H.M.S. CURACOA.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 491, 23 July 1890, Page 4

H.M.S. CURACOA.

THE OPAL’S SUCCESSOR. A POWERFUL CRUISER. H.M.s. C'JRACOA, the successor of H.M.s. Opal of the Australian naval station, is now at Adelaide and goes on to Sydney shortly. Somo particulars of this latest addition to the Australian fleet will be of interest bo New Zealand readers. She is of some 3,500 tons register, and is barque rigged, with ram bow and full bowsprit and jibboom. Her lines are good, and the hull is divided into eight watertight compartments. The general appointment of the ship is of like character with her class, the ’tween decks being devoted to quarters, while the fighting is done on tho upper deck, where there are twelve guns on the latest Woolwich pattern, mounted on Vavousier carriages. There are four of 6-in calibre which are mounted two on each side before and abaft the smaller sin guns, and from their larger calibre are provided with sponsons, by which process a most extensive range is secured, in fact they almost sweep the circle of the horizon. There are four sin breechloaders on each side, mounted on traversing tables on the upper deck. Besides this batteiy of broadside guns the vessel has a perfect armament of Nordenfoldt and Gardiners, besides torpedoes and small arms, all of which, it is to be hoped, may never bo required in active service. She looks liko a powerful craft under sail, and would carry a great spread oF canvas ; but the sails are of secondary consideration, seeing she lias a full-powered suite of engines said to work up to 2,540 horse power. There are six boilers, each of Bft in diameter, with two furnaces in each, the whole equal to burning up 30 tons of fuel per day and steaming 13-i knobs. The engines are on the horizontal principle, tandem double cylinders of 42 and 66in diameter, giving 2fb 9in stroke. The propeller is set in a banjo frame, so as to be easily raised through the counter when the vessel is under sail alono. It is of bronze, two bladed, and with the frame for raising weighs about 12 tons. In order to supply fresh water the condenser can furnish a ton of water per hour should such a quantity be required. The fleet of boats is a feature of the equipment-. On the skips amidships is a very fine pinnace, with a couple of efficient steam cutters equal to knots. The boilers for the cutters are stowed on deck, and if necessary they may be outfitted on board and put into the water with steam up. Besides these there are a couple of handsome gigs and some cutters on the waist davits.

She was commissioned at Plymouth in 1888, and sailed for the African station, and during the late Portuguese difficulty was sent up to Zanzibar for a time, but burned no poAvder, and after a six weeks’ stay returned to CapetoAvn. Orders being received to join the Australian Squadron, the Curacoa left the Cape on May 16th, and reached Fremantle in Juno. Thence came on to Adelaide, en route to Sydney. The officers are : —Captain, Robert W. Stopford ; first lieutenant, Hughes ; lieutenants, lan R. Grant, Cecil O. Treherne, Vernon Maud, Albert S. Lafone; captain of marines, F. T. H. Scott: chaplain and naval instructor, Rev. James J. Smith, B.A. ; staff surgeon, Charles L. Vascy ; staff paymaster, William J. Nash ; chief engineei’, Thomas Morris ; surgeon, Jerome Barry, M. D. CreAV : 231 bluejackets and 40 marines. On the voyage out to Australia a petbyofficer died, and Avas buried at sea.