The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-30
sPAlN's wARsHlPS AND OURS.
from the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
The Spanish warship Pelayo has of late
been mentioned as about equal IN
strength to our own Indiana, and con-
fict between the two has been specu-
lated upon as evenly balanced and inde-
terminable in advance. Such talk Is
based upon gross carelessness of obser-
vation, or misinformation, as reference
to the facts in the case will show. The
Pelayo is a smaller ship than the IN
diana, being of 1888 tons less displacement,
Is feet shorter. ga feet narrower ana .
feet less draught. She has less powerful
engines, developing only 5000 horse-poW-
er to the Indiana's 9,37S. Her new poll
ers may give her greater power, but that
is yet to be demonstrated. she ls SIX
years older than the Indiana. She is Just
about as heavily armored as the Indiana,
in some parts more in some parts less
She carries only 500 tons of coal to the
lndiaras l,64O. She has the same number
of torpedo tubes. Finally, in ordnance
she is far infer.2r to the American snip.
She has four guns, two of l2l5-inch ana
two of 1l-irch calibre; but the Indiana
has four 1S-inch calibre. The Pel1yo mas
one 62-inch and twelve 4.1-inch guns
against the Indiana's eight S-inch ana
four 6-inch guns; and the Pelayo has SIX
quick-firing and twelve machine guns,
2O-pounders, six qufck-firing 1-pounders
and four machine guns. 1t is not extrav-
agant to say that the Indiana is in point
of offensive armament, fully 80 per cent.
more effective than the Pelayo.
%
Much has been said also about the En-
perador Carlos V. She is not a battieship,
but an armored cruiser. Let us see how
she compares with. for example, the
Brooklyn. The Spaniard is is tons lighter,
20 feet shorter, feet broader foot shall
lower. has 1863 less horse power and is
nearly two knots slower. She is less
heavily armored than the Brooklyn, ex-
cepting over her guns, where her armor
IL thicker. She carries 800 tons less coal.
She has the same number of torpedo
tubes. She has two 1l-inCE guns, which
are much heavier than any on the Brook
lyn, but whether they will, on the whole,
prove more effective than the Brooklyn S
eight S-inch guns is an open question.
Certainly the Spaniard's eight 5l2-inch
quick-firing guns are not equal to the
Brooklyn's twelve 5-inch, nor her ten
smaller ones to the Brooklyn's sixteen;
nor will her six machine guns against the
Brooklyn's four give her a winning pre-
ponderance.
Spain has seven other smaller armored
cruisers, heavily armed, of which the
Nizcaya may be taken as type, of about
1000 tons, and 10 to - inches of armor
and each with a couple Of 10 or 1l-inch
guns and ten 51a-inch guns. Against these
the United States has three more bat.
tleships, each equal in fighting strength
to two of the Spanish cruisers, and two
armored cruisers each about equal to one
of them. In coast-defense vessels. moni-
tors. etc, the United States is far supe-
riOr to Spain, the latter having practically
none to De compared with our Monterey,
Puritan, Terror, Amphitrite, Miantonomon
and Monadnock. In gunboats and cruis.
ers. too. the advantage is decidedly on
the side of the United States. If to these
technical conditions we add the differ
ences in geographical position, and in skill
and resources, between the two nations
behind these fleets, the odds are seen to
be so hepelessly against Spain as to make
| it a cause of wonder that any rational
| Spanish statesman should for moment
| consider the possibility of war save as a
| last desperate resort for national de-
| fense to which, we may be sure Spain
| will never be driven by the United States