The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-11-04

MASSIVE DESTROYERS.
London, Nov. SIN we'll informed
circles here it is not believed Sppin has
signed the contracts referred TO by the
Daily Chronicle to-day as having been
concluded last week with an important
firm of British ship builders, 10y which
Spain acquires some cruisers, armed with
quick firing guns, which the finn had
nearly completed for another govern
ment. IL is known that The Spanish gov
eminent recently endeavored to purchase
warships from Brit sh ship builders, but
the negotiations failed on account of
SPAN 8 inability to pay cash. md it is
Understood that her agents then began
looking Tor bargains in warships which
other countries were building
Some of those countries are building
ships in England, among them being
Chill, and it is supposed the govern ment
OF that republic is willing to transfer to
Spain three cruisers, the O'Higgins, the
Esmeralda, and the Minstro Xentno,
which have been practically com pleted by
the Armstrong;. The latter, however. is
only willing to sell the three cruisers to
Spain for cash.
The Thompsons finished six tn-pedo
boat dcstroyers fer Spain year age. The
Firm delivered two OF the boats, and Is
holding the others under the pretext of
finishing them, but the general suppo.i.
ton is that the Thompsons are really
holding the destroyers for payment. One
of the foremost iinanciers of this country
asserts that Spain is unable to raise more
money abroad, and it Is not thought
likely that she can procure warships on
the promise of paying for them by money
~ CT IL tnr 1,t, -
rms refers to the statement of the
Daily Chronicle that when the question
OF finance was raised by the constructors
OF the cruisers, which Spain would like
to purchase, the Spanish minister of ma
rine, Admiral BermeJo, said that in the
event OF war presumably with the United
States), the Spanish government. by an
pealing to the patriotism of the people of
Spain, could count upon raising u large
internal war loan.
According to Brassey's Naval Annual
of this year. the CHILEAN armored cruiser
Esmeralda is one of the most formidable
warships in the world. She is of 1920
tons displacement, lis 436 feet long. is
over 53 feet broad, and she draws 20. G
feet of water. The Esmeralda has n six
inch armor belt seven feet in depth, ex-
tending for about $50 feet of her length
and terminated by six inch transverse
oulkheads. a curved armored deck.
which varies in thickness from l12
inches in the wake of the armor belt to
inches at the ends, protects all her ma
chinery, magazines and steeiin gear.
In addition, the coal bunkers are situated
above the protective deck and, when
filled with coal, will add considerably to
the water line protection of the cruiser.
She can carry 1850 tons Of coal in her
bunkers alone.
I'll armament of the Esmeralda consists
entirly of Armstrong quick firing guns
namely, two .S-inch guns with heavy
shields placed one forward and one aft;
sixteen 6-inch guns with 41.2 inch
shields, four of which are on the flying
deck forward and aft, and twelve on the
upper deck. + our Of these guns fire right
ahead and four fire right astern. The
eight other G-inch guns are so placed as
10 he trained on each broadside. The Es-
'neralda also has a number of smaller
rapld-hre guns, namely, eight II pound
ers. ten 6-pounders, and four Maxim
guns. She carries three torpedo tubes
one IN tho stem above the water line and
two on the broadside. This fine cruiser,
aI her speed trials, attained u speed of
% O3 knots with natural draught.
Comparing the lighting capacity of the
United States arnored cruiser New York
ana the Chllian armored cruiser Esmer
aida, the Naval Annual says 1.-The Uni
ted states cruiser New York, of $500
toGs displacement, might naturally lie
expected to be n match fol- the CHILEAN
cruiser Esmeralda of 1000 tons; hut if
their total energies of fire per minute be
calculated, the New York delivers ONLY
ll9,904 foot-tons against the 5L9, O9l foot.
tons of the Esmeralda."
The O'Higgins is IL battleship Of $500
tons, 4OO feet long, 81 feet wide, and
drawing % feet Her contract speed is
II 20 knots with natural draught, and
her armament consists of four inch, ten
6'nch. four 4.1-inch Armstrong quick
firing guns, eight 12.pounders and ten
0-pounders and four submerged torpedo
tubes. Her hull is protected by bar
vrI lied steel belt seven inches in thick
ness and by I'm armored deck. The tur-
rets Of the eight-inch guns and the case
mates of the six. inch guns are protected
by six inches of nickel steel.
The Ministro Zentino is a cruiser of
$500 tens displacement. She Is $50 feet
ong. has $40 feet beam, and has maxi.
mum draught of sixteen feet ten inches
Her speed is estimated at twenty knots
per hour, and she carries eight six-inch
quick firing guns, ten six Founders. and
four FOUNDERS, and has three torpedo
ibes.
IF YOU can't spare the time to call at
Jacks aud get copy of Brann's Icono.