RvM
Laid down on 18 June 1883 and launched on 17 January 1885 at the British shipyard of Samuda Brothers. With a displacement of 4921 tons were her dimensions 85,34 x 15,85 x 5,59 metres or 280’x 52’x 18’4”. The 2-shaft engines and 8 cylindrical boilers supplied 6.500 ihp allowing a speed of 15.8 knots. Her coal bunker capacity was 300-800 tons. Her crew numbered 277 men and she was armed with 2x2-9.2” guns, 4x1-5.5” guns, 13x1-1 pd guns, 3x1-14” surfaced torpedo tubes and 2x1-14” submerged torpedo tubes. Her armour consisted of a 7-11” thick belt while the gun turrets and the conning tower were protected by 10” thick armour. On 16 April 1894 sunk after she was torpedoed and two months later salvaged and repaired was she renamed Vinte Quatro de Mayo, in 1897-1898 was she at the German shipyard Vulcan, Stettin and the British Elswick yard rebuilt and rearmed. In 1900 retained she her original name but was again sunk on 22 January 1906 when a powder room exploded.
The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 20 April 1894 published an item dated Buenos Aires the 19th referred to tidings from Desterro that the Aquidaban which was found abandoned and already taken in possession by marines of the regular government forces when a torpedo boat coming from the North. She believed that the Aquidaban still was in the hands of the rebels and accidentally torpedoed causing her sinking. The number of victims was unknown.
