New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-14
SPIN WOULD BE WHIPPED.
HER NAVY NO MATCH FOR THAT OF
THIS COUNTRY

SPANISH SQUADRONS WOULD V'i'"'i '
DRIVEN FROM THE sEA-cOMPARA-
TIVE NAVAL STRENGTH OF
THE TWO NATIONS
inv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNEI
washnpton Nov 13.-It Is OF much interest AT
this time when there is talk OF war between ms
49,. , cnai, IN consider the comparative sea
strength of the two countries. The fleet OF the
United States as to number and power mas pee"
described in The Tribune. II IL cohposeu' "'o''
especially on the home station. wh'ch mas pee" aus
mented 10 an extraordinary degree with''' .'e n''
few months of modern steel ships exclusively. inc
commissioned feet nov comprises i've p"'''-'"'
two arnored cruisers. three MONITORS h'"e p'o
,a,ted cruisers twelve cruisers seven gunpoatH ana
the ram Katahdin This force VIII De 'hcre"'eu
within the next thirty days by the """'''o" vi ~
heavily armored cruiser the BROOKLYN one po"e'
full armored monitor. the Puritan; announcer "o"''o'
carrying heavy guns, the Miah'o'o'"o'' anu WV
dynamite cruiser Vesuvius
II reports are true. this big force on the No''"
Atlantic Coast is TO be increased without delay by
tb, addition of the armored cruiser olympia one Oh
the finest vessels of her class afioa ana the pa'u
ship Oregon. now on the Pacihc s'a'o"' pi'"'
stated this is the force which Spain wou'd nave
20 moot IN case Of war with this country 1t Is a
>,o,.y ,ruch smaller less effective than the neets
England or France muster. but 1t Is much
stronger than the squadron Of Alfonso. In a re-
cont interview Chief Constructor Hichborn SAM
that in case Of a naval war between this country
md Snain the United States would undoubtedly DC
victorious.
DECADENCE OF SPANISH SEA POWER.
Spain formerly had fleet to which she couu
point with great pride Now her sea power II '"u'"
less numerous and less effective. The Spanish meet
never recovered from the disastrous de1eat Oh ''o
Armada In l5ss. when her enormous squadron co"-
sisting OF 1870 galleons OF tonnage OF o's4s mount
ing 2tsl cannon. and carrying over 5000 officers.
sailors and marines went up the English coast. all
sail bent TO meet destruction from gale ana gun.
II IL only within the last few years that SPAN mas
realized the Importance OF increasing he' me-.
Previously she appeared to be IN II 'orPoi' ro'
nearly seventy years her sea force was hes'eo'eu'
Evep lately her efforts have been spasmodic.
When Spain had her recent serious discussion WIN
Germany In relation the possession OF the 'arohe
Islands a new impetus was given to naval matters
in Alfonso's kingdom. II then became apparent 10
every one I'm Spain. more especially 'he o"'''"''
connected with her naval administration tha' "c'
navy was i'm n condition bordering on helpeSS"'SS
In case OF a serious emergency. Inc 'o'''S was
snpeaIed TO most urgently and an appropriation
was called for to supply the evident "c"c'c"o' ~
the feet Members OF the cortes realizing the SIT
nation much as members OF the American con-
xress did in 1854 voted the generous sum OF >'oV"'
70 place the Spanish Navy on an efficient foo''hs
Then followed an extensive naval reorganization
scheme Under this II was proposed 10 bniid crew"
cruisers ten torpedo vessels. l4o torpedo-poa's'
twenty gunboats and twenty harbor-defence YES
sells The programme called for the organization
OF this fee, into three divisions This was nor car
r,ed ont for many reasons. chiefly financial. II was
executed In part. however and to-day the Navy o.
Spain while not comparable with that OF England
France or even the United States - fhirV iarse
and fairly efficient.
II Is the universal opinion OF officers OF the Navy
on duty In this city that in the event OF war De
tween this country and Spain the nome meet "o"''
within six months drive Anonso's sauadrons from
.h 40. snatr has not one war vessel that could
moo. with success In fight with the American
battle-shp Indiana. There II n question IN the
minds OF naval officers II SPANS best snip wou'h
be a match for the New-York
WHAT HER NAVY CONSISTS OF.
The Spanish Navy comprises forty-nine vessels OF
all types ranging In displacement from W" 'o"S,
the heaviest 10 52i tons. the highest IL" OF
these are armorcd ships but most OF them "'' "'-
protected. Some are OF recent construction sue"
os tho Emnerador Carlos V. built In 1870; Others ar"
OF obsolete design. having been built a. FAR back
"a ,s75 spain has no single ship that could with
any nrohabiliiv OF success meet either one OF the
three American battle-ships In commisslon-'he
Indiana the Massachusetts or the oregon i''
best nehtng vessel Is the Pelayo TINS snip mas
disnlacernent OF 800 tons. length OF SS i"'t
beam OF CS feet and draueht OF q feet II ih'hes'
She has two propclers. and - classrd az 'ap"pe
y, devcloning 90 hor sc-power She has belt OF
armor Ia. inches thick. Her battery or pArp't''
or Is idi inches thick Worked over her vital
,ar,s &c a steel protective deck four inches thick
Che mounts twenty-thrce guns. large ana small
Her heavy guns OF the &-cen'ime're '-'oh
TYNE She carries two OF these. She also mas TWO
2s-centimeire Ss-ton guns. one l6-centim""' gun
twelve centimctre guas and six rapid-hr' guns
She ia provided with seven torpedo tubes. she was
launched in 1881 Her speed IL sH"'" "'' W
ran carry 700 tons OF coal.
ua,r.s next heaviest ship Is the Emperador
Carlos Y \ steel vessel OF 5000 tons displacement.
She was launched ~ Cadz on March " ND Her
dimensions are: Length. $50 feet BEAM 81 iee' ana
draught q feet She Is supplied With TWO propei'rs
and Is reported to be capable OF developing l'"p
horse- mower Her speed is rated as twenty kho'S'
Her plating IL light. being but two Inches on the
sides She Is a turret vessel and the srmor In that
,or,,or IL ten inches thick She has protective
deck GU inches thick. Her coal capacity Il given
az 10 tons which. at the rate oil ten Kho's an
hour Il IL said will allow her to steam l""o miles
Her battery comprises two 2s-centimere guns
eight lA-centimere four Iocenimetre, TWO '-centi-
metre guns four 57-millimere and -FOUR "rmilh-
metre rand fire guns. Besides thes". shc carries
two little guns probably intended Tor service "heh
landing her battalion. She is ht'ed win SIX 'o'-
pedo tubes. A.. 800, ,,.sso, ., c,,t,
~ he mentioned il the Numancia. This ship Is OF
iron She was built as far back az lS5. ana mas nor
80 no,,rsc many features to be found In modern
vesscls Of war She has a fair-sizcd battery. how
ever Her speed IL only eight knots. She displaccs
oot tons Her length IL 3Ii feet. beam 30 feet 2
ncbes and her draught q feet inches She has but
one nropelier and her indicated horse power Is
mi, 7os She has an iron belt 5i2 inches thick
Yiny t,,rret armor which Is OF the same material
is Ave inches thick. Her deck plating Is OF un-
msuai ,hicknsss being twelve inches Her battery
consists of eight lo-nch Armstrong guns. seven d
inch puns one 2O-centmetre gun and eight other
.,n,,i.r nieccs The Numancia could not leave
SPANISH waters in OF war. She certainly
could not be sent as far away from base
NJ sunnlics as the United States. She carries 40
tons OF coal but I'm lists describing the Spanish
Navy her steaming radius IL put down as only $40
miles
TWO OF HER BEST SHIPS.
The Vizcaya launched In 1881. and recently