The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-15
DOns Unable to Purchase the Ships
Under Construction for the Chilean
and Argentine Governments.
SPANISH TORPEDO FLEET
TO BE FOLLOWED ACROSS THE AT
LANTIC BY TWO OF OUR SHIPS.
Former Left Cadiz Yesterday, and the
Helena and Bancroft Started from
LisbOn-WOrI1 of Navy Department..

-H-
WASHINGTON, March 14.--A weeks ne
gotiations closed to-day by the triumphant
purchase by the Navy Department in Lon
don of the two fine cruisers-the Amazonas
and the Admiral Abrueall-built and build
ing at Elswick for the Brazilian govern
ment Possibly the officials took more
pleasure in closing up the business in this
manner because Of the knowledge that the
Spanish agents had been striving to secure
these very ships, to whom, it 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, accord
ing to the secretary of the navy. The
United States flag will be hoisted over the
new ships within 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 the
sale are secret.
The availability of the two Brazilian ships
was first brought to the attention of the
Navy Department by Mr.. Lane, agent of
the Maxim -Nordenfeldt Company who was
authorized to dispose of these ships build
ing at Elswick and two others in course of
SOLSlIucllOu III france. MF. Lane SAID to-
day that the two ships purchased would
be most desirable acquisition to the Amer
ican navy, as they were the latest and best
products of the famous Armstrong yards
One Of the ships is complete in every re-
spect, 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 serv-
ice. 1t is said the coal and ammunition on
board passed with the sale to the United
States. The ammunition is not all of the
kind in use by the United States navy, so
that the supply of ammunition Is a neces-
sary adjunct to the new ships. The other
ship has been launched but it will take
some time to make her ready for sea- Mr.
Lane believes, however, that there will be
no difficulty in bringing her over imme-
diately, If it is desired to. make the move
without delay, as the hull of the ship is so
well along that she could be towed and her
own sail power utilized for the trip across.
The two Brazilian vessels will be extreme
ly useful 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, and will be the first of the
cruisers in our navy to embody that most
useful feature of naval construction.
sheathing, for which Chief Constructor
Hichborn has worked earnestly for many
years past. He finally succeeded in having
some or the smaller gunboats constructed
on this principle. The Amazonas is rated
at $500 tons displacement with an indicated
horsepower under natural draught of 1900
which is calculated 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 formida-
BILE, not so much in caliber, for the main
battery is made up of six six-inch guns. but
these guns, as we'll as the 4.7-inch guns are
of what is known as 50-calibers length. giving
them an unusual range and power. In addi-
ton to this they have ten six-pounder quick
firing guns, four one-pounders, four Maxim
machine guns and two boat or field guns.
The torpedo tubes are three in number The
coal capacity is $50 tons, giving her an ef-
fective steaming radius of 5000 knots a
most valuable feature, inasmuch as it would
enable the ship to cross and recrosss the
Atlantic without coaling. Such vessels used
as commerce destroyers would be vastly
more effective than what appear to be more
powerful crafts because OF their ability to
in at neutral ports for coal, and thus ex-
posing themselves to capture The cruisers
carryTho armor in the ordinary sense, but
theE machinery is protected from the fire
offguns by an arched steel deck just below
the water line, varying in thickness from
IL to 3.5 inches. The battery has an unusu-
al train, being arranged to fire three ahead
and three astern of the principal guns
A problem that confronts the recruiting
office Of the navy is to procure the neces-
sary force of enlisted men for manning the
two ships purchased from Brazil. The off,
GERS of the Navigation Bureau are making
all arrangements for the speediest possible
delivery of the two ships on this side of the
Atlantic. 1t probably will require about 250
men for each ship, and the question is
whether these men shall be hired abroad
in England, under special arrangements for
the one trip. or whether a regular crew
shall be sent out from the United States to
bring them home. The first method is un-
doubtedly the quickest but it will not be
available in case there should be an open
rupture before the completion Of the two
ships. It was reported this afternoon that
orders had been sent to Commodore Howell,
commanding the European station, to cend
a force of men from the San Francisco to
take possession of and hoist the United
States flag on the Brazilian ship that is
ready to go into commission This would
prevent any trouble in case of hostilities,
as the ship would be under the American
flag, but lying in friendly harbor.
It is learned that Spain has not secured
the O'Higgins and that Chile will not sell
her to Spain. 1t is said furthermore that
Spain has not and cannot purchase ships
from either Chile or the Argentine Republic.
Colonel Hayward, the oomnandant OF the