THE COLONIAL FLEET.

Evening Star, Issue 7773, 19 November 1888, Page 2

THE COLONIAL FLEET.

WELLINGTON, November 19

The Agent-General has furnished the Government with a memo, from Majorgeneral Stewart, military adviser to the colony, giving particulars of the construction and armament of new cruisers for the colonial naval squadron. General Stewart writes on July 3 that orders were given to an Elswick firm for three out of the five cruisers intended for the Australasian squadron, and two to a Glasgow firm. Orders were also given to the Elswick firm for four gunboats, formerly called torpedo boat-catchers. Two of these are believed to be for the Australasian squadron and two for India. It has been stated that the cruisers are to be of the Archer type, and it has been suggested in the newspapers that the defects of this type will show themselves in the new cruisers. This is not the case, for the new vessels will represent a great advantage over vessels of the type named. In order to enable a comparison to be made a few particulars are given. The colonial cruisers will be: Length 265 ft, Archer 225 f t; breadth 40ft, Archer 36ft; mean draught 15ft 16in, Archer 14ft; displacement 2,565 tons, Archer 1,770 tons; horse-power (with forced draught) 7,500, Archer 3,000 ; speed 19 knots, Archer 17 knots. Coal carried at load draught: Colonial, 300 tons ; Archer, 200 tons. Men and officers : Colonial, 199 ; Archer, 155. The armament of the new cruisers is r-ight 45-pound rapid firing guns, eight 3-pound ditto, two Nordeufeldts, and four torpedo guns. The firmament of the. Archer type ia si:c (Jin brcceh-loading guns, eight vapid-ruing, twoNordenfeldts, and throe torpedo guns. I lu. thickness of the protective deck on the new cruisers, on the slopes, in 2in ; in the Archer*, |in.