Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-05
THE FLEET THAT is NO MORE.
Fine War Vessels That Sampson De-
stroyed ut santiago.
New York SUM

NNNM iVih ouihJ
Admiral Cervera's squadron Of armored
cruisers and torpedo-boat destroyers-the
most formidable squadron Spain could as
semblo before the outbreak Of war. com
prising the Nncst ships OF the Spanish
~navy-sailed from the mother country "a
few days before President Mckinley
cabled 10 Minister Woodford at Madrid
his Cuban ultimatum. Cervera sailed os-
tensibly on a peaceful mission. but there
was no doubt hat the intention of the
Spanish Government was to make a naval
demonstration TO impress upon the Ameri-
can Government SPANS preparedness for
war, and. at the same time. TO have all
the available. naval fighting force of The
monarchy as near as possible to Cuba
when war was declared.
Ceryera's squadron was made up Of four
aFInored cruisers, three topedo-boat de-
stroyers, and several other vessels when
ne left Spain. The most formidable ves-
sells were the four armored cruisers. fine
examples Of the armOred-cruiser tyne.
They were the Almirante Oquendo. the
lnfanta Maria Teresa. the Vizcaya. and
Inc Cristobal Colon. The first three wore
sister ships, built at Bilboa, Spain. and
launched in 1890 and 1891. Their cost was
given as 100000 each.
These cruisers were 7.0OO-ton ships,
somewhat larger han the battleship
Maine. Their water-line length was $40
ieet beam 50 feet, maximum draught q
feet 9 inches, Indicated horsepower 1900
and speed 20 knots. This speed they at
tanned in their trial speeds, but when in
'incient Spanish engineers took hold OF
them they could not develop any such
speed as this. Their normal coal supply
was l2e0 tons and their complement
tN men each.
Heavy armor protected the machinery
OF the cruisers. They had steel water
Ene belts S5 feet long. 5 1-2 feet broad.
and from 10 TO u inches thick. The two
turrets on each ship were constructed OF
s-inch steel. The gun positions of the
broadside guns were protected by armor
% IL inches thick. and the deck plating
was 3 inches thick. In armor, these ships
were far superior 10 our armored cruisers
New York and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn's
thickest belt armor is 7 inches thick, and
on the gun positions the thIckest is S
inches.
This trio Of cruisers carried heavy ar
maments. In tu-rets. forward and aft,
each ship mounted 1l-inch breech-loading
rifles. In addition. each mounted ten
9 l-2.inch guns. The Oquendo and Maria
Teresa 8 f-2-inch guns were Hontoria
guns. but the Vizcaya had rapid-fre guns.
Each ship carried n number Of small
GTT7 anu was e9IIp1cd WIN SIX ToT-
pedo-tubes. Spain had trouble In buying
torpedoes before the war opeLed-the
country has no facilities for making tor
pedoes-and it is doubtful II the ships
IN Santiago de Cuba harbor were sde-
quately equipped with torpedoes.
THE COLON.
rf. D.f..-A-r 81. 40
newest ships in the Spanish navy. She
was built al, Sestri Potentc by the Ital-
fan Government. and launched IN 1856.
Her name was then the Giuseppe Carl
baldi H.. replacing a previous ship by
that name. Spain paid several million
dollars for her. and named her the Girls
tobal Colon. in memory OF the cruiser
by that name. lost near Cape San An
tonic. cuba, in October. 1895. She was
a 6,SiO-ton ship. 3SS feet on the water
line. 80 feet s inches beam. and "a feet
druaght. Her indicated horsepower was
1900. her trial speed twenty knots. maxi
mum coal supply. 1000 tons. and compile
ment 40 men.
The Cristobol Colon's armament con-
sisted OF TWO 10-inch turreted guns. ten
S-inch rapid fire guns. and six 4.7-inch, |
len 2.2-inch. ten I.4-inch. and two ma
"t"'5 fhH. ono diSO CdITicO fOfT tOTptoO /
tubes. Her armor consisted of a 6-inch
water-iine bet. s inches on the gun posi-
tons, and a 1i-2-inch deck. The heavy
amor wos OF H~arveyized steel.
The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES were fine
cydebank b~oats-the Ftiror and Terror.
launched In 1896, and the Pmton. launch
ca last year. The first two were capable
or developing the remarkable speed CT
lWFnty-eight knots an hour. and the Plu-
ton was credited with thirty knots. No
beats In the American navy now IN conn
mission approached them In speed. The
furors and Terror's principal dimen-
Sons were; Length, 2o0 feet: beam. 2 feet;
ufaHght, 5s feel; displacement. 800 tons:
s0ai capacity, 100 tons; compile ment, 81