The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-03-02
FIGHTING STRENGTH
or rhe Naviss oE Spain snd the United
States.

While this question is bound to arise
n the public mind it IS well to note
that tie Maine, although costing the
government somewhere IN the neigh
borhood OF 50 500 coo. does not appear
in the catalogue of cur frst-class bat
tIeships. Since it, total displacement
aggregated onlS 6,6S2 tons, its proper
designation is that Of s. second class
5attleship. Our first class battieships,
witn the tonnage in each case, are nine
II, number, as follows: The Kentucky,
Il, ,525 tons; the hearssge, II, 525 TONS
tie Illinois. IL. 525; the Alabama, H..
525; the Wisconsin, II 535; the iowa,
1I,410; the Oregon, 1G 289; the In
diana, O.2SS, and the Massachusetts,,
10 2SS
t, summarize the fighting strength
of the white squadron, itinclu6es nine
first class battleships, two second class
battleships, TWO armored cruisers, :hlr
teen protected cruisers, three unprotec
ted cruisers, one armored ram, SIX
double turreted monitors, thirteen sin,
gle turreted monitors, ten gun boats,
six composite gunboats, three speclal
class gunboats twentJ two steel tor,
pedo boats, one wooden torpedo, i've
iron cruising vessels, eleven sailing
vessels. six tugs, eight wooden steam
vessels and six wooden sailing vessels.
In the aggregate there are l41 differ
ent naval pieces in the white squad
ron, only fourteen Of which are OBJ
solete and unfit for service N the event
of war. So far as the resistive power
of our battleships is concerned, it IS
safe to say that in spite OF the dlsas
trous experience Of the Maine, there IS
no country on the globe which can
boast OF superior engines OF war. ..
course, such countries as Great Britain
and France are provided with more
OF them, but they are not OF better
workmanship. ~
Bu. what of SPANS naval outft2
This question is certainl7 pertinent in
this connection. Mcstof Spain's naval
engines are out of date. She has only
one first class battleship which is wor.
thy of the pame-the Pelaya-and
even this falls considerably short OF
our small-st ore, its displacement be-
ing only $500 ions. One apparent ad
vantage which Spain's feet has over
ours IS in the number OF armored
cruisers. While her feet contains
seven of these cruisers, ours contains
only two, viz, the New York and the
Brooklyn; but this advantage Is
partially overcome by the superior
eqlpment of our cruisers. The New
York and;the Brooklyn carry seventy
four monster guns; the Spanish cruis-
ers carry 20s smaller and inferor ones.
On good authority, the statement is
made that Spain has no sea going
coast defense ships, while this country
has six, carry ing thirty heavy guns
and fifty two light guns OF non sea
going coast-defenders, Spain has only
IIo, while this country is credited
with fourteen. OF Ofprotection and non
protection cruisers, Spain has only i've
while tbs United States has sixteen.
In the number OF sunboats, torpeoo
boats available for use IN the event OF
hostilities, the United States IS also
aheso CT Spain.
From this hasty review OF the two
it is evident that the
United States possesses every advan
tage overSoain, and that il war comes,
as now seems emminent, it will be the
latter power which will have every
thicg to lose.-Atlanta Constitution.