The times., 1898-05-17

REAR ADMIRAL IRWIN.
He Says the Spanish Navy Does Not
Want to Fight.


Want to Fight.
Rear Admiral John Irwin, retired, has
given an analysis of the comparative
strength of the American and Spanish
squadrons and his forecast of the event
in case of an engagement. Admiral Ir-
wins summing up is brief, but as ef-
fective as a 10-inch gun.
"'rhe Spanish squadron would not have
a chance in the world" he said, ''in an
engagement with either Simpsons or
Schley's squadron. Either one would
wipe the spaniards off the face of the
| sea. / doubt very much If the Spanish
have any intention of joining issue. My
theory Is that they were obliged to leave
| Spanish waters and come to the West In
| dies by reason of popular clamor at
home. They hoped, perhaps. to pick up
| some of our smaller ships. but have no
| disposition for battle. 1t would be sim
pie suicide. / hear that the squadron is
now off Curacao. II is probable they fig
ure on making hurried run to Cuban
port-Cienfuego I would say, would be
| their best point. There they would be in
| easy communication with Havana and
| other points.
| '-They will avoid a meeting in the open
| sea if it can possibly be done. / would
| not put time limit on the annihilation
| of the Spanish squadron in case Samp-
| son finds it. The duration Of the COM
! bat might depend, perhaps, on Sampson
| having his squadron complete The
| length OF time required TO sink them. too,
may be increased by the fact that il re-
| quires considerable time TO load and fire
our heavy guns. | think one would have
time to finish his cigar before the fight
| ended
There is no comparison in the metal
| throwing capacity of the two squadrons.
The Spanish fleet is composed Of four ar
! nored cruisers and three destroyers-
! these latter / am inclined TO regard with
| more superstition than | do the cruis-
ers The four cruisers count in their main
batteries some sixty guns, and In the sec
| ondary batteries have about eighty, If ]
am not wrong. Then regard Sampson S
! West India ships: The Iowa has four l2-
inch and eight S-inch guns; the Indiana
mounts four 13-inch and eight s-inch guns;
| the arrnored cruiser New York carries six
| S-inch guns. The nonitors-Sampson has
| four, since the Miantonomoh has Joined
him-carry four 10-inch guns each, except
| the Puritan, whose pieces are of Pinch
| caliber. The Detroit, Montgomery, Mar
blehead and the other cruisers have from
four to ten heavy guns each in their main
| batteries. | note only the armor-p piercing
| pieces In the secondary batteries the
smaller pieces range in number from thir-
ty in the Indiana down TO nine in the De-
| troit. | am not regarding the gunboa -
| and the torpedo boats, the scouts and
numberless smaller craft in this compari-
son. My views are at the best merely
general. for | have no detailed informa-
tion at hand
1T can be seen readily that there is
| really no comparison in the relative
strength of the squadrons. But, as have
said, ] much doubt If IL were ever the pur-
| pose of the Spanish ships 10 make fight
of it. They will hunt harborage. and
| Sampson will have 10 find them. They
| viii never look him up
Don't figure the Oregon as lost if the
Spanish squadron meets her. / would not
be surprised If the Oregon and the Mari
J eta and Buffalo, sailing with her were
found perfectly competent to stand off the
! Spanish cruisers The greatest danger to
the Oregon, l figure, would be from the
destroyers. which could get in on the bat
| tleship under cover of the smoke"
Further discussing naval possibilities
Admiral Irwin expressed a fervent wish
for an engagement in which the monitors
had part. II believe that they will be
found to be of the greatest effectiveness
Barring her horsepower which is no;
L II
there is better war ship in the world
than the Puritan. l believe an opportu-
nifty for this class of ships to practically
test their powers would be of vast good
to the nayies of the world"
Admiral Irwin is as well acquainted with
the Cuban coast as the pilot of a flibus-
ter He laid the West India cable and IN
the survey and the work left no point un-
visited. He is warm annexationist ani
would make the war one of conquest.
we should annex Hawaii" he said
and then take possession of the La.
| drones, Caroline and Philippines. which
have all been maladministered by tbs
Spanish They lie in the path 10 tn,
indies and with the West India posses
sions of Spain are the richest lands OF
earth when the sizes are considered
Spain has never done more than scratci
the top of her colonial possessions. Sht
has made no attempt to develop them"