43/4 in. thick.  This deck was to extend to about 1 ft. above the water line, and the flat part to be 3-1/8 in. thick.  Beyond the machinery and magazine spaces, the deck was to be gradually reduced to 3 in. thick at the ends.  This deck is intended to protect the vitals of the ship, such as boilers, engines, powder magazines, steering gear, etc., from the effects of shot and shell, but the floating and stability maintaining power of the ship was to be dependent upon a similar structure raised above this protective deck to a height of about 5 ft. above the water.

This structure is covered by a water tight deck known as the main deck of the ship, on which the cabins and living spaces are arranged.  The space between the main and protective deck is divided, as may be seen by reference to the protective deck plan, into many strong, water tight spaces, most of which are not more than about 500 cubic feet capacity.  The spaces next to the ship’s side are principally coal bunkers, and may, therefore, exclude largely any water that should enter.  The first line of defense is formed inside these coal bunkers by a complete girdle of coffer dams, which can be worked from the main deck.  These it is intended to fill with water and cellulose material, and as they are also minutely subdivided, the effects of damage by shot and consequent flooding may be localized to a considerable extent.  The guns of the ship are to consist of four 20 centimeter Hontorio breech loading guns on Vavasseur carriages, six 12 centimeter guns, eight 6 pounder rapid firing, and eight or ten small guns for boats and mitrailleuse purposes, four of which are in the crow’s nests at the top of the two masts of the ship.  We may remark in passing that the builders saw their way at an early period of the construction to suggest an addition to the weight of the large sized guns, and there will actually be on the ship four 24 centimeter guns, instead of four 20 centimeter.  The vessel was to carry five torpedo tubes, two forward in the bow, one in each broadside, and one aft.  All these tubes to be fixed.  To fulfill the speed condition, four boilers were necessary and two sets of triple expansion engines, capable of developing in all 12,000 horse power.

[Illustration:  PROTECTIVE DECK PLAN.]

Now that the vessel has been completely tried, the promises by the builders may be compared with the results determined by the commission of Spanish officers appointed by the government of Spain to say whether the vessel fulfilled in all respects the conditions laid down in the contract.  The mean speed attained for the two hours’ run was 20.6 knots, as compared with 20.5 guaranteed, but this speed was obtained with 11,500 horse power instead of the 12,000 which the machinery is capable of developing.  The officers of the Spanish commission were anxious not to have the vessel’s machinery pressed beyond what was necessary to fulfill the speed conditions of the contract; but they saw enough to warrant them in expressing their belief that the vessel can easily do twenty-one knots when required, and she actually did this for some time during the trial.