The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-10
The Advantage in Weight Was Ours,
Spain Having More 6-lnch'
THE WORK OF OUR 8-INCH GUNS
Their Superiority Was Easily Proved
by the Terrible Execution Ihey
Wrought-The Final Result
Due to Their Work.

] u1lilr OF july so as 10 Ni-' nm 'N'''' Pc
dominance of guns over the Spanish that
at the request Of the Associated Press
Lieut. Benjamin W. Wells. flag secretary
for Commodore schley. who directed the
fire OF two 5-lnch guns during the battle
! has made a comparison of the gun IRE
OF the United States and Spanish vessels
| during the battle.
The ab0reviations may be explained as
| follows: NJ. machine rapid fire. II. X. c.,
! Hontoria revolving cannon. Max. Nord.,
| Maxim Nordenfeldt, h. Il. c., rapid fire
gun.
THE BLOCKADING VESSELS.
The United States vessels on the block
aiding line were the Brooklyn. Texas,
/ Iowa. Oregon. Indiana. Vixen and the
] Gloucester. The Spanish squadron con-
sisted Of the Infanta Maria Teresa, VIZ
caya. Amirante Oquendo Cristobal Colon
and the torpedo boat destroyers Pluton
and Furor.
The batteries Of those vessels were as
| follows:
Brooklyn-s s-inch. y 5-inch. p pdrs,
pdrs., NJ.
| Oreg0n4 13-inch, 5 S-inch, 6-inch, 20
6 pdrs. pdrs, NJ.
| Indiana lS-inch. S-inch, 6-inch, 20
| pdrs. l pdrs. 4 NJ
! Iowa. Pinch. S S-inch 4-inch. 20
| pdrs. 1 pdrs. VI.
Texas l2-inch 65inch, p pdrs' 6
| pdrs. NJ
| Gloucester pdrs. 4 pdrs.
| Vixen-4 G pdrs. Max. Norf, automatic.
SPANISH.
Teresa ii-inch. 10 5.5-inch pdrs
| H. r. g., VI.
vizcaya-2 ii-inch 10 5.5-inch, pdrs,
| H. r. c.. NJ.
Oquendo-2 ll-inch. 10 5.5-inch, pdrs' 3
| H. r. g.. VI.
Colombo 6-inch. 47-inch, 10 pdrs' 10
| ] pdrs NJ.
Pluton-2 p pdrs. . pdrs, Max. Nord.
! automatic.
Fmcr-2 y ptrs. 2 : pdrs, . Max. Nord.
automatic
TOTAL NUMBER OF GUNS.
United states-is-inch. g: Pinch g. s.
| inch. %: 6-inch. "a: 5-inch r. J.. c.. II: 4
| inch r. j.. c.. 6. 6 pdrs 90; 1 pdrs. &;
| Max. Nord. 2: machine. g. Total, 225.
| Spanisk-if-inch 6: 6-inch r. r. c. l0'
| 55-inch r. T.. c.. 80. A7-inch r. F. c.. 81
| - pdrs. A. pdrs IS; ! pdrs, 10; Max.
| Nord, 4. IT, r. c.. Sc m-m. q, machine a.
| Total 1i6.
From the foregoing IL will be observed
| that the United Stats vessels were SUI
| perior i'm guns OF large calibre, having
| "A total OF fourteen 13-inch and Finch,
| against the six 1l-inch guns OF the
| enemy. But 10 might be we'll 10 state
here that the very heavy guns did not
| get home except I'm the case OF two shots
| l2- anu i3-inches which struck the
| Teresa and perhaps one which struck one
| of the destroyers on the other hand.
| tho superiority Of rapid-fire guns or me-
| dunn callbre was in favor Of the span
| ism shiDs. they having fifty guns from
! G-inch rapid-nre down 10 and including
| their 12-poundors while the United states
vessels had but eighteen guns OF the
| rapid-hre type
MORE SMALL GUNS.
| In the smaller guns. the proportions
we're 13i for the United States and rs for
| the Spanish ships. emitting machine
| guns This superiority I'm number proved
| an important factor I'm the battle. for It
was stated by the Spanish officers that
| the 6-pounder fire was so accurately de-
| structive that difficulty was experienced
| IN keeping the men M their guns.
| In this connection. however the thirty
| two S-inch guns OF the American vessels
| must be most seriously taken into ac-
| count. They easily proved their excel
| ence over other guns by the terrible
| execution which they wrought and which
| undoubtedly contributed In n very mark
| ed degree 10 the final result.
| COMPARISON OF GUNS ENGAGED.
| In making this comparison. IL must be
| remembered that Immediately on coming
| out Of the harbOr. the Spanish vessels
headed 10 the westward. bringing their
| full port batteries TO bear. while the
| United States vessels were closing I'm
| bows on. All the United States vessels
| were handicapped In varying degrees In
| this regard at the beginning Of the bat
| tie. The following table Is believed 10
| be a fair estimate Of the number or
! guns engaged on each side.
TOTAL GUNS ENGAGED.
United States-13-inoh 4. Pinch. A. s.
| inch. Is. 6-lnch. Z: 5-inch rapid-fre guns.
! s: 4-inch rapid-hre guns. 3: 6-pounders
/ a.: 3-pounders. &: 1-pounders. 4; machine
| guns S-total 10
Spanish-ll-inch, 6: G-lnch rapid-fre
| guns. 3: 5.5-inch rapid-fre guns, l5 AZ
| inch rapid-fre guns B. l2-pounders. 4; b.
| FOUNDERS. q: 1-pounders. 8; Hontora Re-
| volvinp Cannon 3I-mm. Maxim NOrden-
| feldt 4. Machine Total. Of.
The Vixen is not included for she fas
| almost directly in the line Of fire when
| the engagement began and ran outside
| of the heavier ships I'm order not 20 en-
| barrass them and remained near the
| Brooklyn and oregon 10 look out for
| torpedo attacks. She was under fire
| but was unable 10 return 81.
ME- AL 4 I1iktlM y 1Isk MI 7. ! t.
| To determine this quantity, take the
] time allowed from fire 10 fire FOR the r.
: inch gun as unit. Then In that length
| Of time the weight or metal from the 81
inch guns would be- 100 pounds by 4
guns. 400 pounds. The allowed time
| from fire 20 fire for the 13-inch Is 32O
| seconds and for the Pinch. II is 80
seconds hence the weight Of metal thrown
| By the Pinch I'm 800 seconds "a 1878
| pounds These quantities for other cali
| bres are found similarly. hence we have:
13-inch 400: Pinch 3.613; s-inch 1900;
6-inch LIS: 5-inch rapid-fire gun $50:
4-inch rapid-hre gun 1854; 6-pounders T.
500: c-pounders 3S4: 1-pounders. 1.720.
| Total weight thrown in 800 seconds $3.50
pounds. Weight thrown per minute G,720
pounds.
In determining this quantity for the
! Spanish guns the same time allowances
are used as for similar types OF United
| States guns. The weights OF prOjectiles
| are for common shell and have been as
cortained as possible The time unit IS
900 seconds. being the interval from fire
to fire Of the United States l2-inch gun.
Eleven-inch. 35l6: 6-inch r. r. G., $3.50;
five 5-inch r. F. G.. 1927; 12-pounders.
| 500. four Finch r. T. c., LAO: 6-pound-
ers. 315O. l-pounders & r. 2. c.. 900;
Max. Nord., 900: total weight thrown in
200 seconds. 2l13} pounds; weight thrown
per minute. 4SS pounds.
Machine guns are omitted.
II VIII be noted that the weights
thrown per minute were as G.720 4S27;
| this Is approximately as 1890. There
| fore the fire OF the United States ships.
| instead OF being treble that OF the Span
f.h ,bfna NOS ona-fhfrd greater. and