Evening star., 1898-05-07
SPANS LAST NAVAL BATTLE.
Her Fleet Driven From the Pacific
Thfrty-ave Years Ago.

fer rleet Driven From the Pacific
Thtrty-five Years Ago.
From the Army and Navy Journal.
Those who have followed Spanish history
have little fear Of the result Of a naval war
between that country and the United
States. Since the battle of Lepanto in 1870,
when the Spa nish and Venetians together
fought the Turks and won after long and
bloody contest, Spain has not won a notable
victory on the sea. Her naval prowess has
steadily declined, and today few of the lit
tie South American republics who were her
former colonies would confess that they
were afraid of her.
The last naval battle fought by Spain in
the new world showed conclusively how
her maritime power has decreased. She
was defeated by Peru, with Chiles aid. and
since then the Spaniard has kept away
from the Pacific coast of South America
In 1854 Spain sent a squadron of seven
vessels, mounting I'll guns, to punish the
Peruvians for the maltreatment of Spanish
subjects. The Peruvians had nothing on the
water with which to oppose this force but
chile came to their aid with three vessels
the Esmeralda, carrying forty two smooth
bores; the Victoria, a small one-gun mon.
1tor, and the Loa, diminutive Merrimac,
plated with iron and mounting two sixty
eight-pounders. The Esmeralda met the
Spanish gunbuat Cavandago Uhree guns)
and captured her ia twenty minutes with
out the loss of a man. The Spaniards fired
only three shots. They had two men killed
and fourteen wounded. The loss of the Ca
vandago, followed by the capture of an ar
mOred launch, SO chagrined the Spanish ad-
miral, Pareja, that he blew out his brains
in his cabin.
Admiral Nunez, who succeeded Pareja,
then gallantly aSsailed the defenseless Val
paraiso, where not a single gun was mount
ed except a few saluting pieces Not a
shot was fired from the town, and the in
habltants promptly evacuated 1t. The
spanish admiral in spite of the protests of
the foreign men-of-war in the harbor
threw from 1900 to 1900 shells into it from
ms fleet of six vessels. The Spanish gun
merry was SO wretched that little damage
was done, except by fire, which destroyed,
S1O,o0O,OU worth of neutral goods. 1t was
a most wanton piece of barbarity for if
the Spaniards had had a landing force they
could have taken the town without firing i
shot.
The gallant Nunez next assaulted the
city of Callao, which taught him the diff
terence between an opel town and one that
was adequately defended. In four or five
houfs the Spanish squadron was badly
used up and was glad to crawl back to
Spain as best it could in its crippled con-
dtion. The villa de Madrid. fifty-six guns,
got shot in her steam chest and was
towed out of action: the Berenguela, thir-
ty-six guns. had a hole twenty feet square
knocked into her near the water line by an
exploding shell and crawled out of range
to repair damages.
Lie III Two ClutE spanish
vessels gave out after a two hours fight
and they had to retire, Cne of them having
been twice on fire in the neighborhood of
the magazine. This left two vessels, the
Numancia, irorclad. and the Almanac. Two
hours later these two vessels ceased their
fire and withdrew, the Chileans firing at
them until they were beyond range. The
Spanish loss is not exactly known, but is
supposed to have been about 200. Commo-
dore Rodgers, U.S.N.. estimated the loss of
the Chieans at eighty, though others give
a larger number. No serious damage was
done to either ships or forts by the fire, be-
yond that named. The Spaniards then
wthdrey- discounted from the Pacific, be-
ing short of stores and ammunition and
with their vessels foul for want Of docking.
They had established q base at the Chincha
Islands, but they had facilities for
pair.
Spain has shared in the movement of ma
val progress and is far more formidable In
ships and guns than she was in 1864, but
not relatively. We have no reason to sup
pose that her sailors are better, though 1t
may be that the use of range finders may
improve their gunnery. Still, the personnel
factor will tell, and that is always in favor
of the American. The Spaniard has never
distinguished himself the sea, wkere
the personal equation is so important.