The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-28

rapid fire six and three FOUNDER guns.
Her protective deck is six inches thlch
and her sides are partially plated WIZ
two inch steel. She is the newest u
the Spanish fleet Of any considerable size
Not only have we a fair match TOT me
Carlos in the New York. but the BrOOklyh
will keep her hands full. In tonnage she
is a little more than the equal OF tle
Carlos. her total being $500. Inc bIoon-
lyn is a better ship han the New YORK.
and that is saying a good deal. she car
ries eight S-inch and twelve 0-lhcn guns
10 the New YOrks six eight-lhcn anu
twelve fOur-inch. While the Brooklyn
armOr is a trile inferior 10 the New
YOrk's. IL Is infinitely more modern. How
ever. the United States naval o~iilceis'
comparing the fighting strength OF nc
Carlos. the Brooklyn and the New 1oIh'
take into consideration what seems 10
most people only superstition-the Brook
lyn's bad luck. This latter Nessel Is LOT.
ever meeting with some accident anu
the officers say that If she ever ala get
into a real fight she would be sure 10 De-
cCme disabled at a critical moment
There is IN the Spanish navy also one
Of the finest types Of the modern ar
mored cruiser. IL Is the lnIantd Malta
Theresa. She represents a Meet OF vIsht
cruisers OF her own sort when ny me
Spanish nag. Her armament consists o.
two sand 4J-100 guns in barbettes ana zen
$40 inch rapid nreTs. tor prOtectIon
she has a belt at the water llne - lhCnoS
thick. along the central body OF the snip
Twelve inches IS the thickness Of the bar
bette armOr. The nearest approach that
We have TO this class Of war vessel is
found in the Maine or the Texas, whose
tonnage is 1000 and $500 respectively.
Tho Maine has four 10-inch guns In tur-
refs 10 inches thick. and the latter has
two Pinch guns in turrets ~ lnche7
thick. Both have six 6-inch guns in Their
main batteries. These are the second
class battleships. but 10 tell the truth
they are not the equal of the armored
cruisers OF Spain. The only prototypes
OF these vessels are found in the Jtngllsh
navy.
over Spain. and that is In our rams ana
monitors. While every modern WarshlP
is possessed of a ram. we have IN the ma
tahdin a vessel which Is built Tor nothlns
else but sinking her Prov into an tnlucky
foe. The Katahdin is not a very hig yes
sci as warships 20. for her tonnage Is
only 200. btu she could knock the spots
off the best warship thai was ever COLI
structed armoTed or II Only
given half Il chance. Then there are our
1--WE double %turreted monitors OF when
tho most powerful is the unlucky Puritan
OF 5000 tons. Just how efficient a boat the
Puritan is can hardly be said at pres.
emit, for il was only a few days ago thas
she came tagging into port, the end or
her hawser stretching away from thc
stern OF the cruiser Columbia. When the
Puritan went down 10 Charleston TO run
the blockade. she was wen MEN SNdihpet
I'm the great storm. and this fact together
with her latest accident makes naval au-
thorities rather hesitant about fixing the
extent Of her powers.
Besides the Puritan. there is the Terror.
the Amphitrite. the Monadnock. and the
Niantonomah. They are about half the
Puritan's size. Their arpor Is IL inches
thick and their guns are 10 inch pieces.
or course the monitor is pr"e-eminentiy
n coast defender. In smooth water and
for harbOr work this craft is unsur-
passed. The II onitor is q very different
vessel than when Mr.. Ericsson's invention
had its fan Gus duel with the Merrimac.
In lighting strength and in defensive pow
or II is several hundred per cent. better.
While II is true that the majority or the
naval covers DO not approve or the type
OF vessel the monitors represent. their
usefulness is unQucStioned.
II worst came To worst and our war
ships were Inadequate in point or mum
bers. we could call on our big liners for
aid. OF course II would not take much
time TO make unarmored cruisers out or
them. and so far as speed Is concerned.
there is nothing in the Spanish navy or
our w either for that matter. which