Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-29
CHILE'S FINEST WAR SHIP,
The Captain Prat Can Ise Ready for Sc
Within Less Than Two Months.

Special to the New York Herald.
LA SEYNE, Dec. 2S.-In accordance with
instructions l received from the Herald l
visited the FORCES ct Chantiers de la Medi-
teranee near TouIon this morning and found
the Chilean ship OF war the Captain Pratt afloat
at her moorings alongside where she was built
This ship has been described as a cruiser
She is in reality a formidable armor clad. aid
is described in the books of the FORCES ct
Chantiers as q 'vaisseau de guerre, cuirasse de
la deuxieme classe."
She is fitted with powerful engines, eombin-
ing all the latest improvements, and is guaran-
teed to steam eighteen knots an hour All her
engines are now in working order, and if
necessary she could steam out to sea at once;
but she has been delayed by the non arrival
OF her armament, which is coming from Havre.
TORPEDO TUBES TO BE FITTED.
Also, the commander who has superseded
the former one since the revolution in Chile.
has ordered considerable changes-par.icularly
with regard to the introduction of six formid-
able torpedo tubes systemic Canet, one OF
which has already been placed on the port side
OF the lower deck forward, and is ready for
use, while another is being put into position
with all possible speed on the starboard side.
Beyond these alterations there is nothing to
be done to her that would prevent her going
to sea III month, provided her guns were in
position on board. All the machinery for the
guns is finished and in working order the mo-
tive power being electricity. furnished by pow
erful dynamos. In case anything goes wrong
with this machinery. however, each big gun, of
which there are four, is provided with hand
power for the elevation of the ammunition
which is passed up from the lowest deck
through iron tubes 24S millime.ers (95l inches)
thick. She has two separate engine rooms,
LOT. cb, Of &C.,,
also the furnaces.
IMPORTANT DETAILS.
Her dimensions are: Length between per-
pendiculars. 100 meters (S20 feeD; beam over
all, 1876 meters go feet z inches); depth. 100
meters GA feet inches); draught forward. 20
feet inches; draught amidships, 81 feet 8
inches; draught astern, 20 feet inches.
She will mount in her main battery four
guns having caliber of "a centimeters o. As
inches), two amidships, one forward and one
aft; four guns of IL centimeters a. " inchcs)
foreward and aft: six rapid fire guns of CEN
timeters a. 81 inches), four rapid fire guns (two
Nordenfeldt and two Hotchkiss) of 2 centime-
tiers caliber (0.7S of an inch).
None Of the above have yet arrived, but all
the armor shields are in place, as we'll as the
gun machinery.
If the vessel is to be thoroughly finished and
armed. and is to have the alterations and fitting
OF torpedoes made and is to wait until she can
receive her guns-which, l understand. have
not yet left Havre-and if che has to undergo
the usual preliminary trials of ships of war,
do not think she can be ready FOR sea before
the expiration OF two months, but she could,
under pressure armed with torpedoes and small
guns, get under way in month.
WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE.
In general appearance she resembles the
greater number Of the French armorclads.
She has two enormous tunnels and two military
masts of steel, fitted with biz dcages for Nor
denfeldt guns They tell me here she is one of
the most powerful ships ever built at La Seyne.
and that her cost will exceed q, coo 600 francs
Her hull is sheathed with wood, as there are
no dry docks in Chile, and it is impossible to
dock her frequently to keep her bottom clean.
Experience teaches. says her constructor, that
u copper bottom over the wood is better than
iron when the bottom cannot be cleaned as soon
as it becomes foul.
Her nominal horse power is said to be $500,
her guaranteed speed eighteen knots an hour
Each engine room is surrounded by armor
plates having a thickness of twenty centimeters
(six and one-half inches)
Nothing whatever is lacking below, cables.
steering gear and all other fittings being in
place.