10 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBA'S GROWING NAVY 



The floating strength of the Cuban navy 

 has just been increased by the launch on 

 October 10th of the small cruisers "Cuba" 

 and "Patrigj" from the yards of Messrs. 

 Wm. Cramp & Sons' Ship and Engine 

 Building Co., Philadelphia. Two vessels 

 on almost similar lines are also being built 

 for the Cuban government by Mr. J. 

 Samuel White, of Cowes, England, and all 

 these craft will form the nucleus of the 

 Cuban navy, which now consists of five 

 converted yachts, the largest of which, the 

 "Hatuey," .538 tons displ., was formerly 

 the American yacht "Pentosset." There 

 are also under the Cuban flag some eight 

 steam cutters for coast patrol duty, rang- 

 5ng from 50 to 30 tons in displacement. 

 ~With the ships building at Philadelphia, 

 Cuba will be possessed of the most efifi- 

 vcient navy of any Caribbean or South 

 American republic north of Brazil. The 

 "Cuba" is a twin-screw protected cruiser, 

 260 feet over all, with a beam of 39 feet 

 and a depth of 26 feet. Her displacement 

 on 13-feet draught is 2,055 tons, and a 

 speed of 18 knots is specified in the con- 

 tract. She will be equipped with two sets 

 of inverted vertical triple-expansion en- 



gines and two water-tube boilers with 

 about 6,000 square feet of heating surface. 

 The armament will consist of two 4-inch 

 quick firing guns, four 6-pounders, four 

 3-pounders, one 1-pounder and two ma- 

 chine guns. The "Patria" is a twin-screw 

 gunboat of 1,200 tons displ., which is to 

 be used as a training ship and will be 

 completely rigged as a sailing vessel. She 

 is 185 feet in length over all, 34 feet beam 

 and 22 feet deep, and will have a speed 

 under steam of 16 knots. Her armament 

 will consist of two 6-pounders, four 

 3-pounders, four 1-pounders and two ma- 

 chine guns. She will cost $238,000 com- 

 plete, while the "Cuba" costs $510,000. The 

 launching ceremony was made otherwise 

 notable by the fact that it was the first 

 time since the "Vesuvius" and the "York- 

 town" took the water at Philadelphia in 

 1882, that war vessels have been launched 

 in pair. Although of an informal char- 

 acter, the launching ceremony was attended 

 by a number of distinguished guests. 

 Senorita Mariana Gomez, daughter of the 

 president of Cuba, broke the traditional 

 champagne bottle over the bow of the 

 "Cuba," while her sister, Seriorita Narcisa 



i Courtesy of 

 "Shippi)ig 

 Illustrated," 

 Nczi.' York 



The "Patria" Taking tlie Water 



