New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-06
THE LESSON or THE COLON.

The inspiring victory gained by Tn" Amcri-
can fleet of Santiago should not blind this coun-
try to the teaching Of the long chase up the
coast after the Crlstobal Colon. That pursuit
terminated gloroisly for our Navy. IN. ii was
exciting enough To make us pause To see how
far We were actually prepared for such "A dash
In competition with n similar snip properly
equipped and skilfully manned. The CriStobal
Colon was a vessel armorcd with g inches Of
steel carrying lOinch guns and having speed
II 90 knots When she made hcr brave run
for safety 'hc Brooklyn. he Oregon ana later
the New-York followed her. The brooklyn.
which has 2f9 knots speed. was easily abb TO
catch her. but for ship with armor varying
from 3 to IN inches and nothing larger than
sinch guns 10 face the Cristobal Colon was
reckless or would have been except in The case
OF n Spanish cncmv The New lork. too. win
n 2l-knot speed could catch her. but here again
II was q case Of inch armor and snch guns.
The Oregon has is inches ~ armor and ~ Inch
guns but they might have been useless when
her 1874 knots speed was ptt~l against the :"
knots Of the Colon. All tho other American
ships suffered under tho same disadvantage.
Those Of equal speed 10 the Spanlard were In
ferlor in strength while those that could fight
him FAIRLY could not keep m with him In n
race.
That race did not result ne II Nigh, have
done. thanks to American gunncry. but the fact
tina, the Colon ran between forty i've and sixty
miles before she rounded M shows that
her capture by no means n foregone con-
clusIon Undoubtedly Cervora short ~
good coal. and his crew was IN bad condition.
His ships had been coopcd M IN = tropical har-
hor and were ovcrgrown with weeds and his
machinery had not had the best Of care. But
II the Colon under these circumstances could
make such A dash. II is easy IN Imagine that
she would have outsirippcd us II she had been
I'm perfect form. Then we should have had a
frst-class vessel. faster than any American YES
sci Of equal power. striking along our Cuban
hlorkade perhaps running into Havana per
hans threatening orr own coast. Fortunately.
we have nothing Of the lind now 10 fear, isit
we should not forget that we did fear just such
exploits kccny two months ago. before the
Cane Vcrl feet was bottled mp, and we should
he thankful for our good fortune and not con
time to trust fortune In such cases next time.
Instead let us have some bat tile ships Of suill-
Gent speed 10 cope with such situation ms
that Of Cervera's rush when made by better
kent ships than his Under different condl-
lions he might have turned plucky
cruisers for their impudcncc in following him.
We need ships strong enough to meet anything
that can 90 as fast as they can. md we do not
own them now The chase OF the Colon ought
10 bring conviction 10 the Bureau OF Consfruc-
ton Of the folly Of building three new battle
ships Of lGknot speed slower than those Of
other nations. slower than our own Oregon.
mi -wh hon triNipQ chaupps In n
pineroom design would give them IS knots, n
spccd greater than that OF any American battle
ship. though not equal To that Of many foreign
ships built in the last five years. II Is incon-
ceivable that any desire TO avoid work and
trouble should make our constructors still per
slst IN building slow batlc-ships in face Of the
possibilities developed by the Cristobal Colon
straming so far I'm her desperate flight