The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-25
OUR NAVY THE BESr.
Spain Hrs Not as Many Warships n Thf
Country Nor Vessels as Good -oatciassed
ut ALI Poiuts-H as Sobral - spy
Especial to the Baltimore Sum-

Washington. February 22.+Compar-
Lson OF the effective fighting strength
ci the Spanish ard American navies
have frequently been made OF late. in
which the most conservative estimate
places not only our available Force. but
that considered as IN auxiliary. far in
advance of thai which could be rlus
tered by Spain. In point OF ba~ttleshtps,
the vessels which would have 10 stand
he runt Of the ard blows That Spain
might attempt against US. We are yet
superior to Spain. Notwithstanding the
loss OF the ain ArTnored cruisers
are next in consideration, and or This
number the United States is not only
capable OF presenting more, but, Ship
for ship, each is, perhaps. Of a more
Formidable type than those Of Spain.
OF the cruiser type. the little vessels
VII ch have no armOr, while SPAN car
ries more on her list. those OF the Unit
81 States are shown 70 be double the
fighting efficiency.
Attempt has been made since the loss
Of the Maine to show that We have SUI
fered considerably in our prOwess on
the waters, but in fact, the absence OF
This ship would make little difference
in the strength of the fleet which the
government could assemble IN event or
any While the Maine was
costly and represented with equipment
fully s., 600, 900, she was not regarded
Dy experts as a high type or lighting
vessel and in the navy register Is
reckoned as a second-claSs battleShip.
1t is considered doubtful if she would
be more effective in a contest than the
armored cruiser New YOrk or Brook
iyn, and nine officers out or ten would
prefer fighting in a monitor than in
risking their fortunes in either OF this
Kind of ship. The Maine and Texas
represent what is now deemed almost
Obsolete ideas of modern b~attleship
construction.
SPANS BATTLESHIPS INFERIOR.
Spain's battleships are far from be
ing so formidable as ours, nor do they
represent the most advanced naval
architecture and ordnance outfit. 1t
is assumed by the experts that any
one Of the American battleships in bat
tie could without much danger care for
two vessels of the Spanish navy class
ed as battleShips, owing to the infer
iority Of design and equipment Of the
later. Therefore. in comparing the eff
fective forces Of the two governments
it has been reckoned that not only are
ouI DdIllc SIIIpS vi d1lcdu III ISIlllHS
strength to those of Spain, but that
every other type is equally superior.
While small in number, they are COZ
Ctded to be without peer of their type.
Just now the navy has to
the home station the battle ships
Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts,, the
former being 1000 tons larger than the
others, which are sister vessels also of
the Oregon on the Pacific side. The
Texas ranks as a second rate battle
vessel. These are the only battle ships
now at the disposal Of the government,
although five are building, all Of which
are more formidable than those in COM
mission. Those under construction
are the Kearsarge and Kentucky, sis
ter ships, and the Alabama, Wisconsin
and Illinois, also of similar type. None
OF the later will be serviceable under
two years. The Kearsarge and Ken
lucky will possibly he in commission
enc year hence. Available now, there
fore, are four first-class battle ships,
and building five.
OF the armored cruiser type there
are two, the New York and Brooklyn,
each of which would be the equal to
the Maine or Texas in a battle owing
to superior speed and protection. OF
the frSt-claSS cruisers the navy has
five, OF which the Olympia flagship, of
tue NnlHd SldllOH, is Une most effective
fighting vessel. No ship afiOat is the
equal OF her class. This nas been con-
ceeded by the experts Of the world, and
especially by the foreign admirals on
the ASlatlc station, where the Olympia
has been stationed for the last two
years. The other first-rate vessels are
the Columbia and Minneapolis, and the
armored ruiser New York and Balti-
more.
OF the second-rate the Chicago heads
the list, not because OF her power so
much as her displacement Next
comes the Baltimore, then the Phila-
deiphia and continuing down to the
Boston, which ends the list Of eleven
second-claSs cruisers. In this c.ass,
however, are the monitors M~aintono-
mob, Amphitrite, MonadnOck and Ter
ror, ali OF which are heavily armed and
armored ships. The Puritan. another
monitor, is classed with the battleships
Of the Indiana class. The third class
cruisers include the gunboats OF the
yorktown type, cruisers like the De-
troit and six little vessels OF the An
napolis and Newport size, numbering
altogether upward of thirty.
DEFICIENT IN TORPEDO BOATS.
OF torpedo boa the American navy
is deficient compared to the force
maintained in foreign services. While
there Is a considerable number build
ing, those in commission are few. and
many of these have met with accidents
which render them not Immediately
available for duty. Seven torpedo
boats are now in actual service. while
twenty are building. All the latter
Will be attached to the fleet within the
next year. Spain has more OF his type
than We, but not very formidable. She
has not a battle ship, the experts es-
that in any way approaches the
indiana in strength.
In mobilizing a fleet around CUBA
Observation-Disclosures given 10 the great
distance Spain would have to send
some OF her vessels now in home
waters and the lack Of coal facilities
they would experience. New York ia
but 1,25O miles from Havana, while
Key West is only so miles from The
nearest coast Of Cuba. An American
feet would have Key West to fan bacs
on as a base OF supplies, while SPANS
ships, once shut out Of Havana. would