Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/806

 450

CHILE

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09

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c.b.

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a.c. a.c.

cr.

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Name

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1874 1890 1896 1896 1893 1896 1890

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.22 a P 2

3,500 6,900 7,020 8,500 4,400 3,600 2.080

Extreme

Armouring,

Indies

Armament

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Indicated Horse- Power

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Aim. Cochrane Capitan Prat. Esmeralda. O'Higgins Blanco Encalada.

Ministro Zenteno

Pres. Errazuriz ' Pres. Pinto

9

12

6

7

/ 6 8-in. ; 4 6-pr. Q.F. ; \ \ 4 3-pr. Q.F. ' \ 6 9-4-in. ; 8 4-7-in.;& \ \ 20 small Q.F. / ) 2 8-in. ; & 34 smaller \

1 QF. /

r 4 8-in. ; & 34 smaller \ I Q.F. > / 2 8-in. : 10 6-in ; t \ \ smaller Q.F. j i 8 6-in. Q.F. ; 14 ) \ smaller Q. F / 1 4 6-in. Q.F. ; & 7 i I smaller Q.F. t

3 4

3 3 5 3 3

2,920 12,000 18,000 16,500 14,500

5,400

13-0 18-3 23-0 21-2 22-0 20 19-0

The small battleship Capitan Prat, built at La Seyne, is a vessel of most interesting character, combining a high speed with a powerful armament, and sufficient protection. All her guns are worked either by electricity or by hand. Four 9|-i]i. Canttguns, in armoured barbettes, are dispersed in the form of a lozenge, one at the bows, one at the stern, and one on either broadside. Eight 4f -in. Q.F. guns are coupled in four closed turrets, and there are 20 smaller Q.F. pieces, as well as machine guns. The first-class cruiser Esmeralda is an extremely swift vessel. The ironclad Almirante Cochrane was built at Hull in 1874 from the designs of Sir E. J. Reed. The smaller second-class sister cruisers Presidente Errazuriz and Praidente Pinto have more recently been launched at La Seyne. The Blanco Encalada, built at Elswick, replaces the vessel of the same name which was torpedoed in the late civil war. Her speed and gunnery trials were very successful. With natural draught she attained 2175 knots, and with forced draught 2278 knots. The armoured cruiser O'Higgins, named after the famous Chilian admiral, was also built at Elswick, and is a remarkably fine vessel, power- fully armed, of bigh speed, and protected by a steel belt of from 7 in. to 5 in. ; 6 in. on the barbettes and gun casemates, 9 in. on the conning tower, and a 2 in. deck. The third-class training cruiser General Baquedano (2,350 tons) is at Elswick completing afloat.

Industry.

About 14 million of the population are engaged in agriculture. Chile produces annually about 28^ million bu.shels of wheat, and 8^ million bushels of other cereals, besides fruits, vegetables &c. In 1888, 66,030 gallons of wine were exported. Over 500,000 liead of cattle and 2, 000, 000 sheep, goats, &c. are annually reared in the country. Of mineral produce the annual yield of copper is about 400,000 metric quintals; of silver, 160,000 kilogrammes; of gold, 500 kilogrammes; of coal, 10,000,000 metric tons; while man- ganese and other minerals are obtained.

The nitrate fields of Cliile are estimated to cover 89,177 hectares, and to contain 2,316 millions of metric quintals of the nitrate of commerce. Tlie total produce is stated to have been 550,000 tons in 1884 ; 420,000 in 1885 ; 443,000 in 1886 ; 702 000 in 1887 ; 773,000 in 1888 ; 903,000 in 1889 ; 1,009,000 in 1890; and 877,000 in 1891 ; 804,812 in 1892; 9.18,871 in 1893;