H. M. S. Barham.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 25 July 1890, Page 2

H. M. S. Bar ham.

Tins ship, officially styled a " twin screw cruiser, third class," ig one of only two of her class, the Bellona being the other ; and most men who know anything about the subject are agreed that it is very good thing there are no more of them. In these vessels the demand for lightness of hull, combined with extravagantly high engiu. -power has been cariied to its utmost limit. She was built at Portsmouth, and hei machinery has been supplied by Messrs Hawthorn, Leslie, and Co., Newcastleon Tyne. Sho is intended to steam, at her utmost speed, 2 2 A- miles an hour ; but there are those who say that she will only do this once in her whole life, if she does it then and that hnll is totally unfitted to carry engines exerting euch enormous power. Her plates are so thin that most difficulty was experienced in riveting them together and the engines are actually bolted to the skin of the ship, which has no donble bottom. When hor masts were stepped the other day, as soon as a little strain was bought on the stays to set them up, the bulkhead' " cockled '' from oxtreme weakness. It is to be hoped the Admiralty will bo satisfied with the results in her being permanently crippled. She and her sister are curiosities in their way, but most certainlv are not of a type that it is desirable t» multiply ill the Eoyal Navy. The pity of it is that thsy cost, pxc'uding armament, some £105,000 apiece. They are 18:30 tons displacement, and — if they ean get it — 0.000 horse pow.r. ' Tho French Forbiu is of exactly the samo tonnage and power, but is B.j feet longer — a great advantage.