Laid down in 1895 at the yard of Armstrong, Elswick, England, launched 25 August 1896, completed in April 1897, refitted 1916-1917 and stricken around 1940. With a displacement of 3,437 tons (Conway’s All the World’s Fighting ships 1860-1905; Jane’s Fighting ships edition 1931 3,450 tons while coppered and sheathed) were her dimensions 330’ (between perpendiculars) x 43’9” x 16’10¾”or 100,58 x 13,33 x 5,15 metres. The two sets 3-cylinders vertical triple expansion engines supplied 7,500 ihp while driven 2 screws allowing a speed of 20,25 knots while she had a coal bunker capacity of 450-850 tons allowing with a speed of 10 knots a range of 6,500 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 300-366 men. The armament consisted of a bow ram and 6x1-6” guns, 4x1-4.7” guns, 10x1-6pdrs, 4x1-pdrs and 3x1-18”surfaced torpedo tubes. The armour of steel consisted of a protective deck thick 3½” decreasing to towards the ends, 1¼” flats while the conning tower was protected by 4”. Sister ships Almirante Abreu and Amazonas were by the American navy acquired to serve in the Spanish-American war and were renamed Albany and New Orleans.
