The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-11-24
PEIXOTO'S NAVY.
The Destroyer Purchased for The
Brazilian Navy

New YORK, Oct. 29.-Ericgson's
submarine torpedo boat, the De-
stroyer, the most terrible engine of
warfare afioat, is the latest acquisi-
ton of the Brazilian government.
1t is also the most important yet
made or likely to be made. Like
the other purchases, it was effected
through Charles r. Flint ~ Co.
All negotiations were conducted as
secretly as possible.
The Destroyer is now in New
port, whittier she went several
months ago for tests under the
supervision of the United States
officers to determine whether she
should be made a part of the navy.
The tests have not been conducted
yet. They have proved eminently
satisfactory thus far. Some points,
however, still remain to be covered,
but these points will not be deter
mined at this time and certainly
not by the Destroyer at Newport.
The news of her sale has not yet
been broken to the naval experts
there.
WHAT THE DESTROYER CAN Do.
c.. S. Bushnell, executor of the
Ericsson estate and vice-president
of the Ericsson Coast Defense Com
pany, admitted the facts to a re-
porter tonight Mr.. Bushnell de-
clined to give any information re-
garding the time of delivery, the
purchase price, etc. On the fear
fully destructive qualities of the
boat though, Mr.. Bushnell was by
no means reticent. He said that
in short time there would be big
news to give out. The purchase of
the Destroyer, coming so soon after
the acquisition of the Eel Cid proves
conclusively that Peixoto, Presi-
dent of Brazil, is not stopping at
halfway measures in the matter of
getting a ready-made navy with
which to down the insurgents
under Admiral Mello, who seized
and now possesses every ship of
every class that the Brazilian gov
eminent owned.
THE DEsTRoYER's BIG wEAroN.
The most remarkable feature
about the Destroyer is the gun,
though of course the craft is a
wonderful institution. Improve
ments on the original gun have
been made by w. F. Lassoe of
Brooklyn. The gun, which is of
steel, bears his name. There is no
known means of protection against
the Lassoe gun. 1t can blow up
anything. Hitherto it was thought
that the torpedo net would prevent
a torpedo from striking a vessel,
but tests at Newport have proven
that the torpedo net, as now con-
structed, is useless. A Lassoe pro-
jectile pierces the torpedo net as if
it were made of tissuepaper. The
gun is thirty-three feet long.
THE DEADLY PRoJECTILE.
The projectile, which has a steel
point and a copper chamber for the
explosive charge, is twenty-seven
feet long, sixteen inches in diane
ter and weighs 1926 pounds. The
explosive charge is 800 pounds of
powder, dynamite or guncotton.
The gun is mounted on the bot
tom of the forward part of the YES
sci next to the keel. Its muzzle /
terminates in the stem seven feet |
below the water line. The water is
prevented from rushing into the |
gun by a valve which opens and
closes automatically.
Tonight it was rumored that
Peixoto's agents in this city had
also purchased the wonderful non
descript yacht with record of
over thirty miles an hour. This
little flyer, it is said, was to be
converted into torpedo boat.
There was also talk of other pur-
chases for the Brazilian govern
ment's navy.