The British magazine The Engineer dated 10March 1882 p. 180 published a magnificent drawing of a torpedo boat built by Yarrow for the Argentinean government. She was fully rigged to increase her range and to become more independent from stopping at harbours to load the necessary coal. The magazine wrote that Yarrow built in 1881 two of such vessels for Argentina which sailed towards Argentina without problems. The next two were to depart on short notice. Their speed was 19-20 knots and her range with a speed of 10 knots and a coal consumption of 2 cwt. per hour was 1.000 miles without stopping for loading coal. The boats were stronger built as the usual torpedo boat caused by the extreme heavy conditions in the Argentinean coastal waters with great distances between the available places to shelter. A similar boat built for Brazil was to depart in autumn that same year.
According to Conway’s All the world’s fighting ships 1860-1905 built Yarrows between 1880 and 1822 the Ferré-class steel-hulled torpedo boats for Argentinean government. This class consisted of the Ferré, Enrique, Centella and Alerta, which boats were all stricken around 1910.Their armament consisted of 2x1 machineguns and 2x1-14“ torpedo tubes fitted in the ram bow above the water. Amidships were on deck cradles placed for the two reserve torpedoes they could carry with them. With a turtle back shaped forecastle. The dimensions were 30m48 x 3,81 metres or 100 x 12 feet with a normal displacement of 40 tons. Fitted out with one shaft compound engine and one locomotive boiler supplying 500 ihp allowing a speed of 18,5-20 knots. Their crew numbered 11 men.
