The San Francisco call., 1898-02-16
NAVAL FOOTING OF
 THE TWO NATIONS.
Comparative Strength of Spain and the United States Duly Set
 Forth

At this time a comparison of our navy with that of Spain will prove of interest. The revolution in the methods of naval warfare makes it impossible to estimate the strength of a navy by the number of ships or the weight of it's guns. It may be that in the next great naval con- flict some one small vessel will show that it can destroy the combined navies of the world; and it is almost certain that some of the battleships or armored cruisers will prove as destructive to the unarmored or protected cruisers as the Virginia would have been to our wooden fleet had the Monitor not stopped her career so suddenly in Hampton Roads.
 While there will doubtless be desul tory fighting among cruisers, it will be mere outpost skirmishing," amount ing to little. The real fighting will be between battleships and their supports protected cruisers and coast-defense vessels fitted for seagoing.
 Battleships are divided into three classes. The first (A) includes those of 5000 tons or more, built since 1890; or, if
 
 orally considered as equal in strength, but in any close calculation this would not be fair. Some are much more heav- fly armed than others, while some are faster and stronger armored. Of ves- sels of this class Spain has but one, the Pelayo, and the United States has nine four in service and five under con- struction.
 The Pelayo is a grand fighting ma chine of 9900 tons with 177 inches of steel armor, carrying two 12.5-inch guns, two 11-inch, one 6-inch, twelve 4.7-inch, and smaller guns She has seven torpedo tubes. To match her the United States h,-s the Indiana, Massa- chusetts and Oregon, each of 10,231 tons, Y tn 1S-inch steel armor carrying four 13-inch guns, arranged as the Pelayo's four he-vy guns are-fore and aft and broadside-and eight s-inch guns in barbette, six finch quick-f1ring guns, and seven torpedo tubes.
 Either of these three would be more than a match for the Pelayo, being larger, more heavily armed, and sailing fifteen knots to her twelve. The Iowa would be fairer match-of 11,296 tons, with fourteen inches of steel armor carrying four 12-inch, eight 8-inch, and six finch guns, with six torpedo tubes
 The battle-ship of the second class (B) Is one of 1000 tons or upward, launched since 1S71 not included in the first class; and neither Spain nor the United States has one.
 All other battle-ships are put in the third co class They are those under 1000 tons. The United States has one the Texas-and Spain has two-the Nu- mancia and Vitoria-but the latter are of the old-fashioned broadside type built in 1865 carrying muzzle-loading, 10-inch Armstrong guns, while the Tex as is of the '95 model, carrying two 12- inch breech-loaders and able to outsail, outmaneuver and outright the two combined
 To the battle-ship the sea- going coast defense ironclad may be expected to give great assistance, Spain has none the two little ones of 800 and TOO tons used as school ships being out of the count. The United States has six three double turreted monitors and three with double headed barbettes of 4O0O to 5000 tons each, and each carry ing four 10-ineh breech-loaders.
 Armored cruisers are for fighting mainly They are brevet battle ships. Spain has four-Emperado Carlos V, Almirante, Oquendo, Vizcaya and In- fanta Maria Teresa-af1oat, and four building, ranging from 6S9O tons to 9090 tons, each carrying two 11-inch 'breech- loaders in turrets. The United States has three-Brooklyn, New York, Maine -of equal tonnage, armed with lighter guns, but more of them en barbette
 A fight between the Brooklyn and