A DYNAMITE CRUISER.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 155, 2 July 1888, Page 4

A DYNAMITE CRUISER.

There's something up with Brother Jonathan. To use one of his own phrases, *'There's blood in his eye," or something very like it. Only the other day the cable told us he had despatched four wajship3 on a mission of mischief to the fleets of fffi^hing smacks off the Canadian coasts. Ominous silence, it may be, h'^s since prevailed, and whether or no^ anybody has been hurt is at these uttp^jnost parts of the earth so far not yet rcC orded. There is, however, a bit of news f ro m Philadelphia of an vmr t , eS bionably warlike nature, thOttPto ie can only be connected with the foreign reported raid upon the piscatorial industry of our Canadian fellow-colonists by the most absurdly. imaginative Jingo. We refer to the launch of a real demon of the seas, a "dynamite cruiser." We have known of dynamite being used by unscuDulous fisherman for the purpose of ICC1 CC a big haul of fish, but had not Sppos oed0ed that it-was about to become a weapon for making a haul of fishermen by what aobody would ever dream of terming

11 unscrupulous " warriors. The fact remains though, that the United States dh the 28th of April last launched a cruiser of this description, the only vessel of the kind afloat. From the following description of her it will be generally admitted that so far as the antipodean is concerned it will be pleasant in the event of war to be as much isolated from the North Pole, as fate has thrown him, and from these loopholes of retreat to peep at such a boat. Here is her description : She is of 725 tons displacement, with twin-fcrews and engines designed for 3200 horse-power, and making 20 knots. Her mean-draft is 9ft. Her armament includes three guns, built side by side into the ship, from which will be projected, by means of compressed air, shells containing each 2001bs of dynamite. These missiles will, it is expected, surpass in destructive effect anything yet attempted in the shape of moveable torpedoes. The guns project above deck at an angle, and their fire is a plunging one, the vessel being moved in order to aim the guns. With singularly becoming taste she is named the Vesuvius.