The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-19
CHILI'S NAVY AND OURS
The Available Vessels At Command In Case
OF War.

Chilis best war vessel. and the only ono
which gives our navy any concern. Is the Capt.
tan Prat: and fortunately this has not yet come
into her possession. being still under con-
struction at Les FORCES ct Chantiers de la
Msditerranee OF Toulon. The Prat Is an ar
mored steel battle ship OF $500 tons displace-
ment. little larger. therefore. than our
Maine. and was launched Dec. 20. 1890. 1t is
believed that she Is now complete with tho ex-
ception OF receiving her battery. She has a
belt OF IL inches OF steel. and is credited with
a speed OF 10 knots. Hor powerful armament
includes. In the first place. four OK inch Canct
breech loading rifles mounted in barbette
turrets. one forward. one aft. and one on each
side amidships Central loading tubes enable
these guns to be londed in any position. and
the thoroughly modern character OF tho vessel
Is shown by the substitution Of electricity
for hydraulic powor In working tho guns
and turrets. while tho Inter can be worked
also by hand In case OF need. In addition
there are eight 4S-inch Canet rapid-fre guns
mounted on special carriages in pairs. in
closed turrets. two on each side Of tho ship.
These cnrr.a.e - also can be operated either
by hand or by electricity. The secondary
battery consists OF seven Maxim machine
guns. six revolving cannon. and eight rapid
fire guns OF small calibrc. together with four
Canet torpedo tubes. Taking together her
speed. her armor protection. and her great
bnttery power. the Captain Prnt surpasses any
thing that we have at present ready to meet
her. The question whether she will he do
livercd to Chill by her contractors before tho
outbreak OF hostilitics surprising that war
should actually occur. Is n highly important
ono II she should not DO 50 dcIivcrod. sho
would be OF no uso to tho Chilians. since she
would undoubtedly be detained by tho Ficnrh
Government.
Two othcr new vessels. launched mt In
Seyne in June and September. 1890. are the
Presidento Errazuriz and Presidcnte Pinto.
These have been delivered to Chill and aro
ready for service. They arc protected cruisers
OF 1850 tons displacement. or lust about that
OF tho Detroit and her sister ship launched
recently at Baltimore. They havo IL length NJ
2GS foet by q breadth OF 351i. AMI ara built for
speed. Tho Errazuriz. In trials under induced
draught. ran six times over tho measured
course Of To-. nautical miles. and her average
speed was IL 20 knots. Under natural
dcaught she reaches 17h knots. THO two YES
sells are certainly speedy. and it is said that
they can steam $500 knots at the rnte of =
knots per hour. without rscoaling. They l,nvu
batteries OF rapid fire guns. but we hnve plenty
OF much more powerful vessels to take care OF
them.
Tho Esmeralda was considered in her day
the best all-around cruiser OF her typo afoat.
She was launched In June. 1881. at the estah-
lishment OF Sir William Armstrong & Co. She
is n protected cruiser OF $50 tons displace-
menr. and originally carried two I0-inch and
six 6-inch Armstrong guns. II has since been
said that tho heavier guns did moi work well
and wcro replaced by others. She has Of
course. an auxiliary battery. This was the
vessel that was sent to convoy the Itata in the
San Diego affair and there was no little specu-
lation as to the result Of hostile meeting be-
tween her and the Charleston. whom the latter
was sent IN pursuit. The Eslsgslda's engines