Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-01-10
MS WEAK NAVY.
.oon AMERICAN EMPHASIZES
 COULD DEFEAT IT.

.re Poorly Manned Foreigners
 .eers and Their Interest In Their
 small spaniaris Poor sEarissmen.
 learned i'll naval matters, who T nrefully inquired into therelative 2 and ,,b of the American and Spanish Con. a4s Sho have at their disposal
 tass nside information concerning fdihal, .fer believe that with five of her
 batfleships the United States could to ga the collected naval force of spain.
 conclusion is reached after $ care
 +n5v of the vessels of war that the
 sb government has in actual serv-
 a4av and such as could bo got i'll
 9ess fer fighting within the near
 and hy d study of the personnel Ta navy and of ifs history both in
 4of peaea and war.
 ohiy bateleship in tho Spanish
 that can il any way be compared Z Indiana CT Massachusetts is the
 Ta. She was launched in 1887, and I recently thoroughly overhauled
 Was built oa modern lines, and is
 q powerful and effective fighting 0 Fl :ge. Gl.o has 9 few defects, duo to s1 sly design, chief among which is her
 }I coal supply. She can attain a 3 8 of 16 knots and steam 3, 450 miles #aepeed ef 20 knots per hour. Her 5frg consists of two g centimeter 8sbber. 48 tons; two 28 eentimoter cali 3S tors; ono 16 centimeter calibor > gelge 19 eentimeter caliber, six quick
 ,r3 f.~alvp 19{aeiine s5ffpc
 lg The measurements of the PeIavo arc M folows Nine thousand nine hun
 led tons displacement, 330 feet ill
 gath, G6 feet ia beam, horsepower, #s000; beIt afHor, 11& inches; bar. Fl 8atto amor, 19]4 inches.
 3 The other arnoled vessels now in
 rgice in Che Spanish navy are the AL uirante Oquendo, the Emperador Car HbsV, the Infanta Maria Theresa, the 3puig-Cerda, the Viscaya and the Vito- ria The first and fifth named of these are armored cruisers, which were launch edin 1891. They are practically twins, except that they differ immaterially as regards their batteries. Their measure 8 ments are: Displacement, ' 1000 tons length, $40 feet beam, 6 feet; draft Fl q feet 6 inches; horsepower, 13, GOO; ! # seed, 20 knots, belt arnlor, 12 inches Fl Srbette armor, 1016 inches The h. Fl fanta Maria Theresa is also modern armored cruiser, which Was launched a year earlier than these two, but has practically the same dimensions, pro- & lection and battery Tine Emperador Fl Carlos V is an armored cruiser of g, GOO tons, which was built in 1895. Her # length is 380 feet, beam, G feet; draft, Fl % feet; horsepower, Is. 500; belt ar. nor, 12 inches; turrct armor, 10 inches. X She has about the same battery power as the other cruisers mentioned.
 # The PuigCerda ia all old type iron monitor of little value, and the Vitoria \ is broadside ship, which was built in 1865, and is now out of date. The un- armored force of the Spanish navy is made up 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 19 first class Aorpedo boats, 3 second class ones and Il torpedo gunboats i'll service.
 The Spanish government is doing everything ill it's power to strengthen it's navy. Six steamships of the Cam pania Transatlantica were recently sup piled with armament and equipped as light cruisers, and for their use month ly rental of $l ,800is paid. The Span ish people have been going down into their private treasuries to aid their bankrupt government. The Spaniards of Mexico recently sent home $225, GOO for the construction of two torpedo boats of the Temerario type. The Span- iards residing in several South American cities lately raised a larse fund for a similar purpose.
 In course of construction arc three fine cruisers--the Cardinal Cisneros, the Cataluna and the Princess q 'Asturias They build ships very slowly in Spain. dhe unarmored cruiser Reina Mercedes was 12 years on tho 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 ot but eighty y-eight-hundredths of ton per day. In addition to this the cost of construction is much greater than i'll 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. They will be sister ships, not differing ill size or armament They will have displacement of 6,64o tons; length, 347 feet 10 inches; beam, 61 feet; draft, 21 feet 10 inches; horse power, 1000; belt armor, 12 inches; barbette armor, lo1@ inches; speed, 20 knots. Their armament will be: Two { 28 centimeter, ten If centimeter quick fire; two z eentimeter quick fire; four 75 millimeter quick fire; four 37 mlll1- meter quick fire; two machine guns.
 The keel of a protected cruiser, the Reina Repenta. which will replace the