The Imperial Russian Government had ordered three ships from Mr. Schichau, of Ebling in 1889, these were: the torpedo cruiser Lieutenant Karrarsky (length 190 feet 3 inches, beam 24 feet 7 inches, displacement 400 tons, contract speed 21 knots) fitted with inverted-vertical triple-expansion engines, 3,500 indicated horsepower, operating on steam supplied at 12 atmospheres pressure by two marine locomotive boilers; the torpedo boat Anakreon (length 128 feet, beam 19 feet 8 inches, displacement 85 tons, contract speed 21 knots); and the torpedo dispatch boat Adler (length152 feet 7 inches, beam 17 feet, displacement 150 tons; contract speed 26.5 knots) fitted with twin 2,300 indicated horsepower (total) engines operating on steam supplied by two marine locomotive boilers.