New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-12
TWO FINE NEW WARSHIPS.
RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE CHILEAN
NAVY.

| THE EsMERALDA MODEL CRuIsER-THE OHIG-
GINS. WHICH THE UNITED STATES TRIED
TO BUY - COMPARISONS WITH
OTHER FAMOUS VESSELS.
Among the war vessels which the United
States sought to purchase few weeks ago was
one that had Just been completed for Chill by
Armstrong. Whitworth & Co.. OF England. She
has made her trial trips within the last two or
three weeks. and the results. together with
general description Of the vessel now pub
lished by English newspapers. The Chilians
have q small navy and within the last six or
eight years have added to II only two shiPS
which belong to the armored class Bo'h OF
these are notable vessels The percentage OF
brains to steel which entered into their con-
struction is remarkably large.
The Esmeralda launched In 1896. and desig-
mated a CRUISER" is pronounced by experts an
exceptionally fine specimen Of naval architect
| ure She displaces 1000 tons. in which respect
she closely resembles the six Spanish cruisers
Vizcaya Almirante Oquendo Catalina Car
denial Cisneros. Infanta Maria Teresa and Crs-
tobal Colon. But the Spanards wear armor-
plate that Is from ten and a half to twelve
inches thick. while that on the Esmeralda is only
six inches thick. The Spanish cruisers develop
from $4,000 to $1,000 horsepower, and the
Esmeralda $4,000 AS might be expected the
Gillian is much faster than the sextette with
which comparison is here made. She can make
twsnty-three knots an hour 10 the Spaniards
twenty.
Comparing the armament Of the Esmeralda
and the six Spaniards. one notices these differ
ences: The biggest guns on the former are Of
& ND tle al
or IL inches calibrc. But the number is the
same Each ship carries two, one forward and
the other aft. But the rest OF the Chilian's
| eouipment in point OF numbers especially. Is
| superior to that Of five out Of six Of the Euro
means The Catalina and the Cardinal CS-
| naros each mount twenty rapd-fre guns and
| two Maxims: the Vizcaya. twenty-fOur guns and
| two Maxlms: the Amrante Oquendo and the
Infanta Maria Teresa twenty-six rapid-fire guns
| and two Maxims. The Cristobal Colon, which
| was designed for the Italian Navy but was
bought by Spain before completion. carries
thirty eight guns, aside from her bow and stern
chasers and two Maxiins. The Esmernda has
thirty-four rapd-fre guns. Of which sixteen are
| Of the G-lnch bore and SIZE is provided with four
| Maxms.
! Even alongside of the two crack American
cruisers. the CHILEAN makes good showing
The New-York dlsplaces $500 tons and the
| Brooklyn $3.50. Both heavier than the Es-
| meralda Both have boilers capable Of develop
Ing II. 600 or $4,000 horsepower. But the New
| York is credited with only twenty knots,
and the Brooklyn with twenty-five. whereas the
Esmeralda makes twenty-three. This last Is the
| speed Of the American unarmored commerce
chasers Columbia and Minneapolis But the
| New-York carries six and the Brooklyn eight y
inch guns and they are mounted so az TO give
a terribly strong combination In firing directly
| forward. The BrOoklyn's armor varies from
three to seven and a half inches in thickness.
and the Esmeraldas is six inches thick. The
NETWORKS plates vary in thickness from seven
to inches.
The newest Gillian, the O'Higgns. is cassed
as a battle ship" but 1t is hard TO draw the
line between her and the American "armored
| cruisers" The displacement Of the O'Hggins
is $500 TONS Her horse power was not fully
developed on her trial but she is capable Of fur
nishng 10000 horse power in an emergency For
| twenty-fOur hours continuously she made an
average speed of nineteen knots. and for six
runs Of a single mile she averaged 2152 knots
against the tide The O'Higgins draws only
twenty-five feet Of water, five Of the Spanish
! cruisers about the same POSSIBLY few inches
less), while the Brooklyn draws twenty-six feet.
| The barbettes in which the guns Of the new
| Gillian are mounted are of G-inch plate, while her
| belt varies from seven to five inches in thickness.
| This is fairly comparable with the Brookyns
arrnor but is much lighter than that of tho
| New-York and Of the Spanards. The Ameri-
| can builders put heavier plates on what they
denominake "battle-ships" The Iowa carries
fourteen and fifteen inches Of steel outside her
| hull and portions OF the armor belt Of the
| Oregon and the Massachusetts are eighteen
inches thick-two and q half times heavy
as the thickest on the O'Higgins The Spanish
! batte-ship Pelayo wears armor that Is nearly
| eighteen inches in thickness in some places ana
! nineteen In others.
| But If the amazingly light armor and the high
| speed OF the O'Higgins suggest the cruiser rather
| than the battle-shp. so. too. does her offensive
| armament. None Of her guns have a greater
calbre than the largest ones on the New-York
! and the Brooklyn--S Understand she has fewer
! than they. But the arrangement OF the guns
Of the Gillian, which admits of great concen-
| tration Of fire. is feature which. while not al
together new, is nevertheless marked enough to
! make her q dangerous antagonist. Three Of her
} four S-inch guns are mounted forward, in sep
arate barbettes The other one points astorn.
] Then there are ten G-inch guns. four Of then,
being mounted on the upper deck in armored
gun houses The remaining six In case
mates. and two Of them fire directly ahead and
two directly astcrn. There are four quick-ir-