two of his proposed torpedo-ram-cruisers, the , and three of the torpedo cruisers, the two vessels and . A third ship, provisionally designated Torpedo-Ram Cruiser C, was authorized in 1889 to begin construction under the forthcoming 1890 fiscal year, and was originally planned to displace , but by that time, improved armor types became available, raising the possibility that the next vessel could incorporate traditional belt armor; earlier vessels were protected cruisers, relying solely on a sloped armor deck to shield their propulsion machinery and ammunition magazines. The decision to adopt belt armor led the design staff to consider new options later in 1889. The first was a simple enlargement of the Kaiser Franz Joseph I design, increasing the displacement to ; the second was similar to the French armored cruiser that displaced . The gun armament was to consist of two guns in individual gun turrets. The designers prepared two variants of the latter proposal, the first mimicking the unusual French decision to carry its main armament in wing turrets located amidships, and the latter adopting the traditional fore and aft arrangement. The Navy ultimately chose the 5100-ton design, and the contract was awarded to Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, the Austrian dockyard in Trieste. The two subsequent armored cruisers, and , were improved versions of this design. Characteristics Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia was long at the waterline and long overall. She had a beam of and a draft of . The displacement of the ship grew over the course of construction, and by the time the ship was finished, she displaced as designed, and at full load she displaced . Her hull incorporated a pronounced ram bow. A pair of heavy military masts were fitted initially, but they proved to negatively affect the ship's stability, so they were removed later in her career. She had a crew of 32 officers and 443 men. Steering was controlled with a single rudder. The ship was powered by two 3-cylinder, horizontal triple-expansion steam engines, with steam provided by six coal-burning fire-tube boilers that were ducted into two funnels. Her propulsion system was rated to produce for a top speed of , though she reached on speed trials. Coal storage amounted to , which allowed Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia to steam for at a cruising speed of . Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia was armed with a main battery of two K