Computer line drawing made by Lazer_one, with our thanks
She was built and designed by the yard of Sir W.G. Armstrong Michell & Co.’s Elswick Works at Elswich. England and in fact an altered Chilean Esmedalda cruiser design still fitted out with a ram bow and a schooner rigging. Although part of the Etna-class were her sister ships Etna, Stromboli, Vesuvio and Ettore Fieramosca modified and enlarged. She was named after the Neapolitan naval officer and politician Giovanni Bausan(1) and laid down on 21 August 1882, launched on 15 December 1883, commissioned on 9 May 1885, disarmed during the First World became she a seaplane depot ship at Brindisi, decommissioned in 1919 or on 15 January 1920 and the same year sold to be broken up.
With a displacement of 3,082 long tons or 3,131 tons were her dimensions 280 x 42 x 18’6”. The horizon compound steam engines supplied 6,470 ihp allowing a speed of 17,4 knots. The coal bunker capacity consisted of 410-610 tons. The crew numbered 267 men.
The armament consisted of 2×1-10” breechloaders fitted in barbettes placed for and aft, 6×1-5.9” fitted in casemates on each side of the ship three, 4-6pdrs, 2-1pdrs and 3-14” torpedo tubes (submerged in the bow and at each side one). She was fitted out with an armour deck of 1.5” and with a cork belt at her waterline which was to swell through absorbing water after she was hit. This was not effective working while the cork was blown to pieces caused by the same hits.
Note
1. See for this officer for instance George Lillie Craik, The pictorial history of England: being a history of the people, volume 8, page 399.
New details added on 2 April 2013 20:22 o'clock
In the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1888-1889 was the Dutch naval budget for 1889 discussed. There were a quite a lot of comments made about the quality of warships built Dutch shipyards but also of the quality of Dutch warships built abroad. However the quality of warships serving in foreign navies was also look after. For instance the Italian Giovanni Bausan. Her engines suffered in such a manner during the manoeuvres in 1888 that extensive repairs were needed. In his report admiral Acton made clear that the condition of the Italian navy was far from good. From the 16 ships participating in above manoeuvres were for 9 ships repairs necessary lasting between 10 and 30 days.
New details added on 2 April 2013 20:22 o'clock
In the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1888-1889 was the Dutch naval budget for 1889 discussed. There were a quite a lot of comments made about the quality of warships built Dutch shipyards but also of the quality of Dutch warships built abroad. However the quality of warships serving in foreign navies was also look after. For instance the Italian Giovanni Bausan. Her engines suffered in such a manner during the manoeuvres in 1888 that extensive repairs were needed. In his report admiral Acton made clear that the condition of the Italian navy was far from good. From the 16 ships participating in above manoeuvres were for 9 ships repairs necessary lasting between 10 and 30 days.
