The ship is practically a sister to the Kaimon. The engines of both
were made at Yokosuka, and are of the same type. Both ships have swan
bows, one funnel, and are barque-rigged. The sterns are rather square.
In 1884 Elswick suddenly sprang the deck-protected cruiser on the
world. In that year was launched the famous Esmeralda. She was, like
the Arturo Prat, built for Chili, and as a Chilian cruiser bore a
share in the Chilian revolution. When the Chino-Japanese war broke out
Japan made overtures for this ship, and in 1895 purchased her through
the agency of Ecuador. The war was over before the cruiser could be
employed, but she was probably purchased against possible eventualities
with Russia, France, and Germany. Being now obsolete, she has not
proved a valuable acquisition, and the Japanese speak of her as a very
bad sea boat. Particulars of this once famous vessel are:—
Displacement 3000 tons.
Material of hull Steel.
Length 270 ft.
Beam 42 ft.
Draught (maximum) 19½ ft.
Armament (originally) Two 10-in. 32 cals.
Six 6-in. 32 cals.
Two 6-pdr. Q.F.
Five 1-pdr. Q.F.
Two Gardners.
Three torpedo tubes, one of them
in the bow.
The six 6-in. B.L. have been removed by the Japanese, and six 4.7-in.
Q.F. of 40 calibres substituted.
When new the Esmeralda was one of the swiftest ships afloat. Her I.H.P.
natural draught was 6500, with an 18.5-knot speed on her trials in
1885. She carries 400 tons of coal, with provision for 200 tons more.
Protection is afforded by a steel deck 1 in. thick on the slopes and
½ in. on the flat. Over the loading stations of the big guns a 1-in.
steel skin is carried.
[Illustration: ESMERALDA, NOW IDZUMI.]
News of the Esmeralda’s fame soon reached Japan, and two glorified
editions of her, the Naniwa and Takachiho, were promptly ordered.
Japanese home construction was not, however, affected, and three
composite vessels, Yamato, Katsuragi, and Mushashi, were put in hand,
and launched in 1885-86. Details of these are as follows:—
Displacement 1502 tons.
Material of hull Composite.
Length 207 ft.
Beam 36 ft.
Draught (mean) 15 ft.
Armament Two 6.6-in. Krupp.
Six 4¾-in. Krupp.
Four Nordenfelts.
Two torpedo tubes.
Horse-power 1600.
Trial speed 13.5 knots.
Complement 231.
As before, Yokosuka made the horizontal compound engines, and in the
Katsuragi twin screws were attempted for the first time. These ships
are now employed for training squadron duties. They have clipper bows,
and are, generally speaking, small editions of the British Raleigh.
They are all three barque-rigged. The Mushashi is distinguished by a
red band, the Katsuragi a yellow one.
The “warship Naniwa-kan,” as she used to be called in England, in
defiance to all explanations to the effect that the affix “kan”
simply meant “warship,” attained a good deal of celebrity while under
construction. The British Navy had then no ships like her, and the
Mersey class, then building, though more heavily gunned on about the
same displacement, were popularly considered very poor substitutes,
since their biggest guns were 8-in. pieces only, against the Naniwa’s
10-in. The big gun had at that time a very great hold on popular
imagination.