British navy wanted to built torpedo depot ship according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1887-1888 no. 11

An item reported the intention to lay down at the navy yard at Portsmouth the same year a new kind of torpedo depot ship. At that moment possessed the Royal British navy just the torpedo depot ship Hecla which was just fitted out for 2nd class torpedo boats and not fast enough for the modern needs. The new ship should be able to transport the largest model 1st class torpedo boats and to supply these boats with al needs. Her maximum speed should allow to accompany a squadron of armoured ships. The exact details were not known. According to rumours was she even larger as the Trafalgar of 375 feet although with a smaller draught and fitted out with a 25.000 ihp engine similar to the one of the Sardigna and which was the largest power ever developed by a ship’s engine.