Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-25
BRAzIDs NEW WAR-SHiP


what has been publicly pronounced on high
authority to be one OF the most valuable adj
billions 10 the armor-clad vessels OF the
world that can he imagined. This Is the
kiacbueio. Brazilian armor-clad turret ship,
which may be taken "a being the most
perfect fighting ship a1oat. The Rilchuelo
j. twin-scrcw ship OF 5000 tons displace.
ment aud 6.C00-horse power. and she pos
sesses in speed, coal endurance, or the cnpa-
blbty Of steaming without recolling, and
the arrangement and range Ct fire OF her
guns special advantages which we believe
have not been previously attained In CON-
bInation In any other ship. She Il 3O5 feet
long, tity-two feet extreme beam on water
line, and thirty feet extreme depth, her
displacement tonnage being 800 tons ut
lead line. Her draught of water ut bad
line with 400 tons OF coal In her bunkers i
nineteen feet six inches. Her esti-
mated speed with s72 tons OF
dead weight on board Is fifteen knots
an hour, but on her official trials she A.
tanned n speed Of lGl knots with 4 natural
draught, and 16i knots with q forced
inches and ten inches thick respectively.
and her armament consists OF four 9-inch
90 ton breechloadIng rifled guns in two re-
eTs, besides fifteen Nordenfeldt machine
guns. She also carries Whitehead torpe-
does.
Looking little into the details OF her
construction we may observe that her hull
is built entirely oi Semcns- Martin Steel
aud that her aTmor is compo nd or steel
faced, and consists 81 belt 80 feet long
and IL inches thick amidships, where It
protects engines, boilers, and magazines.
1t IS then reduced 10 10 inches thick, while
for a depth Of feet below water-line the
arlnor Is partly 10 inches and partly 7
inches thick. Beyond the $50 feet OF side
amor, at both ends inclined armOr 3
inches thick is placed internally at an an
gle Of 10 degrees. and reaching from the
top OF the side armor TO the stem and stern
respectively. This three.inch arrnor Is 30
arranged that IL measures and equals ten
inches OF vertical armor II struck in hori-
zontal position. The inclined armOr IA use
iul for supporting and giving additional
strength to the ram forward, while oft 1t
protects the rudder-head, tiler. and steer
Ing gear. 4 horizontal deck OF twO-ineh
steel armor runs through the ship and joins
the inclined srmor at each end. On this
are two oval breastworks built up OF
plates and angles and protected by
ton-inch armor-plstes and teak-backing.
Within the breastworks are two revolving
turrets similarly built up and protec ed,
and in each Of these are two OF the cotton
guns. a very important feature in coDnec-
tlon with these breastvOrks is that they are
en- echfion. and are so carried out a. to en-
able the guns in each turrct 10 command
on unbrokcn fire for $50 degrees on
their own side Of the vessel and 30 degrees
on the opposite side. Thus the whole four
guns can be brought to bear ahead or astern,
while an all-around fire can be always
maintained with two guns. and all four OF
them can be used for broadside firing on
either side OF the ship. The guns are
loaded 10y hydraulic machinery, and the
turrets are revOlyed by similar means. The
six seyenty-pounder guns arc placed on the
upper deck, while, OF the fifteen Nordenfelt
machne-gunj, five are for use IN the mast
tops, and the remainder are placed on Pc
destals, so As to keep of tOrpedo-b0ats. The
torpedo-guns are arranged TO fire from five
ports, four broadside and one right aft.
Tho engines OF the Rlachuelo are OF
6.OOO-horse power indicated, and OF the
vertical twn-screw type. Each set OF en-
gnes has one high-pressure cylinder OF -
inches diameter placed between two low
pressure cylinders, each "a inches diane
ter, with a 3ioOt stroke, and making from
so to 30 revolutions per minute. Steam Ia
supplied from 10 boilers working at 90
pound pressure, and containing atotal heat
ing surface OF 400 square feet. Although
designed 10 give, when working at her full
power OF 5000 horses, a speed OF ID
knots an hour. and TO have at that speed
a coal endurance for fiye-days' working,
she developed on her trials fiiteen-knot
speed with only 1850 horsepower. Hence
ct that speed she can run distance OF
1900 miles without recoaling. In other
words, the coal supply OF 800 tons = sd;@S
Client for twelve days steaming at fifteen
knots an hour. The measured mile speed
wss equally IN excess OF the contract re-
Quiremeni. as already stated. IS was also the
horsepower developed. The manGuyring
powers OF the vessel were tested In many
ways and were found to be highly satisfsc-
tory. The Riachuelo is fitted with steam
steeFing-gear, and should this break down
she can be steered by hand-pOwer. The
berths Of the admiral, captain, and the Of
fcers are comfortably arranged and TASTE
fully furnished and decorated, and the
ship Is lighted throughout by Swan glow
lamps Of twenty-candle power each, taking
the current from three Siemens dynamos,
the electrical machinery and appliances
having been supplied and fitted by
hessrs. Siemens Brothers. The vessel
as inspected was fully equipped for
sea, and after the inspection the yisitors
were entertained at luncheon in the 01l-
GERS mess-rOom.