New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-22


mcnt exposed on her upper bow and stern decks.
the Rcna Regcnte looks as formidable warship
as any in the roadstead. and her warHkc aspect
is heightened by the massive protection given her
amidships Her masts are of the lighter military
drab in color. and with two yellowish stacks, rise
from black and rather dngy-lookinc hull. lier
length is figured as $50 feet. Just eight more thah
the Charleston whil, to give room to her douoe
battery her breadth is stretched to ffty-one 1"e'
Tho Rcina Regente was built in 1887. She has
complement of seventeen officers and 800 men
The torpedo vessel Nueva Espana, which towed
the Nina from Havana, ls tiny, "'i'c-Co'"u'
schooner-riggcd boat Of only so IONS. o"e Is
shorter and lighter than the Vesuvius. the Ameri-
can dynamite cruiser. in whose class slle si,ou'o
be nut for all purposes OF comparison. vi ali 'ie
vessels nov assembled here, she mas thc leaS'
tonnage: for the Vesuvius is registered at 40,
the Bancroft at s3s and the llussard at $50
The brazilian gun vessel Teradcnter, which is
expected here tomorrow or Sunday with the
Brazilian feet has displacement Of 500 tons: so
her arrival will still leave the Nueva Espana the
tinicst war craft in the fotla
Spectacularly, and in point of historical inter-
est and suggestivcncss. the fantastic caravels,
which the bigger cruisers sheltered under their
lee sides in the roadstead, were Of even greater
value than the Spanish men-of-war themselves
As is well known. these reproductions OF the three
ships on which Columbns's first voyage across
the Atlantic was accomplished were built last
year in the shipyards of Barcelona and Cadiz,
the United States Government paying
for the Nina and the Pinta ana
the Government of Spain generously giving the
Santa Maria part of that countrys contrion-
ton to the celebration of the 40Oth anniversary
of the discovery, both in the port of Palos last
Norlv y,aytS
All three ships have been constructed with the
nearest possible approach to verisimilitude, and
as reproductions they undoubtedly have both
artistic merit and great historical value. All
three are in general appearance not unlike the
modern Chinese junk, having exceedingly high.
broad poops, with the waist scooped OUT ana
another smaller deck rising at the bow.
The smaller caravels, the Nina and Pinta, have
only about I 90 tons displacement. and draw only
six feet Of water and, with their overwelghted
stern decks, are apparently as unseaworthy as
ships we'll could be. That they have some ex'
cellent qualities, however, may be judged from
their coming across the Atlantic without loss or
damage as their prototypes did under Columbus
400 years ago. The Pinta is slightly Larger than
the Nina, and is differently rugged, SO that many
external contrasts are offered The Nina, the
smallest and most fragile of the caravcl fleet,
measures Sc feet in length, and s feet in breadth
The Pn,a is 65 feet long and % feet broad, CIV
ing her a far greater substantially and balance
than her smaller companion.
The Santa Maria, which has a displacement OF
900 tons and length of seventy-ive feet. Is con-
sidercd q thorough sea going Ship when "ouio
cross the ocean, if need be, without the assistance
of tow Her sailing qualities were III lac'
demonstrated plainly this morning, when on her
return down the Roads from the circuit maze on
entering she cast loose her tow-line and, Win
her odd shaped sails SGT across ner mas's, came
running with the wind, like yacht whicn has
lust burst her spinnakcr All three ships have
triple masfs short foremost rising from tie
forward decks, the high, stout mainmast pian'eo
in the waist lust where the sides begin TO he cut
sharply away and the rzzenmast, from which
floats the flag, mounting from the last stage Oh
the eycr-climbng poop decks. In the tops OF the
mainmast is basket-shaped outlook Tor inc
watch The irregular sides Of the caraVcis are
squared off with brightly painted runners lofih
ing squares and quadrangles in relief upon the
more sober huls. .,
The Santa Maria and Pin:a arr square;,risgea
vessels. and rigged alike. The Nina Is lateen;
yigged as was the original Nina when she sailed
nal in the Canarics. Every flag and pennant
flown upon the caravels has its special sgnlhcance-
From the peak of the mizzen-yard mes the nag OF
banner of the Spain Of llo?. At the malhh1as'tt
head of the Nina is flown the royal standard OF
CASTLE and Leon and under it a long red pennant
hayns of she Santa Maria and Pna and
the mainmast- head Of the Nina is the royal stah'l-
ard Of Savoy and under it Coumbus's white pen
= The broad pennant of Columbus as Admiral of
Spain, which has green Maltese crots ana ,le
initials IF " Ferdinand and isabella si,hsr s s1e
are flags and shields bearing the arms OF CASTLE
and Leon the red and gold bars of Aragon and
the arms Of Savoy and the SiGes -u;n.,a
ole
On the main deck of the Santa Maria and PInta
are two iron guns; about feet long and u
inches cabre ased On wooden ooGHs noinipa
through round portfolios and called lom'ardas
Mounted in pivot sockets on their rails, IKE me
rapid-ire guns Of To- lay, these two vessels also
carry two smaller iron guns, called falconctas.
Tic Finta has lonhardas, but four falconefas
Ono of the lombardas on the santa Maria was
carried on Columhus's voyage Of discovery-all
the other guns are reproductions. That the gun
Of the Santa Maria can fire as we'll now az IN
l492 was shown when, on anchoring, the tiny
Issbel's hosting the American flag.
The Santa Maria has temporary crew ., on
board to n work her g hat sn sails covered T
with satisfaction and lcneiit. She does not have
her nams on her stern, but, instead, carving Of
the Virgin and Child.
Six ships of war are still to arrive to make the
notilla complete They are the Aauidaban, Iira-
dontcr and Repubca. Of the BRAZILIAN squadron;
pmtr % ' and h@
de Julio The latter Is in New-lork IIarbor. and
is not expected here until Sunday or Monday
morning The Others ought 10 come in some time
Tomorrow 1t is said that the arrival Of the
Dimtri Donsko will immediately, rails" bother
It has been generally assumed that VICE Admiral
Hopkins would, by reason OF his superior rank,
take the head of the foreign line with his squad
ron on the day of the review in Ncw-Iork,
The American officers say. however, that wee
Adj iiral kornakoT Of the nimtri Donskoi norris
&C mmission which antedates that of Vlce-Admral
Ho, kns, and that, if the Russian commander
insists on his claim t. priority strict compliance
WITH the rules Of precedence and naval etlquette
will cntitle him to lead the foreign line with
the Russian squadron Vice-Admral Hopkins. it
is Whispered, has anticipated the effect Of claim
of higher rank on cc-Admirals kornakoh =
pa {, and has obtained from his Government a
commission Admiral, to be used in case ms
I'll 20 L. md il is S1id that.