Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-09


pare itself for war with Chile While il now
looks as if there would be an amicable settlement
everything is in readiness to make bold strike
to uphold the dignity and honor Of our coun-
try STAR reporter learned that the plan Of
war; from the declaration Of hostilities to the
final surrender of the foe, has been for some
months past locked up in q safe at the Navy
Department
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 de-
struction, would be SET in motion. Armies
would leap into being, as if from the sowing of
the tabled dragons teeth. In twinkling they
would be equipped with arms and ammunition,
provided with subsistence and hospital service,
and be of for the scene Of conflict.
THE CAPTAIN PRAr.
The Navy Departments chief anxiety at
present, supposing the event of war, concerns
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 cur own vessels
ceptin2 only the Miantonomoh. Her arms-
ment consists most Importantly Of four ~
Inch guns IN cupolas and six 6-inch rapid-fre
guns Each of the latter can fire five aimed
shots a minute. The work Of cquipping her
for active service has been pushed night and
day for three months past, and she is ell but
ready to steam across the Atlantic. Her desti-
nation 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
Miantouomoh lies.
THE TERRIBLE MIANToNoMoH.
The latter is monitor with two turrets each
holding two ten-inch rifed guns that can fight
effectively at a distance of seven miles. So
long as she protects that harbor the Captain
Pratt cannot lie outside Of Sandy Hook and de-
stroy the city from eight miles away with shot
and shell. In one respect the Miantonomoh
would have a great advantage over the Pratt,
inasmuch as che can let water into her hold SO
as to sink her deck beneath the surface during
action, leaving only her turrets for target.
duel between such tremendous antagonists
would be appalling indeed. Unfortunately the
Captain Prat IS swift ocean racer, able to steam
twice as fast as the monitor, and, although
she would not be able to attack New York
successfully, it is said that nothing could pre-
vent her from appearing off Boston. Charles
ton or any other important port on the Attain
tic coast and levying tribute to the extent of
hundreds OF millions of dollars as All alternative
protected by only three unsrmored cruisers,
save for the Miantonomoh, which could not
possibly leave New York.
THE OLD MONITORS.
The Captain Pratt is \ vessel Of very much
the same type as the New York, which was
launched the other day, although a trife
smaller. Unluckily, the latter cannot be
equipped and made ready for service inside Of
several months time. 1t has been urged that
use might probably be made in this emergency
of the old monitors. which have been kept in
nv CIV h..
bellion. or these floating forts with single tur-
refs there are now seven i'll the James river,
three at League Island, near Philadelphia, one at
New York and one at Annapolis. Though
somewhat out of date as fighting machines it is
claimed by some they could do effective work
in harbors at close quarters, and might be dis
tributed to advantage among the seaports along
the seaboard, being manned by the weil-dis-
ciplined naval militia. BY lucky shot one Of
them might even disable such . ship as the
Captain Pratt.
WHERE THE NAVAL FORCE Is.
At present nearly the whole of the naval
force of the United States is gathered in south
ern waters. In the south Atlantic are the Chi
cago, Atlanta and Bennington. On the Pacific
station 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 presumably be to seize
Sandy Point, in the Straits of Magellan, for a
coaling station, proceeding thence toVslparaiso,
where there would doubtless be q great battle.
On their side the Chileans would be represented
In the conflict by three cruisers OF the best
modern type-the Esmeralda, the Presidente
Pinto and tine Presidenie Errazuriz. In addi-
ton to these they would have two extremely
efficient torpedo cruisers--the Almirante Lynch
AlmIrant0 'ha~l
and the Esmeralda would be very evenly
matched, while the Yorktown and Bennington
might individually handle the Pinto and
Errazuriz. Although somewhat inferior to
the latter In point OF armament, this
disadvantage would be more than made up per-
haps by the superiority of the United States
ships In discipline and marksmanship. Be-
sides the vessels mentioned the enemy could
bring into the fight half a dozen old-fashioned
ironclads, three of which would be apt to be
troublesome. Nevertheless, owing to their OBJ
solete pattern, our unarmored cruisers might
tackle them successfully.
THE CHILEAN TORPEDO BOATS
But the most dangerous antagonists of all
would be the torpedo cruisers and about a
dozen swift torpedo boats belonging to the
Chlleans, which, taken all together constitute
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 torpedoes.
Out W IcdsoH OI tuelr moral lnnuence. A few
rapid flying torpedo boats hoveriag about |.
squadron would do great deal to brighten and
unnerye the adversary. There is an uncom-
fortableness about the feeling Of uncertainty
whether one is going at almost any moment to
be blown to kingdom come that is calculated
to upset the stoutest courage.
SO evenly matched would the combatants be
that tho 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. What would happen if our
little navy should be beaten and badly Grip
Piled in such a fight is most unpleasant to con-
template, considering the fact that only these
few floating forts exist to afford protection to
this country, otherwise so entirely defenseless.
A million men, well armed and organized.
could do nothing to protect the cities on the
seaboard against hostile cruisers. Taking these
facts into consideration it is not surprising that
these plucky South Americans should imagine
that they have q fair show for success in con.
flict with the United States.
LIKE THE ALABAMA.
Another danger to be feared in event Of
war IL that our commerce would be So
riously threatened. Suppose, a. is not
unlikely, that Chile should purchase and
arm three or four swift single-screw
steamers. Until hostilitiss were declared she
could buy such vessels from any country, and
to equip them would be an affair Of no time