The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-08
SPAIN'S CHIEF FLEET.
Admiral Cervera's Squadron That Is
No More.
Description or the Fine War Vessels
That Admiral sampson Destroyed.


Admiral Cervera' g squadron Of armor-
ed cruisers and torpedo boat destroyers
--the most formidable squadron Spain
sould assemble before the outbreak OF
war, comprising the finest ships Of the
Spanish navy--sailed from the mother
country few days before President Nc
Kinley cabled to Minister Woodford at
Madrid his Cuban ultimatum. Cervera
sailed ostensibly on peaceful mission,
but there was no doubt that the inten-
tion of the Spanish government was to
make naval demonstration to impress
upon the American government Spain's
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 de-
clared.
Cervera's squadron was made up Of
four armored cruisers. three torpedo
boat destroyers, aud several other ves-
sells when he left Spain. The most for
midable vessels were the four armored
cruisers, fine examples Of the armored
cruiser type. They were the Almirante
Oquendo, the Infanta Maria Teresa, the
vizcaya and the Cristobal Colon. The
first three were sister ships. built at Bill
bao, Spain, and launched in 1890 and
1891. Their cost was given as %, 600, 600
each. These cruisers were 1000 ton
ships, somewhat larger than the BATTLE
ship Maine. Their water line length was
$40 feet, beam SO feet. maximum draft
2l feet inches, indicated horsepower
13, 600 and speed 90 knots This speed
they attained in their trial speeds, but
when inefficient Spanish engineers took
hold Of them they could not develop any
such speed as this. Their normal coal
supply was 10, 600 tons and their COM
plement 500 men each.
Heavy armor protected the machinery
Of the cruisers. They had steel water
line belts 315 feet long. y feet broad
and from 10 to 12 inches thick. The
two turrets on each ship were construct
ed Of inch steel. The gun positions Of
the broadside guns were protected by
armor 1016 inches thick and the deck
plating was inches thick. In armor,
these ships were far superior to our ar
niored cruisers New York and Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn's thickest belt armor is
inches thick, and on the gun positions
the thickest is inches
This trio of cruisers carried heavy
ornaments. In turrets, forward and
aft, each ship mounted IL inch breech,
loading rifles. In addition each mounted
ten 81 inch guns. The Oquendo and
Maria Teresa 81 inch guns were Hon.
toria guns, but, the vizcaya had rapid
fire guns. Each ship carried number
Of small guns and was equipped with
six torpedo tubes. Spain had trouble in
buying torpedoes before the war opened
the country has no facilities for max
ing torpedoes-and it is doubtful If the
ships in Santiago de Cuba harbor were
adequately equipped with torpedoes.
The Cristobal Colon was one of the
newest ships in the Spanish navy. She
was built at Sestri Potente by the Ital-
ian government and launched in 1896.
Her name was then the Giuseppe Carl
baldi III, replacing previous ship by
that name. Spain paid several million
dollars for her and named her the Cris-
tobal Colon, in memory Of the cruiser
by that name, lost near Cape San An
tonic, Cuba, in October, 1895. She was
6, $40 ton ship, 3S8 feet ON the water
line, 80 feet inches beam and - feet
draft Her indicated horsepower was
$4,000, her trial speed 90 knots, maxi
mum coal supply 1000 tons, and CON-
plement 460 men.
The Cristobal Colon's armament con-
sisted Of two 10 inch turreted guns, ten
inch rapid fire guns and six 4. q inch,
ten 2.2 inch, ten Ia inch and two ma
chine guns. She also carried four tor
pedo tubes. Her armor consisted Of q
8 inch water line belt, 9 inches on
the gun positions and inch deck.
The heavy armor was Of harveyized
steel fThe torpedo boat destroyers were
fine Clydebank boats--the Furor and
Terror, launched in 1896, and the Plu-
ton, launched last year. The first two
were capable of developing the remark
able speed Of 2S knots an hour, and the
Pluton was credited with 80 knots. Nc
boats in the American navy now In
commission approached them in speed.
The Furor's and Terror's principal di-
mensions were: Length, 220 feet; beam,
% feet; draft, SO feet; displacement,
800 tons; coal capacity, 100 tons; COM
plement, 67 men; armament, two IL
Founders, two Q Founders and two
FOUNDERS. The Pluton was larger boat,
registering 400 tons and having an in.
dicated horsepower Of 1000, 1900
A. xl..x <ho ..thoro