THE FRENCH SHIP BRENNUS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5654, 27 August 1896, Page 2

THE FRENCH SHIP BRENNUS.

If in the case of the construction of the Majestic the building was .done, . at an unprecedentedly rapid rate, perhaps tlie very reverse must be said in the case of the Brennus. The original vessel under' this name was laid down in 1885, but work was afterwards suspended, and in January, 188^ she -was again taken in. hand, .the .design being altered, but the material being 1 \i3ad again. See was launched in October, IS'JI, but did not complete her steam trials till last year. She appears to be remarkable chiefly for the number and extent of the alterations that have been found necessary in her construction, both before she left the stocks and even up to the period of her steam trials. From this it nntst not bo understood that the Brennu6 is in the least an exception in this respect ;

per second. The auxiliary armament ■is' composed of 10 lGcin breech-loading guns, six of -which are placed on the deck in the central fort, and the remaining four in armoured circular turrets placed on the deck above. There are also four 65cm quick-firing guns, eight 47cm guns of the sauie description, and eight machine guns. There are five torpedo launching tubes.

The propelling machinery is triple expansion of a collective power of 14,000 horsed There are two propellers. When, after many failures, the vessel, did manage to get through her steam trials she attained a speed of 17*12 knots. To attain this the engines indicated ] 4,060 horse-power, with 92'-i revolutions, while the coal consumption was 2'1781b per horse-power per hour.

The total c.->st of the vessel was £%1,7& I, which has, no doubt, been considerably increased^ owing to the continued alterations that were found necessary from time to time. She is not regarded by naval critics as a type of vessel likely to find general favour.