The western recorder., 1898-03-17
BUYS TWO WAR SHIPS.
UNITED STATES PAYS CASH.
Tho brazilian Vessels That Spain Wants
Come to Us--Two Excellent Fighting
Machines.

Washington. Marcn ia weeks
negotiations closed to-day by the Fri
umphnnt purchase by the Navy De
partment In London OF the two hne
cruisers built and building at Elswick
for the Brazilian government. the Am
nzonas and Admiral Abreuall- Posi-
bly, the officials took more pleasure IN
closing up the business in this manner
because of the knowledge that Spanish
agents had been striving TO secure
these very ships. and thar to Spain, 1t
Is said, they would be OF much greater
value in case of trouble than TO the
United States. The next question Is
how to get the ships home. and that
has not yet been settled, according to
the secretary of the navy.
The United States flag will be hoist
ed over the new ships within n week.
probably and just as soon as the crew
can be put aboard the Amazonas she
will start for the United States. The
other vessel will follow at the earliest
possible moment. The terms OF sale
are secret
The availability of the two Brazil
ian ships was first brought to the at
tention of the Navy Department by
Mr.. I.aine. agent of the Maxim Nord-
enfeldt Company, who was authorized
TO dispose OF these ships building at
Elswick and two Others in course OF
construction In France.
Mr.. Laine said today that the two
ships purchased would be most de
slrablc acquisition to the American
navy. as they were the latest and best
products of the famous Armstrong
Yards. One of the ships is complete
in every respect, has her coal supply
and ammunition on board, and steam
can be raised at any time. There Will
be no trouble in bringing this ship
across. as an adequate force from the
local yards can be secured for the ser
vice. II is said the coal and ammuni-
ton on board passed with the sale to
the United States. The ammunition Is
not of the kind in use by the Ameri-
can navy, so that the supply of aminu-
milton Is n necessary adjunct to the
new ships The other ship has been
launched. but II will take some time
to make her ready for sea. Mr. Laine
believes, however. that there will be
no difficulty in bringing her over i'm
mediately If II is desired TO make the
move without delay, as the hull of the
ship is so well along that she could
be towcd. and her own sail power
utilized for the trip across.
Orders have been sent to Commo-
dore Howell, commanding the Euro
pean station. to send a force of men
from the San Francisco TO take pos
session of and hoist the United States
flag on the Brazilian ship that is ready
TO 20 into commission at New Castle.
This will prevent any difficulty In case
hostilities should break out. us the
ship would be under the flag, but ly-
ing in n friendly harbor.
The two Brazilian ships will be eX-
tremely available additions to the
United States navy in either war or
peace, In the opinion of Secretary
Long, who acknowledges they have
been bought by the United States.
They are steel sheathed and coppered.
with twin screws. The AmaZonas is
rated at 5000 tons displacement, with
an indicated horse power under na-
tural drnught of 1000. which is calcu-
lated to develop twenty knots speed.
Thus, while the ship is about the size
of the Charleston. she Is much faster.
Her armament Is also much more
formidable. not so much in calibrc.
for the main battery is made up of six
6-inch guns. but these guns. ms well MS
the four I-inch guns. are of what Is
known ns 30 calibrcs length, giving
them an unusual range and power.
In addition to this they have ten o.
FOUNDER qulck-hrlng guns. four l.
Founders. four Maxim machine guns
and two boat or field guns. The tor
pedo tubes are three in number. The
coal capacity is $50 tons. giving her
an effective steaming radius of 5000
knots. n most valuable feature, inns
much as ii would enable the ship to
cross and rccross the Atlantic without
coaling. Such vessel used as n com
merce destroyer would be vastly more
effective than what appears TO be mole
powerful crafts, because of their abil-
ity to get along OH long cruises with
out touching in mt neutral ports TO
coal. and thus exposing themselves to
capture.
The cruisers carry no armor in the
ordinary sense, but their machinery is
protected from the fire of guns by an
arched steel deck just below the wafer
line. varying in thickness from IL to
80 inches The battery has an unu-
sual train. being arranged to fire three
ahead and three astern of the princi-
pal guns.