Of the Almirante Cochrane-class with as sister ship the Valparaiso. The hull was of iron. Both ships were designed by the British engineer Sir Edward Reed.(1) Laid down at the yard of Earle’s Shipbuilding Company at Hull in 1873, was she launched on 23 or 25 January 1874 and completed in December that same year, rebuild at the same yard in 1889, in the years 1897-1900 rebuild as a gunnery training ship (including the removal of the fore and mizzen masts), hulked in 1908 and in 1934 broken up.
With a displacement of 3,370 -3,560 (full load) tons were her dimensions 210’ (between perpendiculars) x 45’9”x 21’10” (maximum) or 64,01 x 13,94 x 6,65 metres. The two shaft compound horizontal trunk engines and 6 cylindrical boilers supplied 2,920 ihp allowed a speed of 12,75 knots with a maximum coal bunker capacity of 500 tons; in 1889 received she new machines and boilers supplying 4,300 ihp allowing a speed of 13,6 knots. Further more were both barque-rigged. The armour of iron consisted of a belt amidships of 9” decreasing towards the ends to 6-4.5”, while the conning tower was protected by 3” thick armour and the battery by 6-8”. The crew numbered 300 men. Originally armed with 6x1-9” guns, 1-4.7” gun, 1-9pdr and 1-7pdr. In 1889 was the armament altered into 6-8” guns, 3-6pdr, 6-3,7cm guns and 3-14” torpedo tubes (2xbow, 1 stern). As a gunnery training ship was her armament varying.
Note
1. Sir Edward James reed (20 September 1830-30 November 1906), a British naval architect and chief constructor for the British Royal navy between 1863 and 1870.
