The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-04

BOtrfl OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES s.ssssssss.s wv
"uow many additional ships could you
have I'm commission within ninety GAYS
after next July IL their services "eie
necded?' IT., A.
eve could have two fighting ships-the
battleship Iowa. Of 1i4i0 tons dispsace.
rnont. and the Brooklyn, an armoreu
cruiser OF the New York type Dut iarses
and more powerful than that spieholo
vessel OF 9.2sl tons. There Is also ,no
Chicago. which IS now undergoing re-
pairs. and nine other vessels, mosuS y.
ne f-unboat class which could be useu at
that time our small fleet OF torpcuo
boats on October LIST next woula DC SuF
plcmcnted by seven others now buiiuns,
The list / have given YOU con1' H,'.sa
Commodore Hichborn. does not hciuue
any Of the old turretted monitors OF any
OF the old cruiser class, either OF wooa OF
OF iron. though doubtless some OF 'ienl
might be m )deTately serFiceaDle IN va
with any but hrst-class naval power
"Bow many vessels are there IN tne
Snanish navy that compare taNoIaoF
with the Indiana, oregon, MassachHSe''S'
aad Iowa2' ,-,.
There IS but one ship in the Spanish
navy that can be compared Win the
Indiana claes i'm our navy. The Pelayo.
launched in 1857, IS OF about the same
displacement. thickness Of armor ana
sneod but carries I'm her main battery
two 12-G-in,h and two l-inch guns, as
against four 13-inch guns by the INDIANA.
The Pelayos secondary battery consists
of one 63-inch and twelve A'-incn guns
as against six 6-inch guns by the inaiaha'
They have six modern second~clasS bdll,-
ehins as follows: The Aimirantc Oqued-
no. Infanta Maria Teresa, and Nizcaya,
of 1000 tons displacement. 1900 indicated
horsepower and - knots estimated
speed launched in 1890 and 1891; the car
dinal Cisneros Catalina. and Princess DC
Asturias. of G.GiS tons displacement ana
the same estimated speed, arc still uhder
| construction. All six arc OF the same
| general type. with a mario" water iuc
| belt Of Pinch armOr, ana carry Two IL
| inch guns I'm 10 1-2-inch armored bainetIes
and ten 5-nch guns protected by shields.
! They have one ship. the Emperado Gar
los Y. OF the type Of the New York, nav
ing 1900 tons dlslacemcnt and 20 KNOTS
c tirnatod speed, launched in 1875, ana not
vet completed She has no size aihoI
evceut a Pinch casemate around the up
nor battery. but has an armor deck or
| the same thickness as the New YORK >.
| She carries two 1l-inch guns, as asalhs'
the six S-inch guns Of the New hork'
and eight 5.5-inch and four 4-lnch guns
oe against twelve finch guns OF the New
X.
ebins in the Spanish navy are the Nunlah-
| cia and Vitorla. Of 1000 tons dispiace-
ment. launched in 1853 and ls5o' ana car
! r,,inr rnuzzle-loading guns, and the rug,
| cerda n small monitor. built in 1874 All
/ lent the latter are fitted with torpedo
t,boe or modern unarmored ships they
| have the Alfonso XIII. and Lepanlo' OF
| about 8 600 tons displacement and ~ hho,s
estimated speed, CARRYING -FOUR e-in I'm,
and six 4-inch guns; the Alfonso NIL
/ Rofna Christina, and Reina Mercedes de-
| stoned for transports, Of about S,v' tons
disn1acement ard II knots estimated
sneed carving six 63-inch guns; seven
gunboats OF the Infanta Isabel ciass, o.
100 tons displacement, each carrying TWO
al guns. six Of them being or what Is
known as the torpedo catcher class
with high speed. Besides these they
| have a few old wooden ships ana ABOUT
| fortv-fve very small gun-hoats OF n,
| fighting value and have built numoei
| Of small vessels for Cuban service since
the present troubles there commenced
| Tbev have thirty-eight first-class and
three second-class torpedo boats. ano
| four vidette boats, but few II any. Of
them could make the ocean voyage
4 summary Of the fighting value or me
two fleets win be as follows'