El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-03-08
Spain's Naval Strength.

Spain as naval power is inferior to
the United States, an inferiOrity
which is increased when the availabili-
ty OF the two navies for striking d
sharp. decisive blow in American
waters is considered. The records show
ty-eight American vessels of all kinds,
reinforced by six torpedo boats, cou d
oe assemble in the gulf for decisive
blow at Havana Spsin is naturally
at present not SO we'll repaired. Her
only large vessel in Cuban waters now
is the Alfonso XII, but the Madrid
government is Fastening her other
men-of-war to the scene. The Vizcsya
is n en- route to Havana The ar
mored craiser Almirar tie Oquento sew
sral days ago left the Canary islands
bound for the Cuban stronghold. A
fiotilla of six Spanish torpe do boats is
known to be on its way for the same
hsrbor. Other Spanish warships may
be, and probably are, hurrying to
Havana, but the matter has escaped
public attention. Tire can be no
doubt that at this critical stage Spain
is preparing for the worst and as
sem bling her available vessels at
Havana. Her present vessels there
consist of small boats of the gunboat
type, intended for use in the creeks of
Cuba. for police duty, and not for bat
tie with q marit me nation. But
month will undoubtedly bring many
changes.
The available American strength /
we'll known, but until Spain's available
navy rides proudly at anchor under
the frowning guns OF Moro castle only
estim ates of its strength can be made
But from these it seems that Spain
will be at q disadvantage in the event of
hn nf no fla hoi 4
In battleships she has but one that can
compare to Uncle Sans three maPni-
ficent monsters-the Iowa, Massachu-
sets and Indiana. This is the French
built Pelayo. after ten years of service
recently repair ed. She has an excel
lent armored cruiser in the Empersdor
Carlos V, comparing to the Brooklyn;
greater in battery power than the
latter, but inferior in armor. She has
sells of 1000 tons, we'll built, we'll
armored and we'll protected-to which
thu United States has no correspond
ing vessels She has four of these
available, the. nearest approach to
which Is the second class battleship
Texas. In her torpedo boats Spain has
a clear lead over America. She has
four 40O-ton boats that can make twen-
ty-eight knots an hour America pos
SesSe nut Ouo Vi bHIS speSO, Gne tOT-
ter. She has several small torpedo
vessels, Of 500 to 800 tons, that are
with from twenty-four to
twenty-six knots. Opposed to these
America has the Minneapolis. which
has done twenty threei the Columbia,
twenty-five, aud the Olympia, twenty
one. Lastly. Spain has a fotilla of
fourteen small torpedo boats that have
shown from nineteen to twenty-siX
knots.
America can show but eight in this
class, Experts sum up that SPANS
six available armored ships of $1,000
tons are met by America with twelve
armored ships of $1,000 tons. Natural
ly, in point of power America has the
advantage. IF all the American guns
were fired at once the weight of metal
thrown would be about seventeen tons:
if the Spanish guns were let loose at
the same time but ten tons would be
thrown.
In summing up it is safe to say that
Spaiu's chances in naval battle
against the United States would not be
the subject for good wager.-Two
RapuhlicS