The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-10
HOW WE WILL FIGHT CHILL
What Will Be Done By Our Military and
Naval Authorities in Case Of VAR
The Captain Prst Is Dangerous, and Night
Cause Trouble-POssisle Naval Battle Of
Valparaiso-The Troops for the War.

Special Correspondence Of the Sunday Journal.
WASHINGTON. Jan. s-The plan of the
war between the United States and Chilli,
complete in every detail from the declara-
ton of hostilities to the final surrender Of
the foe, has been for some months past
lockednp in q safe at the Navy Depart
ment 1t only remains for Congress TO
touch the button. and instantly the whole
machinery OF war springs into action.
Fleets of floating fortresses. clad in steel
and pregnant with destruction. are set in
motion. Armies leap into being. as iffrom
the sowing of the tabled dragons teeth. In
q twlnkling they are equipped with arms
and ammunition, provided with subsistence
and hospital service. and are off for the
scene of conflict Hardly has the echo of
the first gun died away when two sister
American republics have grappled In dead
IL strife.
The Navy Departments chief anxiety at
present, supposing the event Of war. con-
Germs the monster cruiser CAPTAIN Pratt,
which was launched short time ago In
France. She is one of the most formidable
armored battle-ships in existence. being
probably able to whip in fair fight any
two of our own vessels. excepting only the
Miantonomah. Her armament consists
most Importantly of four AUTOMATICALLY.
inch guns in cupolas and six six-Inch
rspid-tir guns. Each of the latter can ire
i've aimed shots . minute. The work OF
equIpplnR her for active service has been
pushed night and day for three months
past and she is all but ready to steam
across the Atlantic. Her destination would
not be the South Pacific but the coast OF the
United States, on any part of which she
can swoop down and help herself TO what
she wants, save New York. where the Man.
tonomah lies. The latter Is monitor with
two turrets. esch holding two ten-inch rlfied
guns that can tight effectively at adistance
Of seven miles. So long as she protscts that
harbor the CAPTAIN Pratt cannot lie outside
of Sandy Hook and destroy the city from
eight miles away with shot and she'll. In
one respect the Miantonomah would have
q great advantage over the Pratt. inasmuch
rs she can let water into her hold SO as to
sink her deck beneath the surface dnring
action. leaving only her turrets for
target. A duel between such ire
mendous antagonists would be ap-
palliug indeed. Unfortunately. the
Captain Pratt is a swift ocean racer, able TO
steam twice as fast as the monitor, and.
although she would not be able to attack
New York successfully, nothing could pre-
vent her from appearing on Boston. Charles
ton or any other important port on the At
IantIc coast and levying tribute to the ex-
tent of hundreds of millions of dollars as
an alternative TO bombardment. The coast
line Is at present protected by only three
unarmored cruisers, save for the Mlantono-
nah, which could not possibly leave
New York. The Captain Pratt is YES
eel very much of the same type as the
New York. which was launched the other
day, although O trifie smaller. Unluckily.
the latter cannot be equipped and made
ready for service inside of several months
time. IL has been urged that use might
protitably be made in this emergency, OF
expensive repair by Congress ever since
the rebellion. OF these floating forts, with
single turrets there are now seven in the
James river, three at League island. near
Philadelphia, ono at New York and one at
annapolis. Though somewhat out Of date,
IS lighting machines, they could do effect
I've work In harbors at close quarters, and
might be distri buted to advantage among
tEe ports along the sea-board, being manned
by the well-disciplIned naval militia. By
lucky shot one of them might even dis
able such q ship az the Captain Pratt.
WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MEET.
At present nearly the whole of the naval
force of the United States is gathered in
southern waters In the South Atlantic
are the Chicago. Atlanta and Bennington.
In the South tactic are the Baltimore.
Charleston and San Francisco, all three of
them very formidable ships. The Boston
and the Yorktown are at Valparaiso. The
first step taken on our side would presum-
ably, be to seize Sandy Point. in the Straits
OF Magellan, for q coaling station, proceed
ing thence TO VALPARAISO. where there would
doubtless be q great battle. On their side
the Chilians would be represented in the
conflict By three cruisers of the best mod
ern type-the Esmeralda, the Presidente
Pinto and the Presidente Errazuriz. In
addition to these they would have two
extremely efficient torpedo cruisers
the Almirante Lynch and the Almirante
Condell. The Charleston and the
Esmeralda would be very easily matched.
viii the Yorktown and Bennington might
bndlvIdually handle the Pinto and Errazu-
~ Although somewhat inferior to the
latter in point of armament, this disad-
vantage would be more than made mp per-
haps by the superiority of the United
States ships IN discipline and marksman-
ship. Besides the vessels mentioned the
enemy could bring into the fight half a
dozen old-fashioned iron-clads. three of
which would be apt TO be troublesome
Nevertheless. owing to their obsolete pat
tern. our unarmored cruisers might tackle
them successfully.
But the most dangerous antagonists of all
would be the torpedo cruisers and about a
dozen swift torpedo boats belonging to the
Chilians, which. taken all together consti-
tute one OF the most efficient fleets of the
kind in the world. Not only would they be
formidable on account OF the peril from
their torpedos. but by reason of their moral
influence. few raDid-hyine torpedo
boats lowering about q squadron will do a
great deal TO brighten and unDerve the adj
versary. There Is an uncomfortab leness
about the feeling of uncertainty whether
one 10 going. at almost any moment, to be
blown to kingdom come that is calculated
TO upset the stoutest courage. So evenly
matched would the eombatants be that the
carnage would certainly be terrific and
two or three OF our big war vessels would
very likely be blown up or sunk before the
battle was settled. Under such con-
ditions. to assume as mat,
States ships were sure of gaining tho VI
tory would be absurd. What would han
pen if our little navy should be beaten and
badly crippled in such q fight is most IN
pleasant to contemplate. considering the
fact that only these few floating forts ex-
LIST to afford protection to this country.
otherwise so entirely defenseless. A mill
ion men well armed and organized could
do nothing IN protect the cities on the sea.
board against hostile cruisers Taking
these facts into consideration it ia not sur-
prising that these plucky South Americans
ehonld imagine that they have O fair show
Tor success IN conflict with the United
States
Another danger to be feared in the event
OF war would seriously threaten our COM
merce. suppose, as 10 not unlikely that
Chilli should purchase and arm three or
four swift single-screw steamers Until
hostilitles had been declared she could
buy such vessels from any country and to
equip them would be affair of no time
They could do as the Alabama did during
the rebeiion-scour the ocean in pursuit of
United states merchant vessels, capturing
and burning them fast as they were
caught. For long time the entire