New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-16
ELECTRICITY ON Ell CID.
HER DYNAMITE GUN UNDER COMPLETE
CONTROL.
TIE COMPLETE PLANT IN WORKING ogDER-AN
EXTREMELY POWERFUL SEARCH LIGHT
QUICK WORK on THE CRUISER.

QUICK WORK ON THE thtisrh
FL Cid the new Brazilian man-of-war. left the
Morgan Iron Works yesterday, and went to Wood
rufus stores Brooklyn where she will take on her
coal She had 800 tons on board. and will take on
$3.50 tons more 1t Is now said that III Cid Will
probably sail on Saturday morning and VIII not
wait for the Britannia. The Britannia Is expected
to be ready for sea Monday and the Destroyer
on Tuesday The Destroyer will go down In tow
of n powerful tug.
When I'll Cid steams away she Will be fitted with
complete an electrical equipment as any on the
new United States cruisers The contract for the
work was let on November .. with the condition
that the entire equipment should be Installed ana IN
thorough working order by November r. On the
evening of that day. just eleven days after the
signature OF the contract, the switches were closed
and everything pronounced In perfect working or
der. The plant consists of two 1Oxl0 fifty horse
power ideal engines, each belted to standard
general electric compound wound bipolar dynamo OF
thirty kowatts GO horsepower or DO sixteen
cande-power lamps capacity each. upon an III
combust0le slate switchboard near the dynamos are
mounted n full complement of marine volt ana
ammeters. and double pole knife switch Tor each
circuit leaving the board. There are hye clrcuus
for the 800 incandescent lamps Installed, Two LOT
the search lights and one for the iltty horsepUwer
motor. The switchboard is arranged that either
dynamo can be used either on the motor or hsh'-
The wires from fhc board led through spe-
cial moulding, and wherever exposed 70 molsture
provided with a leaden armOr All the aPPi.
ances such switches, receptacles, etc, are OF
the same water-tight pattern as used on the United
States war vessels also the fiXtures, portable
lights deck and battle lanterns. For the last named
a separate circuit has been provided They can
thus be carried from place to place, and connected
at different convenient points.
On the roof OF the pilot-house Is set the thirty
inch automatic search light, similar In size and In
tensity to that Mount Washington which throws
q beam of light which can be seen from Portland,
Me- eighty-iiye miles away. That on I'll ga is
thanked on either side by HotchklsS rapd-hrlng
gum and II can project a beam of light sunclentiy
powerful to allow lghtcoored objects to be easily
distinguished at 5000 yards. 1t Is furnished with
diverging door made of strips OF glass, by when
the beam can be divergeG horizontally to cover a
wide space. The divergng door Is then moved back
and the full light of the beam concentrated upon
the object. making 1t easy mark for the guns
The lamp takes a current of 100 amperes to pro-
duce an effective between the points or the
two a-auarter-inch carbons. In the pilot
house is a small switchboard. BY this the search
light Is electrically controlled and may. be moved
in any direction. horizontally or vertically, The
small motors which do this work are concealed In
the iron pedestal OF the protector The AFTER search
light is used as an auxiliary 1t Is OF the same
pattern, but Is smaller and controlled by hand.
The Britannia will be fitted with one twenty-four-
inch and one twelve-inch protector.
The fifty horsepower motor Is used 70 train the
dynamite gun, which can be raised, lowered or
turned left right required. A system or
electric signals completes what is the most rapid
ly installed naval electrical equipment OH record.