H.M.S. EUROPA.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11561, 14 June 1900, Page 4

H.M.S. EUROPA.

ONE Off THE LARGEST BRITISH CEUISERS. i The Europa, whioh is reported by our cables to have consumed £8000 worth of fuel on her voyage from Portsmouth to Sydney, and is voted a failure for long distance steaming, is the largest oruiser in the British navy, next to the Powerful and Terrible. She brings relief crews for the Mildnra, Katoouiba, and Wallaroo. The reliefs number about 350, and the ship's complement is 677. The Europa is a sister ship to the Argonaut, now on her way to the China station, the Andromeda, of the Mediterranean fleet, and the Diadem and Niobe, of the Channel Squadron. In appearance the Europa resembles very much the larger oruisers Powerful and Terrible, having four funnels aud two masts, and a high freeboard, but the difference in tonnage and dimensions is considerable, for whereas the Powerful

has a displacement of 14,200 tons, that of the Europa is 11,000, and while the former is 500 ft in length the latter is 435 ft. Tho Europa is quite a new ship, having beon built at Clydebank in 1807, at a cost of .£561,126. After completion she took part in the naval manoeuvres last year, sicoe then she has been included in the list of ships not commissioned, and waslatationed at Portsmouth. On November 23rd last she was, however, commissioned to bring out crews for the Australian station, but was delayed owing to various circumstances, She was despatched in view of the Admiralty's policy of sending out men by a cruiser instead of a ohartered transport, so as always to have one fighting ship engaged in the work, the full complement of fighting men being always maintained through the new crews being taken out and the time-expired men returning. This great ship has engines of 16,r;00 horse-power indicated, with a Bpeed of 20 knots. But her coal consumption is enormous. This was considered unsai isfactory by the Admiralty, and when she left England the chief inspector of . machinery (Mr J. A. Bedbrook), who is in the speoial employ of the Admiralty, was requested to join the ship to report on the matter. Origins lly it waß intended that Mr Bedbrook should proceed only as far as Colombo, but he has been requested to make the round voyage in the oruiser. Hib chief purpose is to attend to the watertube boilers of the cruiser and endeavor to effect more economical working, but it is believed that economy of fuel can hardly be i'Xpected, seeing that the engine-room hands of the Europa are supplemented by a "scratch" crew from the men bound for the Australian station, many of whom have bnt little experience of stoking in suck a large vessel as the Europa while at sea. On the outward voyage Ihe Europa coals eight times, and on the way back six times, it being arranged to steam for a week and coal three days. After leaving Plymouth the Europa called at Gibraltar on March 26th, Malta on the 29th, remaining at the latter place till April 12th, during whioh time she made steam trials. Leaving Malta she made Port Said on the 15th, and had to be lightened to admit her to the can vl. The Europa has a draught of 28ft 6in, and she had to be lightened to 25ft 1 in. Thiß was effected by clearing the after bunker and watertank, and, a tug having arrived, the Europa entered the canal a ad reached Suez the following day. Tbe ship coaled there and left on the 21 3t, and reaohed Aden on the afternoon of i he 26th. There she remained four days, Ihe whole time in strict quarantine, owing to the outbreak of plague there, and took in 1660 tons of coal and left for Colombo. At Colombo she took 1300 tons more, and left on the 14th ultimo for Sydney, via Batavia, and Albany, reaching Australia as indicated in our cables.