The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-26

with dozen modern steel unarmOred vessels Of
the protected cruiser type, mounting more than
100 high-power breech- loading rifles OF the
G-nch and S-inch calibeT In fact, our only steel
cruiser which has not been made available Tor
this purpose Is the smallest OF them, the Petrol,
which, with her four guns, has been sent OH 10
China.
Beginning first with the vessels now in the Pa
eli c. ready TO be concentrated along the Chilean
coast we have the Baltimore OF 400 tons, car
rylng four S-inch and six 6-thch guns the
Charleston, OF 1880 tons, carrying TWO S-lnch
and SIX G-lneh guns; TIL San Francisco. Of 4OS3
tons. carrying twelve 6-inch guns the Boston,
OF 300 tons, carrying two inch aud six 6-lnch
guns; tie yorktown, of 1903 tons, carrying six
G'inch guns. All these vessels are well supplied
with rapld-hre and machine guns IA their sec
ondary batteries, and all have good speed. he
CharleS,o OF being casSed an lS-knGJ shin aud
the San Francisco and Baltimore as l9knot
ships.
Turning from these vessels on the Pacific sta
tiun 10 Admiral Walkers squadron now at
Monleydeo, ready 10 proceed 10 Chile through
The Strait % Magellan, We find u Including The
nag-Ships Chicago 4JOO TONS with her splendid
battery power OF four S-iuch aud eight G-Iuch
guns; the Atlanta Of 3l00 tons, with TWO S-iuch
aud SIX 6Inch guns; The Bennington OF 1903
tons, with six 6-iuch guns All these are modem
steel vessels, aud we need not reckon the wooden
craft on that StatiOn-Ine Essex, 1876 tons, and
The Aautic 800 tons.
The third squadron is that OF Rear-AdmIral
Bancroft GheraIdi, which is now stationed at
the West IudieS, ready also 10 be sent forward il
needed. 1t includes The Philadelphia, 1924 tons,
10 knots speed and twelve 6-Inch rifles; the
Newark. 1888 tons. and also carrying twelve
G-iuch rifles now hitting out at Norfolk o join
the squadron; The Concord 1903 tons, with six
6-inch guns. To this squadron also belongs the
famous old wooden ship kearsarge which sent
Tic Alabama 10 The bottom
Besides these vessels have on the Pacific
Coast the important baTbette-turret coast de-
fender Monterey OF 40+S tons. She is The craft
largely relied upon 10 tackle The Prat. She has
less sps ed Than the latter, being designed only
Tor sixteen knots but she carries tremendous
battery of TWO I2iach and TWO 1O-inch guns.
A n
a charge of 435 pounds Of powder They are
carried IL HE forward tuSIet, which is protected
by Steel plates fourteen inches thick, White the
lO-mch guns " III be IN the after urret. protected
by lll2.Inch plates. The hui armor of this YES
sci IS sixteen inches at The maximum, Il long dis
tance amuShipS, cover lug the engines aud mag}-
zines. Forward and ait the thickness IS de-
creased. 1t also tapers amidsnips from sixteen
inches II the top down 10 six inches. THIS yes
sci can be made ready, 1t has been IePurted,
within two months, aud IN fact she expects 10 be
ready ~ ample season 10 meet the FRAT should
hU~;ilItIes come
ON me Atlantic Coast we have the Mianlono-
moh, cf 1890 tons, carrying in her turrets iour
lO-lnCh bteeCl-lOadlug rifles She has less
eifec I'VE armor protection than the Pratt her
maximum plating, which is on the turTetS, being
IL Il inches. But sOmethiug of an offset Is fur
ui>hed by her low fleebOard. She i. first OF ALL
intended for halbOg defense, but II the Pratt pro-
ceedS from France 10 Chile she may he found
following Ia mat direction. In her has bor-de-
Tense work she Is 10 be aided by HE snge-tuTret
monitors Some of these are already getting
ready Tor service, aud II Is probable That least
hdli dozen of them, and perhaps more, viii DO
htted UP. Supplied Win some of the surplus
S-lUcH and 6-iuch guns they can be OF excellent
service Is Observation-Disclosures, being able with
the& light dfaught 10 90 into waters where q
heavy lTUucl1d cannot follow them.
We should also by 10 means give the Chlleans
a monopoly Of torpedo work, since The Nesu-
FtuS tie Gushing and the Alarm are being fitted
up ior that purl ose, and The supply of Howell
ana Whitehead tOrpedOes hurled forward. or
our wooden vessels The lrOquOis. MOhical aud
others could aid II necessary, and the steel Dol
phin would take part as d dispatch vessel. Mer
chant vessels would also DO lifted out, both as
TRANSPORTS aud a armed cruisers.
lie upshot Of Tie whole matter is that our
navy would b. abuudanlly able 10 take care OF
the Chlleans, even with the services OF The Pratt
conceded 10 them. Should happy and peaceful
settlement end the present trouble, as We must
sincerely hope our navy VIII nevertheless have
ID a most valuable experience IN The art OF get
ing ready In uutry for possible hOstlities.