Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-24
IS A SPLENDID CRAFT
OUR NAVAL OFFICERS WOULD LIKE
TO FIGHT THE PELAYO.
CAMARA WILL KEEP HER AWAY.
Solitary Heavy-Weight Craft of the
Dsns Too Valuable to He q Target
Uncle Sam.
Correspondence of the Dispatch)

NEW YORK, July 23.-The numerous
and humorous dispatches received from
the other side regarding the troubles and
trials of a wandering Spanish feet which
couldn't get through the Suez Canal with
out paying toll, have made no mention Of
one rather remarkable point regarding the
fleet. 1t contains SPANS only battleship.
The one solitary heavyweight craft of
the boastful Dons is with the feet OF Ad-
miral Camara that set out to try and
turn the tables on our Dewey. 1t would
have been far more interesting to the
world at large If this only battleship of
SPANS had come over here and engaged
in single combat with one of our superb
craft. Such a duel could doubtless have
been arranged with the United States
Government. Spain might even have
seemed handicap. The United States
battleship could have had one hand tied
behind her back. so to speak. Any con-
for the sake of a real stand-up fight with
her one battleship.
The name of this pride of SPANS navy
is the Pelayo. Before the war began we
heard some terrible stories of her fighting
abilities, and some Americans looked upon
her as particularly formidable ship. Di-
vested Of the fiction regarding her powers,
the Pelayo Is fine ship, and would be
foeman worthy OF our superb fighters.
She has Just received new and powerful
armament at La Seyne. where she was
also fitted with new machinery. Upon a
-tao 81 h. Inc AA,
main armament disposed on the French
system-a system, by the way. now ap-
parently abandoned.
The four heavy guns are disposed singly
ia barbettes, Of which one Is forward, the
second aft, and the others sponsored on
each broadside.
The advantage claimed for this arrange
ment Is that Of not putting too many eggs
in one basket, in case turret should
chance to be disabled.
When the ship was built she was armed
with l25-inch Hontoria guns in the prin-
cipal turrets and ll-inch guns in the
others She is now armed with the new
Canet 9.4-inch 22-ton gun, which will per-
forats about 30 inches Of steel at the muZ-
zle, and is much more powerful than the
heavier predecessor.
The ship also mounts very large quick
firing armament, and Is protected by
complete compound Delt, with a maximum
thickness Of 1T inches. a 3.5-inch deck,
l5.7-inch bulkheads, and lis inches OF steel
on the barbettes.
Admiral Cervera Is the man who caused
the Pelayo TO be built. He awoke one day
TO q knowledge OF the fact that spain
had no battleships. and he made SUCH
fuss about II that the Peiayo was the
outcome. This was twelve years ago.
She was built according to the best naval
ideas. of the time. but, viewed in the
light of more recent knowledge. she mas
many weaknesses. Her coal capacity Is
limited, limitation second in importance
only 10 that Of ammunition. Her maxi
mum speed being sixteen knots an hour,
she would be able to steam only 800
miles with the coal she can carry in her
bunkers. How important an oversight
this smalIness OF the Pelayo's coai-carry-
ing capacity Is can be seen by the DIM
culties already encountered by the Spa
nish feet in the matter of obtaining coal
to replace that used on the trip from |
Spain.
In spite of these weaknesses the Pelayo |
is the finest boat that Spain owns, and |
were il not for the fact that she is man
ned by Spanish officers and sailors and /
her guns are in the hands of Spanish !
marksmen, who could hit nothing but /
sea or air even by accident, she might /
give a good account Of herself in fight
with our ships. AS 1t is. the longer
Spain can keep her away and let us adj
mire her at distance the better for the
PeIayo and for Spain. With the Pelayo
n the bottom OF the ocean, Spain would
be without battleship. which is a sad
fate for a modern nation.
4