The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-15


gun be nred?" says the experts. agree
that 1t would be sea fight, and they
ogree that the first gun would probably
be- fired In the Caribbean Sea. II it is
to be a sea fight, how are we prepared
for It? How Ia England prepared :?
These figures win tell you:
The United States has in commission
siSty-four vessels, thus:
Battle ships. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Coast defense vessels. ...:................l6 10
hrmorei cruisers. ........................ ]
unarmortl cruisers. .......,...............20 20
Projected cfuisers......... ....................l3 IL
Gun VeSScls. ...................... :
Iorpeuo vessel. Observation-Disclosures. l
torpedo boats. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. =
The United States has under con-
struction twenty-five vessels, as fol-
lows: 49, - '-'--'
Battle ships. &
Armored coast defense vessels. ........... 4
armored cruiser. Observation-Disclosures. |
Torpedo boats. .........................
Great Britain has in commission 172
vessels, thus: F.,
Battle ships. Ii
First-elass cruisers. ........................l5 Ii
Second-class cruisers. s.......................12 II
Third-class cruisers. s........................3 81
screw sioops............. ......................ll II
-
torpedo DoatS........ .......................l9 IL
Coast guard battleships. Observation-Disclosures. 4
coast guard cruisers. rs........................ 4
Port guard battle ships.
Dispatch boats and troop ships. ........ 80
Great Britain has under construction
1874 vessels, thus:
Battle ships. Observation-Disclosures. 90
flfst-class cruisers. ......................Ii IA
Second-class cruisers. Observation-Disclosures. 80
-pIQAQ IA
SSiC" sioopS.'.'...... ....................... .
HuiipodtS ......................... ~
Torpedo boat desstroyers. II
Coast DEFENSE vessels. ...........,..,... Ia
Speciai service ships. s.......................
Dockyard reserve. Observation-Disclosures.
In England's navy there are $3.50
enlisted men available-more than three
times the strength Of the United States
army. England has at present on fleet
duty IA flag officers. 3.07S commissioned
officers, 56S subordinate officers, 1,1Ol
warrant officers. 81 1896 petty officers and
seamen, 5,194 boys, making In all on
ships with the fleet 61,945. For coast
guard she has available SO commits
stoned officers, 231 chief officers of sta
ton, $3.50 petty officers and seamen,
making a total of 4,2OO. In the royal
marines she has for service, but at pres
ent on shore. 1858 commissioned officers,
rs warrant officers, 1.173 sergeants, COZ
buglers and musicians. 13,2O2 rank and
file. making In all 1888. In other SER
vice. such as naval cadets, engineer
students, pensioners, boys under train
Ing and various other services, there
are 7,3A2, giving a grand total Of 81, $50
men.
The total strength of the United
States navy In officers, men and boys
Is 1S,46O, of which 1,1OO are marines.
These comparisons do not look
healthy for the United States. Great
Britain, however. would not put all of
these ships in action in American wat
ers. She occupies the unfortunate po-
sition of being the common foe of all
nations. She could not leave her re-
mote borders unprotected. Possibly
not more than half of her shlps could
be sent to the war, while all the United
States vessels could be pressed into
service.
Coast Cities In Danger
The experts say the United States, af-
ter the first furry on the Caribbean,
would assume the defensive. The fight
ing would radiate from the Caribbean
sea. While the contest there was 60
ing on Great Britain would probably at
tack the defenseless coast cities Of New
York. Boston, Charleston and San Fran
cisco. New York and Boston would be
shining marks for British guns, and the
British like a shining mark.
1t is generally conceded that the coast
Of the United States would be poorly
defended. No one believes that the A.
900 miles OF American coast line can
be protected by a navy. Torpedo
plants are useless without batteries to
protect them. OF all the coast cities.
containing many billions of dollars of
accumulated wealth, San Francisco and
New York are alone protected, and their
protection is insufficient and somewhat
unsettled. Some years ago definite
plan of defense was adopted for San
Francisco, but 1t is not completed. The
work has been half-hearted and the ap-
propriations parsimonious. A few mod
ern high-power guns and some rifed
mortars are in position--a bare begin
ming of the work required for adequate
defense. For this reason the Golden
Gate, the greatest harbor in the Pacific
coast, would be an early object Of at
tack.
Puget Sound would be an easy prey,
too. 1t Is an inland sea, practically.
Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle are OF
great commercial Importance, and all
are defenseless, and Fort Ludlow Fort
Madison and Fort Townsend are within
reach Of long-range guns. The North
ern Pacific railroad terminates there.
So do the Oregon and California Coast
line. the Oregon Short line, the Great
Northern and branch of the Northern
Pacifis. A hostile fleet once in posses
sion of Puget Sound. the control of
these railroads would be an easy step.
Obsolete Guns on the Pacific.
The Columbia river, furnishing means
of approach to Astoria and Portland,
Is guarded by guns that are obsolete
and practically harmless to an armored
warship. San Diego is unprotected.
There is more than $500, 0,000.0O0 worth
OF destructible property along the Pa
cifc coast within reach of the batter
les of ships of war.
Galveston Is unprotected; New Or
leans is unprOtected; Mobile is unpro-
tected; Key West is unprotected; Saw
annah is unprotected; Charleston Is
unprotected; Wilmington is unprotect-
ed: Washington. Baltimore and Phila-
delphia are unprotected. excepting by
obsolete and oldfashioned guns that
could not be expected to successfully
resist single hodern battle ship, to say
nothing of q feet.
Recently q modern battery has been
placed Oh Sandy Hook. There are two
forts-one with twelve-inch disappear
ing guns of the most modern pattern.
the other with mortars. There are six
teen of the twelve-inch guns. At each
charge they send shell weighing 500
pounds a distance of three and one
half miles. They are SO accurately
riiled that the shell can be directed with
precision. The Sandy Hook defenses
are superb. Fort Wadsworth and Fort
Hamilton, farther up the bay. have re-
Gently been equipped with modern
guns. The arrangements for protect
ing New York city. however, are not
considered adequate. and the plans of
the government are by no means ma
tured. A modern war vessel. like H.
NJ. S. Terrible for instance, could do no
harm to New York until she had passed
Sandy Hook and the two forts If n