The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-18
the Satellite, Wild Swan. Hyacinthe,
Nymphe and Liffey.

the Satellite, Wild Swan. Hyacinthe,
Nymphe and Liffey.
The Pacific squadron of the American
navy consists of the Philadelphia, Mon
terey. Boston, Marion, Bennington, Alert
and Ranger. The monitor Monadnock is
available. The battle-ship Oregon can be
ready for action in ninety days. The
cruiser Baltimore will be here within a
month. Perhaps the British could assem-
BILE feet much more form liable than
ours, but Great Britain would require a
very powerful squadron to undertake the
task OF passing the Finch rifed guns, the
1O-inch guns, the dynamite guns and NOR
tar batteries which command the channel
and the approach to the Golden Gate.
1t is quite common talk that fleet of
modern warships could stand off five miles
from the Cliff House and shell San Fran
cisco into ashes. No doubt shells could be
thrown into the City, but San Fra ncisco
would not be laid under tribute until the
enemy's feet passed the channel forts and
defeated the Monterey, Monadnock and
other harbor defense vessels. 1t is pre-
sumed that the people of San Francisco
have the average pluck of Americans, and
would not be ready to surrender on the
signal of an exploding shell. The inhabi-
tants of Vicksburg were shelled day and
night from May 10 to July T. 1853. Gun
boats, mortars and land batteries rained
shells upon the City, yet the town was not
laid in ashes. A hostile feet approaching
within effective range for bonn harding the
City would be exposed to the guns on the
bluff at Fort Point.
The Asiatic squadron of our navy con-
sists of the Charleston, Detroit, Concord,
Yorktown, Monocacy, Machias and Petrol.
The Olympia, one of the best fighting
cruisers of the new navy, has just joined
that squadron, relieving the Baltimore
and becoming the flagship of Commodore
f. V. McNear.
The South Atlantic squadron consists of
the Newark (fagship), Castine and Yantic.
The European squadron, commanded by
Rear-Admiral T. O. Selfridge. consists of
the San Francisco (flagship), Minneapolis,
New York and Columbia.
The North Atlantic squadron, consisting
of the Cincinnati, Raleigh and Montgom-
cry, will in a short time be REINFORCED by
the battle-ships Maine and Texas.
The new ships of the United States navy
are equipped with the most effective guns
ever made. In point of speed and fighting
equipment they cannot be surpassed. In
case of emergency the feet can be re-en-
forced in short time by the Indiana, Iowa
and Oregon.
AS a naval power England ranks first in
point of ships. She has 274 warships in
service, not including torpedo-boats and
has forty-two vessels under construction,
of which ten are battle-ships.
No doubt the prospects of war will
greatly stimulate the building and equip
ment of ships at the navy-yards of the
United States. What this country can do
when events require all the resources which
the Nation can command was illustrated
during the Civil war. Now, with vastly
more wealth and greater facilities, torpedo
craft and defense vessels of formidable
character could be put afloat in a short
space of time. In the beginning of con-
test with Great Britain some reverses
might occur, but as the war progressed and
our energies were invoked the spirit of
American determination to "even up af-
fairs" with Great Britain would accom-
plish wonders in navy building and army
organization.