Ships Cover for the forty two vessels of the 26 and 27 knot torpedo boat destroyers (1893-1895). The documentation mainly relates to stability calculations and considerations of weights, detailed reports on trials of steaming capability, steering and turning circles, and watertight integrity, reports on machinery performance, number and type of boats to be allocated, correspondence concerning building costs and coal endurance. Two noteworthy items in this Cover are a brief report on French TBD construction as of 1897, and letters relating to the TBD Taku, captured by the RN in 1900. These papers concern the early part of these ships' careers, commencing in January 1895 and ending in about February 1902.