An item dated Brest 27 July reported that a day earlier in the evening at 23.20 o’clock after the experiments with electric lightning ended the torpedo boat No. 76 (1) accidentally collided with the ram turret Tempête.(2) The collision caused the exploding of the boiler and the sinking of the torpedo boat. Two stokers were heavily burned. Her crew of 18 men was saved by the Tempête.
Notes
1. With a displacement of 53 tons and as dimensions 35,00 (between perpendiculars) x 3,35 x 0,89 metres or 114’11” x 10’11”x 2’11”, speed 20 knots, a crew numbered 16 men and armed with 2-15” bow torpedo tubes. Later was the armament increased with 2-3,7cm revolvers.
2. Of the Tempête-class breastwork monitors laid down at Brest in 1873, launched in August three years later, completed not earlier as in 1879 and stricken in 1907. Just one sister ship the Vengeur. With a displacement of 4.635 tons were her dimensions 73,60 (between perpendiculars) x 17,60 x 5,79 (maximum) metres or 241’6” x 57’9” x 19’. Speed 11,7 knots. Her crew numbered 174 men and with an armament consisting of 1x2-10.8”. The steel wrought iron armour consisted of a 10”-13” thick belt with a 13” thick breastwork while the gun turret was protected by 12”-14” thick armour.
