 The ship was equipped with electrics and hydraulics throughout, which included the movement of the shot from the ammunition lockers to the guns.Earlier protected cruisers, such as the had been equipped with a small number of main guns but, although larger than this ship, "Jingyuan" was built with a higher freeboard to improve her seaworthiness over the smaller vessel.The resultant topweight considerations resulting from the desire to mount the main armament atop the forecastle and poop necessitated that she be armed with slightly smaller (and thus lighter) main guns than the Chaoyong.