The herald., 1896-11-29

showing that there are only two naval
powers entitled to precedence over the
United States-namely Great Britain
and France
Russia, Germany and the United
States are very nearly on even eernls,
and the great number of first class war
ShiDs now under construction by ~ lat
ter will d definitely place this COVER inent
above the others within twelve m enths.
Spain has not kept pace with the other
great nations during the past five years
in the matter of new warships. Size has
been too poor to attempt it, Her m p<lern
navy today is a small affair. Sh e has
one good battleship, the Pelayo, AND six
first class cruisers She hsa scores upon
scores of other vessel blyt they are
worthless from W.? making stand
point The Pelayo, the best of the ntire
fleet. is not match for the battl ship
Indiana. The Texas, second classsbfst-
tleship. but a newer type than thes lA4-
Iayo. would be an even opponent fon the
latter.
Spair's downfall as naval Itav'er
dates from that fatal third Sunday in
July in the year 1888, when the wonder
full Spanish Armada appeared in the
English channel for the urpose of scoop
ing up the whole of England, Scotia md
and Ireland in the Spanish net. There
were 1850 Warshis of the largest siue in
the fleet. and itw as just as impq sing
in those days as a fleet of 13O first-;lass
battleships and first-class cruisers ouid
be today if mustered under single ma
ton.
On tie 1S0 Spanish ships were nearly
80 900 men, composed of over 10000 SOL
diers, 5000 marines 2O00 oarsmen and 20o0
volunteers representing the most dis
tinguished families in Spain. The Span
ish fleet came on in the shape OF, great
crescent. seven miles from horn to horn,
and the Duke de Medina, the command
ing admiral expected to sweep every
thing opposing it from the face of the
sea.
TOO MANY MEN
Philip II. of Spain had made careful
preparations for the onslaught of the
Armada, too careful, in fact, for there
were so many men in each one of the
100 ships that they were in each others
way hindering effective service. and
every time shot from the enemy tore
through a vessel it killed and manned
dozens, sicliening and disheatening the
others.
Against the great Armada the English
had thirty warships all of them of in
ferior size to the big Spanish galleons.
Volunteer craft of all kinds and sizes
were hastily added to the English fleet,
so that by the time the action began
Lord Howard. the commanding admiral
had 1S1 vessels many of them not much
bigger than rowboats, and 17,472 men.
Respecting the eHtilly = SlIeHSlll anu
his own weakness, Lord Howard decided
that all he could do was to attack them
in the rear, in the hope of disabling the
stragglers. The rear division of the
Armada was commanded by Juan Mar
tinez de Recalde, the best sailor in the
whole fleet. His ship was the big gal
Icon Santa Ana. The English warship
Revenge, of forty guns. commanded by
the historic Captain Drake, singled out
the Santa Ana and gave her such a
drubbing that the Duke de Medina him.
self had to sanl back with large num-
ber of ships 20 rescue the Santa Ana
from the English.
THE SECOND DAY.
The fighting on that Sunday afternoon
was only the initatory round in Spain's
downfall as naval power. Monday
morning the battle was resumed and
many English successes We're scored
The great Spanish fleet was too big to be
effectively controlled, and owing to the
close range and the heavy clouds of
ginoke they fired broadsides into each
other as often as they fired into the Eng
Itch. Besides, the experience of Sunday
afternoon had disheartened many, the
gallant showing of the English being re-
garded as supernatural Several of the
Galleons were captured on Monday and
each prize ship meant fortune The
Rosario was one Of the first to be cap