The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-28
BPAIN'S WEAK NAVY,
F,ve GOOD AMERICAN 8ATTLEsHlPs
COULD DEFEAT 1T.

They Arc Poorly Manned Foreigners
q EusIneers and Their Interest In Their
wesa smali-spanisrds Poor Marksmen
Men learned in naval matters, wio
have carefully impaired into the relative
btrength of the American and Spanish
navies and who have at their disposal
the latest inside information concerning
the latter, believe that with five of her
best battleshfps the United States could
.'whip the collected naval force of Spain.
This CONCLUSION is reached after care
full study Of the vessels of war that the
|Spanish government has in actual serv-
ice today and such as could be got in
readiness for fighting within the near
future and by study of the personnel
OF its navy and of its history both in
times of peace and war.
The only battleship in the Spanish
navy that can in any way be compared
to our Indiana or Massachusetts, is the
Pelayo. She was launched in 1887, and
was recently thoroughly overhauled.
She was built on moderL lines. and is
really a powerful and effective fighting
machine. She has few defects, due to
faulty design, chief among VIII hioh is her
small coal supply. She can attain
speed OF l6 knots and steam 2. 400 miles
at a speed of 10 knots per hour. Her
battery consists of two 32 centimeter
caiiber, as tons; twog8 centimeter cali
ber, 3S tons ore I6 centimeter caliber,
n twelve 12 centimeter caliber, six quick
+ fire and twelve machine guns.
The measurements of the Pelayo are
d az follows: Nine thousand nine hun
i dred tons displacement, $50 feet in
length, 66 feet in beam, horsepower,
81 900; belt armor, l7A inches; bar
sbette armor, 1914 inches.
The other armored vessels now in
service in the Spanish navy are the AL
mirante Oquendo. the Emperador Car
| los v, the Infanta Maria Theresa, the
Puig- Cerda, the Viscaya and the Vito
ria. The first and fifth named of these
are armored cruisers, which were launch
ed in 1891. They are practically twins,
except that they differ immaterially as
regards their batteries. Their measure
ments are: Displacement, 1000 tons /;
length, $40 feet; beam, 60 feet; draft,
81 feet 8 inches; horsepower, l3, 900; (;
speed, 90 knots; belt armor, IL inches;
'barbette armor, 10R inches. The In
fanta Maria Theresa is also a modern
armored cruiser, which was launched a
year earlier than these two. but has
practically fbe same dimensions, pro-
lection and battery. The Emperador
Carlos V is an armored cruiser of ., 600
tons, which was built in 1895. Her
length is $50 feet, beam, 81 feet; draft,
20 feet; horsepower, $500; belt ar
NOR, IL inches; turret armor, 10 inches.
She has about the same battery power
as the other cruisers mentioned.
The PUG -Cerda is an old type iron
monitor of little value, and the Vitoria
is broadside ship, which was built in
1855, and is now out of date The un.
armored force of the Spanish navy is
made mp of nine steel, three wooden and
eight iron cruisers Of various sizes, large
and small, and three iron gun vessels.
None of them is particularly efficient or
dangerous. There are also 10 first class
torpedo boats, 8 second class ones and
ii torpedo gunboats in service.
The Spanish government lie doing
everything in its power to strengthen
it's navy. Six steamships of the Cam
pania Transatlantica were recently sup
l piled with armament and equipped as
light cruisers, and for their use q month
ly rental Of 81 Is, 800 is paid. The Span
ish people have been going down into
their private treasures to aid their
bankrupt government. The Spniards
of Mexico recently sent home 1926, 900
for the construction Of two torpedo
boats of the Temerario type. The Span
iards residing in several South American
cities lately raised large fund for a
similar purpose.
In course of construction are three
fine cruisers---the Cardinal Cisneros, the
Catalina and the Princess d d'Asturias.
They build ships very slowly in Spain.
The unarmored cruiser Reina Mercedes
was IL years on the ways. The keels
of the three cruisers now in course Of
construction were laid in 1887, and the
work on them is proceeding at q rate Of
but eighty-eight Of a ton
per day. In addition TO this the cos of
construction is much greater than in
most other countries
1t is believed that the new cruisers
will not be ready for service for many
years, but they will be powerful vessels
when completed. Theywill be sister
ships, not differing in si0e or armament.
They will have displacement of G,64s
tons; length, 347 feet 10 inches; beam,
81 feet; draft, 81 feet 10 inches; horse
power, $4,000; belt armoS, IL inches;
, barbette armor, 1Ox inches; speed, 90
knots Their armament will be: Two
20 centimeter, ten IL centimeter quick
fire; two 2 centimeter quick fire; four
rs millimeter quick fire; fonr 81 milli-
meter quick fre; two machine guns.
The keel Of . protected cruiser, the
Reina Regenta. which will replace the
vessel of the same name which was re.
Gently lost at sea, has been laid within
the past few months. She will not be