Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-10-27
BRAZIL BUYS A BOAT.
That Government Now Owns the
Fast Steamer FL Cid.
HUNTINGTON SAYS he SOLD HER.

She Il the Fastest American built steamer
Anoat and WIN Re q big Addition to the
Fleet Of Much Troubled President PsIx-
OtO-PurohAss Made In New York.
10 NEW YORK, Oct. 27.-The big American
coastwise steamer FL Cid has been sold by
G. p. Huntington. There is every reason
to believe that she has been purchased for
use as a warship by the government of
Brazil. 1t is reported that the purchase
was effected through the medium of Flint
& Co. of New York city.
The firm of Flint s. Co. has intimate
relations with the governments of Chilli
and other South American states. Mr..
Charles r. Flint is consul general for the
government of Costa Rica. The firm is a
very large importer of rubber from Brazil,
and the one most likely in America to re
ceive orders for war material from any of
the Latin American states.
The report recently circulated that Flint
& Co were engaged in the purchase of mu-
nitions of war for the Brazilian rebels is
positively denied. Such purchases would
be in direct violation of the neutrality laws
of the United States. At the same time
the purchase of an American merchant
ship for the constitutional government of
Brazil is thoroughly legitimate.
Rear Admiral Maturity Here.
During the last four days Rear Admiral
j. Maturity, one of the most distinguished
naval officers of Brazil, has been staying at
the Ho~l Brunswick in this city. Rear
Admiral Maturity is president of the Bra
lillian commission to the Columbian ex-
position.
1t is said that Rear Admiral Maturity
personally conducted the selection and
purchase of FL Cid.
c. =. Huntington was seen ut the Fifth
Avenue hotel He was asked IL he had
sold FL Cid to the Brazilian governments
and he said, Il have not" Then in few
moments he added, Il have not sold her to
the Brazilian government, but l did sell
one OF the steamers to a number of mer-
chants, and they have taken the Cid"
When asked what the purchase money
was, he replied: We'll, they paid about
100000. She cost $SS5,OO0 when she was
new, and she is as good as new now"
FL Cid arrived last night in this port
from New Orleans. The big ship is the
latest addition to the magnificent fleet of
ships operated by the Southern Pacific
Transportation company. FL Cid is the
fastest American built merchant steamer
afioat. She is also the fastest vessel Of her
class in the world. She has TO her credit
the fastest maintained sea speed of any
American built steamer atioat. For long
cruising It n continuous high speed she
mas yet TO De beaten by the production OF
any American shipyard.
VIII Strengthen the Fleet.
This fact is all the more noteworthy
when it is known that she was designed
without special regard for speed. The
builders-the Newport News Shipbuilding
'umpany-were called upon to furnish a
vessel having great freight carrying capaci-
ty and one which should be capable of
steaming between New Orleans and New
| York with due regard to economy of coal
consumption. Two ships We're ordered, to
be sisters-El Rio and FL Cid-and the en-
CINE designs We're intrusted to Horace See,
the superintendent of construction at the
yards of the Cramps of the engines OF the
new warships NeSuvius, Yorktown, Balti-
more and Philadelphia
| The purchase of FL Cid will probably do
much to strengthen the hands of the Bra
lillian government. FL Cid will give to the
| Brazilian authorities a vessel superior in
steaming powers to any ship in the Brazil
ian insurgent fleet. Properly armed, she
will be capable of engaging with any of
the protected Brazilian ships. The fact
that FL Cid was especially built for service
| in southern waters makes her all the more
desirable as type of vessel for operating
on the Brazil coast. She can readily be
made to transport 5000 men, and her roomy
decks assure excellent ventilation.