for Yangtze Hankow, March 24.
The Japanese gunboat Hira was launched this morning. The Hira is one of two sister ships built by the Mitsubishi Zosen Kaisha and put together by the Yangtsze Engineering and Shipbuilding Works. The vessel is intended for river patrol purposes. The dimensions of the ship are 180 feet and 97 feet.
This is the first gunboat built by Chinese labour and with entirely Chinese works for a foreign Power.
The launching took place in the presence of a very large number of foreign and Chinese officials, the Japanese Vice-Consul officiating. Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.