ENGLISH MERCHANT CRUISERS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5181, 4 May 1885, Page 2

ENGLISH MERCHANT CRUISERS.

The Wellington Post of April 15 says: —We lately announced that the English Government' were' arming- the- merchant steamships America; Arizona, r Alaska; and Oregon. Thesesteamers, it will be remembered, were*speciallyi))uilt under Admiralty survey, with a view to their being used as cruisers should necessity require them, and the following particulars respecting the vessels named may piroye of interest at the present time 'i-r ; ji The j America is a steel ; - built ; screw •steamer, of 2835 tons net, 5628 gross, with a tonnage under deck of 3756 tons. She is 441 feet 8 inches' in lenjgth, ■■'ol. feet 2 inches in vbeam,:"withi a: depth? of ; hold of 36 feet. : Her engines are of the three-cylinder type, each being of 63 inches, 91 inches, and 66 incheß in diameter, her/horsepower being .1064/ . She was built at Glasgow in 1883 by Messrs J. and G. Thomson, who also ; built : the machinery. ; The America is owned by the National Steamship Line, of Liverpool, and since her launch has been running between that port and America. ■ ■ " ■'■ The Axv&mai is a 'steel screw steamship of 2657 tons net, 5164 tons gross, arid 5007 tons under deck. She ...has .eight bulk-heads, and is 450 feet 2 inches long, with a beam of 45 feet 4 inches, and a depth of 35' feet 7 inches, She has"; four ;decks,-srcol bfc iron arid orie part|iron. Her engines, of 1200 horse power, are of the three cylinder principle, each being of 62, 90^ and 66 irifehes in diameter. ( She was launched from the/shipbuilding yards" of Messrs J. Elder "and Co", Glasgow, in March, 1879. V Mtesrs Elder were also ; the builders of the machinery. The \Arizonais owned by the Guion Line, and is' employed in a similar trade to the, American^ '■■■ ■;■ r^ -.•;■•'. -•_ ■ .vy^.v-r.. The Alaska is an iron <screw steamer of 3554 tonsnet, 6932 tons gross, with 6586 tons under deck. She has four masts, eight bulkheads, and is divided into 11 water-tight compartments; She has three decks ; length 500 feet ; beam 50 feet ; depth of hold 38 feet. Her engines are of 1800 horse power. Her cylinders are 98, 100, and 72 inches in diameter, and, like the hullfwe^Duilt by Messrs J. Elder and Co., of Glasgow. She is owned by the same: company and is running in the same trade as the Arizona. The. Oregon, also owned ,by the Guion Line, is an iron screw, f dur-masted barquerigged steamer, her tonnage being 3527 tons net, 7375 gross, and under deck 7017 tons. She' is 601 feet long, 54 feet 2 inches in beam, with a depth of hold of 38 feet. Her engines are; of 2000 horsepower, her cylinders being each 70, inches, 104 inbhesi and 72 inches in diameter. Both the' vessels arid : the machinery were built by Messrs J. Elder and Co. She is divided into eleven water-tight compartments. :