Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-29
Detailed List of Uncle Sans Vessels
that Could be Used in Case
of War.
We Would Easily be Able to Take
Care of the Chilians with our
Present Means.
Character of the Fleet that Might
be Got Together to
Fight Us.

woke war with the United States. Its
entire country includes an area about as
large as that of Texas, and even a LARGE
part of that is sterile and practically I'M
inhabited. Caili's population all told is
but 100000. This includes some SC, 900
Indians, dwelling for the most part in
Patagonia. The remainder of the popu-
lation is composed of the descendants of
the Spanish buccaneers and the native in
habitants. 1t is of historical record that
CHILEAN wars have been rendered peculiar
ly atrociouS by reason of the crude char
acter of much of the population.
The territory of Chilli lies open to easy
attack. 1t is a country with 1000 miles
Of sea coast and the seaports are separated
by almost impossible mountains, thus
rendering the succor of one to another
virtually impossible by land. Iquiuue,
which is the seaport to the nitrate region,
torn from Peru in 1878, has no forti6ca-
tions worth the mention. Valparaiso,
the principal commercial city, with 216,-
600 people, was taken by the small con-
gressional feet with little or no resistance.
Santiago, the capital, with 358, 900 peo-
pie, lies inland some sixty miles back of
Valparaiso, and is dependent, as the whole
nation is in fact, on the commerce of the
sea coast.
There are two nations which
would especially be delighted to
see Chill become involved in a war with
the United States. and it is entirely prob
able that, in the event of rupture, they
would seize the opportunity to assert their
independent spirit toward the most dom
ineering power of South America. Tney
are Peru and the Argentine Republic. In
1873 Chill picked quarrel with Peru,
beat her and then dismembered her With
Argentine she has bitter quarrel about
boundary lines. Both nations but abide
| their time to take rev9npe.
In January, 1890, the Chilian w&r feet
and in case Of War the operations viii
chiefly be by sea-included three IRON
! clads, one deck protected cruiser, ten fist
class and Swo second class torpedo boats
and four gun boats. One Of the ir0n-clad,,
the Banco Encalada, was blown up dur.
ing the late unpieasan while two OF
| three Of the torpedo boats suffered simi
lar fate The protected Cruiser
EsmeraIda carries two 25-ton guns
! but was not considered a match
| for the Baltimore when the latter vesse
was in pursuit of the Itata. Chill also ha
a first class battle ship now building il
! France. The Admiral Pratt is understood
to be superior to any of our present wa
vessels and closely resembles the New
York, recently launched 1t is now being
rushed to completion and will be ready TO
service in two or three weeks. The Chilial
| torpedo feet is considered somewhat SUI
perior to our own. Yet ten of our crack
steam yachts should be Fl ted for this pur
pose with little delay and we would then
be infinitely stronger from every point OF
view
| A New York correspondent thus sum
mariz2s the present condition of GU
| navy:
! The naval force that can be immediateI
| brought to bear on our side against Chill
! comprises, to begin with, a dozen modern
steel unarmored vessels of the proteote,
cruiser type, mounting more than l0(
| high-power breech-lOading rifles of tn
six-inch and ten,inch caliber. In fact
our only steel cruiser which has not beer
made available for this purpose is til
smallest of them, the Petrol, which
with her four guns, has been sent off t
! China.
Beginning frst with the vessels now i
the Pacific ready to be concentrated alon
the CHILEAN coast, we have:
The Baltimore Of 4,400 tons, carryin
four inch and six inch guns.
The Charleston of 3,730 tons, carryin
two 8-inch and six 6-inch guns.
The San Francisco of 4 083 tons, carry
ing twelve inch guns.
The Boston of 300 tons, carrying tw
inch and six 6-inch guns.
! The Yorktown Of 1,703 tons, carryin
six inch guns.
All these vessels are well supplied wit
rapid fire and machine guns in their SCI
ondary batteries, and all ha We good speed
b. the Charleston being classeG an Is knC
ship and the San Francisco and Baltimor
as - knot ships.
Turning from these vessels on th
Pacific station to Admiral Walker squad
ron now at Monteyideo, ready to procee
to Chilli through the Straits of Magellan
we ind it includes the flag ships Chicago
$500 tons, with her splendid batter
power of four 8-inch and eight zinc
guns; the Atlanta, of 5000 tons, wit
two 8-inch and 6-inch guns.
All these are modern steel vessels, an
we need not reckon the wooden craft Of tn
station the Essex, 1875 tons, and tn
Yantie, 900 tons.
The third squadron is that of Rear Ad
miral Bancroft Gherardi, which is nov
stationed at the West Indies, ready also
be sent forward If needed 1t include
the Philadelphia, 4,34 tons, nineteel
knots speed and twelve 6 inch rifles, nov
fitting on at Norfolk to join the squadron
and the Concord, LOB tons, with incl
guns. To this squadron also belongs til
famous old wooden ship Kearsarge, whici
SSUL inc atdDdihd IL bslE DOJDm.
Besides these vessels We have on the Pa
cifc coast the important baroette turre
coast defender Monterey, OF 4,048 tons
She Is the craft largely relied upon t
tackle the Pratt. She has less spa ed THAI
the latter, being designed only for sixtee,
knots; but she carries tremendous bat
terry of two 12-inch and two l0-inch guns
The former propaI an $50 pound projectiI
. ~ -,
tba forward ty7rret which IL pro