New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-11-06
THE FJG8T BETTEEN IRoNCLADS.


The sea fight off Mejillones de Bolivia, II
the details received from Peruvian sources
proyc TO be correct, reflects little credit
mon CHILEAN seamanship. The Huascar was
outmatched in every respect, i'll armament IN
thickness of armor, III speed and facility Oh
mannuvre, and in seaworthiness generally.
and vet for six hours and half she repClled
the assaults of her formidable advcrsaries.
She was an old boat, built as long ago rs
1865. before the English shipbuiders had had
time to improve upon the American model OF
turretcd iron ship, and when she went into
action must have been in pressing need
of repairs. Her speed, which in her
best days never exceeded twelve knots,
must have been materially reduced. In
deed, it would not be strange If. with
her Increasing age the strain OF active SER
vice during the last year, and the lack OF
facilities for repairing ironcads at South
American dockyards, her ordinary rate of
sailing had fallen as low nine knots an
hour. Her armor was very thin. Her single
turrct was protected with eight inches of
plating at the ports, but amidships the sheath
was only four and half inches i'll thickness,
and at bow and stern the depth OF the plates
was two inches. The armor. moreover, was
cut off three feet below the water line. In
her turret were two 300-pounder Armstrong
rifles, and on her deck were two smaller guns,
gagement Altogether, the Huascar was rusty
old tub that would have been condemned
in any wcll-app0lnted navy-yard Her
broadsides with the Shah and Amethyst,
her success in ramming the woodcn-ship Es-
meralda, and her achievements in capturing
prizes and transports off the Gillian coast,
and, more than all else, the pluck and genus
of her commander. have given her wider fame
than she deserved. AS war-shps are built
nowadays, she was exceedingly vulnerable and
by no means formidable.
The CHILEAN ironclads, on the other hand,
were only six years old, and one of them had
been thoroughly repaired i'll an English dock
ward. Each was twice as large as the Peru
Wan ram, and carried six IN place or two
Armstrong three-hundred Founders. These
guns could he fired broadsdc, and those
ut the ends were placed rs to com
mand any angle. The armor moreover WIS
nine inches thick, supported by massive
frames and girdcrs. and backed with teak Ill
accordance with the most approved principles
Of naval architecture. Their speed was at
least thirteen knots an hour, and double
screws gave them Il decided advantage i'll
mannuvring mt close quarters. Either vessel
would have been an unequal match for the
Huascar and yet she is reported TO have kept
them both at bay hour after hour and to have
fallen into their hands when her turret had
been well-nigh battered down and only -four
officers remained uninjrred to haul down the
colors. This version of the "new Trafalgar"
as the inflated Imagination of the Spanish
American press styles it, seems to imply bad
seamanship on the part of the victorious
feet The complete details of the engage
ment may modify this judgment. The Chilians
have always borne the reputation OF being
brave and capable sailors.