermine lined was enough to turn the eyes of all the other little girls green with: envy, but, bless their hearts, they don’t care what they wear, it is the mothers who suffer in their minds when their own particular baby is outshone. A less elegant but more serv- Iceable garment was for a school girl, and Was a pretty coat made double breasted of heavy felt twill in a dull tobacco brown. A collar of long astrakan, big sleeves and completed it. Two Much Braided. It was loose fronted and fitted into the back with a strap belt. The skirts of the coat reached the knees, and it was lined throughout with black satin. Such a coat worn with a plainly made gown with gored skirt finished with several rows of black | braid and with bodice plain but for big sleeves would make an ideal school rig. Too much cannot be said in favor of dress- ing the school miss of fifteen very simply. The passing vagaries of the styles should leave no impression upon the quiet pretti- ness of her dresses and cloaks. Her gar- ments should fit trimly but not tightly colors should be dark and material neavy and good without being rich. To allow a school girl of fifteen or seventeen to over- dress is to rob her of all the delight her pretty dresses and furbelows should bring her when in a few years she comes out, to | say nothing of the injury done to figure and carriage by the wearing of unsuitably made clothes. Turning again to fashions for older per- sons and to the fourth illustration, there is shown at the left a loose cloak with cape. This should be made of the very wide fab- rics which would permit of its having but one seam—in back. The full cape and col- larette are lined with silk, and the whole coat is trimmed with braid about three- quarters of an inch wide and in a slightly darker shade than the cloak’s fabric. At the other hand in the picture is a three- quarter length jacket, made of dark mode colored cloth, trimmed with brown silk braid and mink fur. The coat is tight fit- ting, with the fashionable flare at the bot- tom, and aJl seams are covered with a row of braid. The pointed coliarette is alike back and front, and is edged with a band of mink three-quarters of an inch wide and al- most covered with braid. The standing col- lar, both sides of the front and the hem are trimmed with mink. The skirt of the jacket 1s further garnished with eight rows of braid. Another couple shows two more accepted | cool weather styles in the last picture. The cape here is in nut-brown cloth lined with brown quilted satin and trimmed with rolls of wool seal. It is not cut as wide as the usual circular cape, and it is predicted that this‘model will be still more popular than the other. The cape ts garnished with five rolls of fur, with six-inch space between each, and the, narrow shoulder cane has three rows. A band of tur also encircles the neck and edges of the ruching, which is made of a strip of cloth six inches wide and fifty-four inches long, lined with plain silk. Besides this cape there is a tight-fitting jacket, with a shoulder cape. The material u is a heavy morte-colored cloth, for ich a lining is unnecessary, but if a lighter-weight fabric is chosen the lining should be quilted satin. The jacket an- Stylish Cape and Coat. swers correctly the current demands, in the flare around the bottom and in being dou- ble breasted. The short circular cape is quite full in back, but plain in front and over the shoulders. It is unlined, but is faced with a narrow bias fold of cloth. The fronts of the jacket turn back in revers, with turned-down collar. The opening is filled in with a plastron and standing collar of beaver or mink sewed to the jacket and hooking in front. The garment closes with large mother-of-pearl buttons. Dear little hoods, made loose and soft, of dark velvet, lined with soft light satin and edged with fur, are worn with evening wraps. Nothigg could be more becoming to @ young, round face than such a hood drawn close, and nothing more gentle to an older or more faded one if the hood is worn loose and drawn forward so the face is prettily shadowed, yet emphasized by a harmonizing color in the hood’s lining. —__ —_ +e+-_-__ Fickle Fancies. Written for The Evening Star. Sparkling eyes and laughing lips, ‘A dimpled cheek on which the roses lay, A graceful form that lightly trips— ‘They baunt me day by day. Days pass and fninter grows the face, Dimmer the dimple grows And the sparkling eyes and laughing Ups And graceful form that lightly trl Have faded away with the cheeks of rose. And in {ts place another face Now haunts me as before; Bright burns the flame—not’ for the same— But brightly as of yore. the old for the new; 8 through life we go, Forgetting the Past is all we can keep, And of that only just what we know. G. W. W. Dropping ‘Ti — A New Color. From the New York World. A greenish blue is the color in dress goods is fall which is bent on carrying off all the honors. It shows itself in the English suiting and the tailur covert cloth as well as in the more expensive silk and wool ovelties, where it is frequently woven with ver or gilt threads or its surface rough- ened by black silk knots. The popularity of this color has brought into favor the un- lucky peacock feather. It ts used as a trim- ing for black velvet capes and also orna- ments the fashionable walking hat. A tatlor made suit r ly seen had an entire vest f peacock feathers. Of course, it was per- ishable, but the effect was exquisite. oe A syndicate of Chinese miners are work- ing with modern machinery some rich gold claims in the Black Hills. 1 rich in them- SUBMARINE WARFARE Torpedo Boats Planned to Attack Under Water. /RESULTS OF OFFICIAL TRIALS. Review of the Progress Made in Ten Years. SUCCESSFUL FRENCH BOAT. Star. ITHIN THE PAST few years a number of submarine torpedo boats of various types have been subjected to practical trial in foreign countries. Among the more not- able ones may be named the Norden- felt and the Wad- dington boats, the Spanish Peral, the French Goubet, Gym- note «and Gustave Zede, and German boats said to be of a ‘Written for The Evening modified Nordenfelt type, besides an Italian and a Portuguese boat. In the Nordenfelt boats, intended for service at the surface as well as under water, steam propulsion was employed, a screw propeller for this purpose being driven by compound engines. While at the surface steam was generated in the usual way. When the boat Was submerged steam was supplied by means of the heat stored in water before descending, the hot water being carried in tanks as well as in the boiler. The pressure in the reservoirs when first charged was 150 pounds to the Square inch. Provision was made for cool- ing the air, for indicating its condition, for showing at all times the depth reach- ed and for the automatic regulation of the action of the submerging propellers so as to maintain the boat at a given depth. Partial submersion was accomplished by admitting water to compartments or tanks. Further submersion was caused by two propellers, so placed as to overcome the re- | serve buoyancy of the boat by exerting their effort in a vertical direction. The boat was always to remain in a horizontal position, Being buoyant, in the event of accident it would rise to the surface. To prevent plunging use was made of horizon- tal rudders, controled by weights attached | to arms secured at right angles to the rud- | der axle. Each weight being at the iower end of a swinging arm would keep te }arm vertical, and this would necessarily keep the rudder horizontal. Tne iirst Nordenfelt boat was built in 1883. It was cigar-shaped; its length was sixty-four feet and its diameter in the mid- | dle was nine feet. Owing to a small con- | ning tower on top and sponsons on the sides the extreme beam was twelve feet and depth eleven feet. The sponsons form- ed wells for the protection of the submerg- ing propellers. The First Trial: Trials of Nordenfelt boats were made sev- eral years ago which attracted much at- tention at the time. Of late but little has been heard of them, other types having as- sumed greater prominence. The first cne was tried at Landskrona, Sweden, in Sep- tember, 1885, in the presence of officers rep- | resenting various governments. When par- tially submerged it showed good steering qualities while steaming at a speed of five | Knots. lt was frequently made to sink to a depth | of five feet, disappearing below the surtace in half a minute, but remaining below for short periods only. While below the sur- face of the water the distance covered at any one time was only about 300 yards and the boat did not remain out of sight for a longer period than four and a half minutes. At light draft, in smooth water, the boat was scarcely visible at a distance of 1,000 yards. While submerged this boat was very defective in speed, the inventor claiming but three knois for her. To raise the necessary pressure for steaming under water required twelve hours. The opera- tion of closing the boat and sinking it until the upper surface was just awash occu- pied twenty minutes. In this position the cupola was the only part visible. Tue Greek government afterward pur- |chased a Nordenfelt boat similar to the one which had been employed in these | trials, and it was reported at the time that | tests at Athens shawed that the boat could be worked at a depth of thirty feet and that on one occasion four men had re- mained in the boat submerged for six hours. The contract surface speed of eight and one-half knots was attained and a run of ten miles was made on steam stored in the reservoir. One Whitehead torpedo was car- ried. The Turkish government ordered two improved boats of the same general type, but somewhat larger, each to be fitted to dis- charge two Whitehead torpedees. As finally butlt they each had a length of 100 feet, beam 12 feet, displacement’ 160 tons, The vertical propellers to be used in descending were placed above the hull in the fore and aft line, near the extrmeities, instead of being fitted in side sponsons, as in the earlier design. The Sultan Saw the Tes' In May, 1887, one of these boats was sub- jected to a series of trials in the Bosphorus under the personal supervision of the sul- tan, who was stationed at a convenient point on shore. No torpedoes were used. ‘The boat was ready for service, with fires banked and a pressure of 150 pounds in the reservoir, the water having been already heated. It was found that position could be maintained in the strength of the cur- rent, which launches in attendance were unable to stem. First acting as a surface boat a simulated attack was made on a steamer. This was followed by speed trials, after which a second attack was made on the steamer with the boat entirely sub- merged. In this trial the boat disappeared |under the water and nothing more was |seen of it until it came to the surface on | the other side of the steamer, having rass- ed under her keel. The boat then returned to her moorings, which were reached with a | pressure of 9 pounds in the reservoir, after having been under way for five hours, dur- | ing two of which the reserve of steam had been depended on entirely. In February, 1888, tinal trials of the two boats built for Turkey took plece in the Gulf of Ismidt, before an official board, which made a favorable report, and the boats were then accepted. Upon leaving Constantinople prior to the trials, a rough | Sea _was encountered in the Sea of Mar- | mora, but in spite of this the boats made | sixty nautical miles in five and a halt hours. In the course of the trials it was shown, according to accounts published shortly afterward, that the boats could be kept under water for considerable periods, and also that the length of time they could continue steaming without rising to the surface was satisfactory. The actual dis- charge of an automobile torpedo under water was reported to have been success- fully accomplished. It was claimed that this had never before been attempted by a submarine boat. In this case the boat ap- pears to have been stationary and at the surface long enough to make sure that the torpedo was 80 pointed that it should not strike any neighboring vessel. It then de- scended and the discharre was effected im- mediately. The boats were also tested in attacking a steamer at night, and in other ways. It may be added that the particu- lars of these trials as here given are taken from accounts printed at the time in various technical journals. A still larger boat of the same class, < ed the Nordenfelt, after the inventor was launched in March, 1887, and in the course of the same year had several unofficial trials in England, but these trials were not of such a nature as to test the practical efficiency of the boat in all respects. The | Nordenfelt was the largest Most powe-ful submarine torpedo boat which had yet been constructed. Her length was 123 feet, beam or depth twelve feet, Hzht dis- placement 160 tons, submerged displacement 243 tons. The engines were of 1,000 ind horse power. The form differed mate from the cigar shape of the earlier designs. Each side of the midship section was cir- cular, while the sections forward and aft were oval, both stem and stern posts being vertical. With this form the boat was con- sidered less Hable to dangerous and eccen- trie movements which had characterized the earlier models, occurring on any sudden variation in speed. The upper part of the| turtle back and the two conning towers | were plated with one-inch steel. At the surface, car-ying steam at 150 pounds pres- sure, @ speed of thirteen or fourteen knots could be attained; with the fires out and only the two turrets showing, the speed was about six or eight knots. After extinguish- ing the fires a distance of twenty miles could be made, using the superheated steam and water contained in the reservoirs and boiler. The ordinary coal supply was eight tons, enabling 1,000 miles to be made at eight knots, and additional coal could be carried in three cold water ballast tanks. Besides the main compound engines there were others for sinking, steering, pumping, driving fans, etc. The speed of the two vertically-placed screws used to submerge the boat could be regulated independently to maintain a horizontal position. The Nor- denfelt was eventually bought by the Rus- sian government, subject to certain condi- tions, but on her way to Cronstadt she ran ashore, and was afterward sold as old iron and broken up. According to a description published in 188%, a submarine torpedo boat named the Porpoise, with which an English inventor, J. F. Waddington, made a number of exper- iments, was thirty-seven feet long and six feet six inches in diameter amidships, ta- pering to a point at each end, and was pro- pelled by electricity stored in cells connect- ed in series to an electro-motor capable of driving the propeller about 750 revolutions per minute. The maximum speed was eight knots; it was claimed that this could be maintained for ten hours. Compressed air was carried in two compartments, the sup- ply being sufficient for two men for six hours. When in motion this small craft could be forced up or down, remaining on an even keel, by two large horizontal rud- ders or wings fitted at the middle of the boat. Propellers were used to produce ver- tical motion when the boat was not under way. There were also horizontal and verti- cal steering rudders at the stern. The Fate of the Peral. In Spain a submarine torpedo boat named the Peral was launched in September, 1888. She was designed by Lieut. Peral of the| Pro, Spanish navy. Her shape was similar to that of the Whitehead torpedo, but the cross-section was ogival. She was seventy- two feet long, with a maximum diameter of nine feet six inches and a displacement of eighty-six tons, The motive power was etectricity. To charge her accumulators, or storage cells, was at first a work of sev- eral days, and under the most favorable circumstances it cowld not be accomplished in less than eighteen hours. The estimated speed was eleven knots at the surface. The air supply was said to be sufficient to enable the crew of six persons to remain under water for six days. She was fitted to use Whitehead torpedoes. Inventor's trials of the Peral took place in 1889, concerning which very favorable accounts appeared in Spanish newspapers. But the official repert of tests made before a trial board in 1890 indicated that the re- sults hoped for had rot been fully achieved. It was recommended that a larger boat should be built for the purpose of enabling Lieut. Peral to continue nis experiments, but this recommendation was not carried out, as the designer failed to agree to cer- taia prescribed conditions. Three submarine beats, the merits of which have been much discussed in France within the past five years, are the Goubet, the Gymnote and the Gustave Zede, the last named being simply an enlarged and perfected Gymnote. ‘The Goubet has a hull of cannon bronze, which was made in one casting, weighing five tons, the finished hull weighing but two and sixty-five hundredths tons. The length is about eighteen feet and the max- imum diameter five feet. For breathing purposes oxygen stored at a pressure of fifty atmospheres is carried in a steel reser- voir, the supply being sufficient for fifty hours. The deleterious products of respira- tion are absorbed to some extent by means of chemical agents, besides which there is an air pump to remove the foul air. The boat has a considerable reserve of buorancy and is submerged by admitting water to tanks or compartments, which can be emptied by suitable pumps when it is de- sired to return to the surface. There is also a safety weight, which can be detached in case of necessity. Elec- tricity 1s employed to propel the boat, the current for the motor which drives the screw being derived from accumulators, or storage celis. The maximum speed is only about five Knots. Oars are fitted, and if needed can be used by the two men forming the crew. By means of a universal joint the propeller ts made to do duty as a rudder also. A spectal feature of the Goubet is the device for maintaining the trim of the boat, which has a water tank at each end for this purpose. Should either end become depressed the motion of a pendulum throws a pump into action in such a way that water is drawn from the tank which hap- pens at the moment to be the lower one of the two and is discharged into the other tank. The sighting apparatus consists of an optical tube surmounting a very small tur- ret, and when at the surface is scarcely per- ceptible at a little distance unless the water be perfectly smooth, A torpedo to be fired by electricity can be carried outside the boat and can be detached at will, connec- tion with it being maintained by means of a long wire carried on a reel within the boat, which wouid withdraw after placing a torpedo under the bottom of an enemy's ship, effecting the explosion when at a safe distance. Hight Hours Under Water. It was intended that in approaching a hostile ship to make an attack the Goubet should continue at the surface, with her turret out of water, as long as might be deemed prudent, and should then advance still closer, with only the optical tube ex- Posed, finally descending, the bearing of the ship having been noted, and thereafter steering by compass. It was thought, how- ever, that this type of boat, if supplied to ships, would prove more useful in operating against submarine mines than in attacking an enemy's vessels, ‘dae “rst oficial trial of the Goubet wi made at Cherbourg in May, 1889, to test the system of aeration. ‘fhe boat was sub- merged to a depth of thirty-three feet, Its crew of two men being in telephonic com- munication with the surface. ‘Ihe test was continued for eight hours, and could have been prolonged much further, the men ex- periencing no discomfort, and there being a large reserve supply of oxygen. The nu- merous trials which took place during the next two years were described in glowing terms by French newspapers. It would appear, however, that the claims advanced with so much enthusiasm were scarcely warranted by the facts, since in the formal report of a naval board on a series of elab- orate tests in May and June, 1831, it was asserted that “these trials throw no light on the ability of the boat to steer a direct course under water.” The minister of marine, !n an official statement, afterwards expressed the opinion that M. Goubet, the inventor, had demon- strated successfully @) that the boat was habitable, (2) that it could be immersed at will, when stationary, to a required depth, and (3) that at the surface it was under perfect control and could Le maneuvered at a speed of 3 or 4 knots. But he added that the boat had not yet been naviguted satisfactorily under water in the presence of an official board, all efforts in this direc- tion having failed. The Gymnote, launched at Toulon in September, 1888, has given very promising results on her trials and the minister of marine has stated to the chamber of depu- ties that in his opinion her designer had solved in a satisfactory manner the prob- lem of submarine navigation, it having been demonstrated that this boat, although only an experimental one, was capable of run- ning on a direct course under water toward any determined point. Most Successful of All. The ‘Gymnote’ was designed by Gustave Zede, engineer-in-chieft of the Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranee. The length of the boat is 69 feet, greatest diameter 6 feet 11 inches, displacement 29.5 tons. The shape is similar to that of the Whitehead torpedo. There are two horizontal rudders worked by hydrostatic pressure, and two vertical rudders worked by the usual ap- pliances. The boat is steered, propelled and lighted by electricity supplied by accumu- jators. The motor used is the invention of Capt. ‘Krebs. The propeller is four-bladed, 4 feet 10 inches in diameter. The shaft connects directly with the armature, which works the screw at 200 revolutions per min- ute. The specific gravity is varied by ad- mitting water to tanks or expelling it from them. Air compressed in reservoirs is sup- plied as required for breathing. It has been found that four men can remain in the boat under water about four hours without having recourse to this. An electric venti- lator renews the air quickly whenever the boat arrives at the surface. A special sounding lead is used to obtain the depth of water or to act as an anchor. The orig- inal cost of the Gymnote was between 330,000 and $40,000, but much additional ex- pense has since been incurred from time to time in supplementary work suggested by experience, At first a comp: was used for main- taining direction under water. Placed within a steel hull and in the midst of de- fective currents it was found to be en- tirely untrustworthy, the error at times amounting to nearly sixteen points. An electric gyroscope is now employed, which is said to Indicate the course perfectly. In order to give a clear view of any part of the horizon when at or near the surface a “periscope” has been fitted. This con- sists of a bronze tube, which can be rais- ed or lowered, and an optical apparatus protected against the water, by means of which the rays of light received in the tube are finally reflected horizontally from a mirror to the eye of an observer below, within the boat. Thus the mirror presents a clear view of the horizon and of inter- vening objects. In the course of preliminary trials which place in November, 1838, the Gym- note, after diving to a depth of about twenty-three feet, ran a distance of 60 yards. The boat rolled slightly, the en- gines worked quickly ahead or astern and the action of the rudders was found to be Satisfactory. The estimated speed of ten knots was not realized. It was claimed that this was owing to defective insulation, since remedied after a long series of ex- Periments. At the time referred to the Speed submerged did not exceed four knots, and at the surface it was only six knots. Further trials during 1889 and early in 1890 gave very satisfactory results and en- abled improvements in the intervals be- tween them to be tested. In the summer of 1890 the Gymnote was in commission for a time under service conditions and took part in a series of naval exercises in the vicinity of Toulon. Experiments were made to ascertain whether she could escape from and re-enter a harbor blockaded py torpedo boats, which were on the lookout for her. At an appointed hour the Gymnote went down for forty minutes, during which time she passed under the line of torpedo boats without being observed and came to the surface two miles and a half beyond it. In returning she passed immediately under one of the ts and was seen for an in- beer but not distinctly enough to be pur- 8 ‘The Gymnote being purely an experi- mental boat was not fitted for the actual discharge of torpedoes, but her successor, the Gustave Zede, is to be fully equipped for employment in regular service. The Gustave Zede, the construction of which for the French navy was ordered in October, 1890, is a submarine torpedo boat of the same type as the Gymnote, but is considerably larger. She is now approach- ing completion. It is fully expected by the nch naval authorities that she will prove to be an efficient and serviceable boat. Her length is 131 feet and her displacement is 250 tons. She was designed for a speed of 14 knots. An official estimate placed her Probable cost at about $224,000. In Germany, in Italy, and in Portugal, submarine boats have recently been built or ordered by the naval authorities, The details published concerning them are meager. The German boats and an Ital- {an boat are said to have given satisfactory ops eee that w boat tested at made 16.5 knots at the knots when submerged. a ——+o+____ PALMS FOR THE PARLOR. Their Use for Decorative Purposes in Dwelling Houses is Rapidly Growing. “Palms are rapidly growing more popular for the decoration of houses,” said a leading florist yesterday to a writer for The Star. “No drawing room nowadays is considered complete without the adornment which they lend. The fashion has long held in London and elsewhere abroad, but only of late has {t obtained vogue on this side of the water. Nearly every dwelling on upper Sth avenue in New York, is furnished this winter with palms, which are as much a matter of course in the ornamental way as the pic- tures on the walls. “In connection with this fashion a new business has grown up—namely, the rent- ing out of palms by the season, You can hire a dozen fine large trees for the winter for $300 or $400, care included. This means that the florist looks out for them and keeps them in proper condition, Every morning a man Calis at your house and gives them the attention they require jn the way of water- ing and what not. As fast as they get Trusty or unhealthy, they are removed and others are put in their places. “You see, palms will not long retain their health in a dwelling house. The atmos- pheric conditions are not suitable, and after @ short time they begin to wilt. The grower takes them back to his hot houses and re- stores them. Thus, in order to keep a dozen Tees running in proper shape, fully twice that number are required. They remain the property of the florist, but for the sum I have mentioned a suite of parlors like those of Corcoran house may be kept beautiful with tropic vegetation from autumn until spring. That is the way Senator Brice pro- cures his paims, In Londo: “In London this business of renting out and caring for palms has assumed an ex- tensive development. They are away shead of America in the art of Gecorating with Potted plants, though we are far in advance of them in respect to cut flowers. The palms which they use for such Purposes are grown slowly in green houses kept at a very moderate temperature, in order that they may be hardy and may thus withstand bet- ter the unfavorable conditions to which they are exposed in dwellings. “But the Americans want to @o every- thing at the most rapid possible rate. They force the palms in hot houses, which they raise to an unnatucal pitch of temperature, so as to make the plants grow fast. It is amazing what they accomplish by such means, actually producing four years’ growth in one year. Of course, the species selected for tndoor decoration are mostly subtropical, being better adapted for en- during a low temperature than the tropical kinds. But they are forced in green houses where great furnaces are kept going all summer as well as winter, and the air is so hot and laden with moisture that one can hardly breathe it. Beautifal, but Not Hardy. “The palms grown in this manner have not the hardness and toughness of those developed in a natural way. They are sold by the growers to dealers, who readily dis- pose of them, beause they are beautiful to the eye. But, once out of the hot house, they will not last any time at all; they quickly sicken, owing to their extreme delicacy, The hotels in New York and other cities, by the way, are utilizing palms largely for decoration. One of the chief beauties of the new Hotel Waldorf is a great court that is surrounded by these trees. “Palms are propagated in green houses to some extent from seeds. The latter are ex- tremely hard and are soaked in water for as much as a month sometimes. Hot water— not too hot, of course—is often used for the purpose. When they have sprouted, they are planted. But most of the palms which supply the market are raised on plantations in milder climates and imported into this country when about a foot high. Some come from Bermuda and many from Brazil, but Trinidad is a great source of supply. They are cultivated in fields, planted in rows, and are dug up and shipped as soon as they are big enough.” —_____+e-+____ Death to Roaches. I tried every remedy I could hear of, and I was always inquiring. They seemed to fa’ ten on my poisons; at least their numbers did not suffer diminution. One day I took up an old almanac and idly turned its tat- tered yellow pages, and on the last frag- ment of a leaf came this: “Equal portions of corn meal and red lead mixed with mo- lasses and spread on plates will destroy roaches.” And it did. I put it in several dishes and set them on the floor, and at 9 o'clock stole softly out to see if they ate it. The dishes were so covered with roaches that the mixture was scarcely visible. The next night there were fewer at the feast. And in a week not a roach was seen. I lived seven years thereafter in the same house and never saw one. A Cricket Match, ART IN THE NAVY. How the Jolly Jack Loves to Decorate Himself. TATTOOING AS A PROFESSION. It is Not Painful Nor is It Very Beautiful. ALL SORTS OF DESIGNS. Written for The Evening Star. ow OR WHERE the custom originat- ed, it is hard to say, but it is certain that about nine-tenths of the seafaring men of the world are tattoo- ed on some parts of their bodies. Among the uncivilized of al- most every clime this custom of mark- ing and defacing the body has been quite common, and it is very probable that the sailors, in their cruises to foreign lands untraveled by civilized people, picked up the custom. In my experience among sailors I have often noticed the many queer devices tattooed all over the bodies, or on some part, of these hardy, good-natured fellows, that love “a life on the ocean wave” better than the ary land. It is probably among men-o’-warsmen that the custom is most nearly universal, and there is scarcely a ship in the navy but has some blue-jacket aboard who is an artist with the tattooing needle. It is said that the Chinese are the most expert at this queer trade, and their designs are of- ten artistic—that is, artistic in the sense of the dragon and snake style of art pecu- lar to Japan and China. The outfit of a tattooing artist consists of a few needle points stuck in the end of a fine stick, forming a sort of steel comb, a few sticks of India ink, generally black, blue, and red, and a few mixing cups, and always a book of samples in which are crudely drawn in chalk the flashing designs that the artist is able to make. Seated on a ditty box, or the deck, the artist first takes the arm or place to be tattooed, and draws in ink the design to be made. He then draws the skin tightly, and with the steel needle points punctures the skin along the design, first dipping the needle points into the color to be used. The operation is not particularly painful, no more so than sticking a sharp needle through the skin, which, if any one tries to do with delibera- tion, he will find not particularly painful. The place tattooed then becomes sore to an extent depending upon the size of the de- sign, and the place tattooed, but it general- ly completely heals within ten days, and the design in colors is indelibly incorpo- rated into the skin. There is no known means of removing it after it is once on, except to remove the skin tattooed, which would, of course, leave a severe scar. There is a superstition among the bluejackets that buttermilk will remove tattooing if it is tattooed into the skin over the original de- rm oe but I have never seen it su All Sorts of Designs. On board a man-of-war in the early morning after revelile the men all over the decks take off their clothing and wash themselves, and it is then that I have found the best opportunity to notice the queer designs in tattooing on hack, breast, legs and arms. The designs are rich in variety as well as execution. Here, for instance, is a grizzled old tar with mossy breast, whose back is covered with the picture of a@ ship under full sail, with the men on her decks ten times too big for proper propor- tions. Another has on his breast a picture which his fond imagination paints into the glorious fight in Mobile bay, with Farragut and the Hartford in the foreground ana cannon bellowing red clouds of fire all around, The old Jackey points with pride to it and tells an admiring crowd of young apprentice boys, who stand around, of that glorious summer day when Farragut, ever dear to the navy as their “Grand Qld Ad- miral,” said: ““D——n the torpedoes,” and lea the squadron to victory in the old Hartford. She was then the pride of the navy, and now is being rebuilt to be put in active serv- ice, according to an act of Congress, which provides for keeping the Hartford and Kear- sarge in the service in commemoration cf their gallant record in the civil war. Many bluejackets have a picture of the crucifixion tattooed upon them, though one whom I saw with it covering the whole of his back seemed little fitted to bear so de- yout an ornament, for when another sailor stepped on his bare foot such torrent of real sailor's profanity came ‘rom hi‘ mouth that there could be ttle doubt that he had forgotten the cay of repentence when he had the cross tattovet on his back. These large designs cause such a great ex- panse of skin to become irritated that ther become quite painful if done all at once, s0 they are generaily done in sections, some- times so unskillfully that the marks show, making a sort of checkervoard picture. Some of the designs are very grotesque. remember one very well done, one of a monkey on a man’s leg, that always caused a smile among those who saw it. ‘The biue- jackets often have pictures of their swcet- hearts tattooed on their arms or breast, and it makes little difference if the sweetheart herself changes from time to time, for the picture will look as much iixe one as anoth- er, — the wearer's imagination will do the res\ A Love for the Theatrical. Another favorite design is the ballet girl, in all sizes and shapes, according to the ar- tistic ideas of the tattoser; generally these ballet girls are in very poor proportions, with spider-like waists and over-propor- tioned limbs, but if the blue jacket is satis- fied with his ornament the offended artistic taste of a chance observer cannot object. Coats of arms of the country to which the sailor belongs are common, too; they are generally very large, coveriug the whole breast and in all the gaudiness of color that the art allows. I have seen the arms of several countries on one man, and one sailor in the United States navy, an Irish- man by nativity, compromised his loyalty for Ireland and the United States by hav- ing a picture of Liberty holding the green fiag cf Erin’s Isle over her head tattooed upon his breast. Another with a kindly display of all countries, nad every flag he knew of on his broad shoulders and back, 80 as not to offend any one nationality. In Jerusalem there is an old retired sailor who makes a meager living by tattooing a mark upon those who come to visit the tomb of Christ. The mark is a sinall cross with rays radiating from it and the word “Jerusalem” in a semicizcle above it, I have seen this on dozens of sailors who had been to Jerusalem, and they evidently con- sidered it as a relic of the visit quite neces- sary to prove that they had been there. Souvenir spoons are nice relics of the pisces one has visited, but an old Enzlisn sailor had a souvenir of each port he had visited which he was much less likely to lose, for on his back in two rows he had tattooed the name of every port he had ever visited, and though the names were small, his whole back was covered. With quaint humor he said to his comrades, “When I go into my last port, boys, just hold a meetin’ and de- cide which piace I’ve gone 10; then have her tattooed with the rest; for the old sailor wanted his log to be complete. A Tombstone on His Back. Initials and even full names are quite common, and sometimes the dates of births are added; snakes twined around the legs and all sorts of animals may be used, and some artists show their tastes in great floral pieces, vases of flowers covering the whole breast, and one joking jacket had a pair of socks tattooed on his feet “so he would never be without them.” The queerest one I have ever seen was a tombstone that adorned the back of a German apprentice boy, with “To mother, died June 3, 1870,” on it. It must have been a strange fancy that led to this display of mourning—something akin to the tearing of fiesh in mourning ceremonies among the heathens of the South Sea Islands. The prices charged by the artists for tat- tooing vary with the size of the piece and the difficulty of the design, a small dagger on an arm being worth about 50 cents, and more elaborate designs in proportics, for it aay take Several weeks to complete a lange Many of the officers in the navy are also tattooed. This is done generally durii their first practice cruise at the Nav: Academy, when youth has not given place to discretion, and they have not found out how undesirable it may be to have a mark for life. The favorite design among the naval cadets seems to be a dagger appar- ently stuck through the bi of the upper arm, with a few red blotches beneath to represent blood from the wound. I have seen nearly fifty of these. One officer 1 knew had @ great blue dragon with a red tongue on one forearm and a stork on the other forearm, both pieces very well done by some Japanese tattooing artist in Nagi Saki. The custom doubtless seems to most sober-minded people very useless and bar- barous, and it must belong to the same order of tastes that dictates the Hottentots to wear rings in their noses or civilized women to wear rings in their ears, but it is only when it appears upon the hands or so as to be exposed when one is dress- ed, that it becomes a positive mutilation. I have heard of a case where a foolish gitl in love with an English midshipman allow- ed him to tattoo his initiais on her arm near the shoulder, but his heart was fickle, as sailors are said to be, and she is left with the initials of her false lover on her arm to remind her of him she would forget, while an ultra evening dress is out of the question. We may be able. too, to civilize the heathen of all the wild parts of the world, so that they will look upon tat! as a relic of thelr barbarous past, but doubt if the jolly Jack Tar will ever give up the custom which seems as much a part of his life as the waves and winds and un« iy DION WILLIAMS. —_——- CUNNING OF SICK PEOPLE. Queer Dodges That Are Tried by Pa- tients to Deceive the Doctor. “Sly? There is nothing slyer on earth than a sick woman.” It was a Washington physician who sald it, and he added: “I have to be continually on the lookout for tricks that my women patients play me. Not only do they try to get shead of me in ail sorts of ways, as to diec and other matters, but they will invent every conceivable dodge just for the sake of en- a continuous fever. “ne held the thermometer in her mouth five ménutes, as usual And, by the way, women aiways object to wat performance, instrument is removed. “sul, as 1 was going to remark, this pe- Uent underwent tne ordeal, at the conclu- sion of which she withdrew the thermom- eter and handed it to me. I noticed & cov- ert grin as she did so, and wondered what she Was smiling at. But I declare was pusilivey stariied when 1 found she instrument regustered only 87 ranrennei. if that nad been her vemperature she woud have been ouG on the contrary, she exhibmwed viner sylaplom ul rapid convalescence. “ghe {acl was that, just velore i ga’ ner tne luermometer, she had taken @ ot waler Irom @ giass, and had inciden! secreied @ Chunk of ice in her mou! urauy, Uat agected the record she pauent expiained that she so disgusied with waiting tor cure io come gown to ‘normal vad thougnt a litte artifice would «eppropmaie and excusavic. A Pulse trick. “But that is nothing compared to another recent experience of mine. A girl of about seventeen was recovering nicely from an at- sack of jaundice. In tact, she Was getting so much better that her sister insisted on vesuming her ordinary habit of sieeping with her. I would have preferred not, but were Was really no serious ovjection. “One night, naving veen Gevained, I got around reioer jate. It was ater 10 p.m i walked up stairs to the sick room and found the sisters both in bea, the weil oue apparently sound asieep. The lignt burned catuer dimly, 1 felt Wwe pulse, which had veen quite high in the morning of the same vay. 40 my surprise it was full, reg and quite normal as to beats. 1 triea second time With the same result. “Now, Wheat do you suppose the trick in that case? You woula never guess. two giris had so arranged themselves ved that the arm of tne weil sister under the sick one and projected im euch manner as to make it appear as if it ed to the latter. 1 had been pulse of the wrong young lady. st Was healthy, Disliculties a: Diet. “The matter of diet is most difficult the physician to control. His instructions are always apt to be disregarded, and he must contend not only against the reluct- ant patient, but also with injudicious rela- tives and friends who give her things she i ili Fr retlvees vt 3E g a sympathetic acquaintance, and secreted them under her bed. She ate them all, and she fact that she did not die was simply due to her remarkable constitution. “But i will tel you of a litue of that sort which I met with quite re- cently. There was a little gir) in town, about twelve years of age, who was on the point of convalescence after typhoid fever. She had been on a liquid diet for weeks, and her appeals for more satisfac- tory food were piuful. She suid that the slops’ 1 prescribed for her made her sick. “Well, one moruing, when I came to the house and was walking upstairs to the sick room, I happened to meet the patient's grandmother. She stood aside to let me pass, and I noticed that she appeared to conceal something behind her pack I stopped short. ““Madam,’ I said, ‘let me see what you are hiding.” “Aiter brief demur she produced it It Was a piece of bread. : ““You were going to give that bread to Nellie?’ I said steraly. “Yes,” she confessed. ‘The poor child has been crying for it.’ “I took the bread from her without fur ther remark and sought an immediate im —- on ner son, Nellie’s father. “ “Mr. Y—.’ I said, ‘you must your mother home to Baltimore at\ ones, the next express starts at $3 p.m. She must take ft.’ a “ ‘But, doctor,’ objected the father, much astonished, ‘this is a severe demand on your part. I cannot understand the reason for it, and I am very rejuctant to comply.” “You must take your choice,’ I replied, ‘between your mother’s presence end your daughter's fe. A moment ago I caught her in the act of trying to convey a slice of bread to the patient. If she had suc- ceeded in doing so unobserved, Nellie would aw have been dead within forty-eight urs.’ “The old la wen itimore that afvermeen, Ay A Startling Announcement. From Printers’ Ink. “A number of deaths unavoidably post- poned,” was the startling way in which country publisher announced the omission of @ portion of his obituary column. Peerage in this country,” said Lord Bronsonberry to Miss Sallie Perkins. “Nope,” said Miss Perkins “We have only the Rogues’ Gallery.” zr ally, Mr. Gilquiver, I nul mamma has, can uot read anything at leash glanced it over,