Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-03-19

OiAG VI tue most ineligible estimates
OF the relative strength of the American
and Spanish navies is that prepared for
the Springfield Republican by a writer
who is evidently competent to make
such a comparison, and who has the
knack of putting it in a form that will
not confuse the unprofessional mind.
There has been SO much confusion in the
classification of vessels, that the Law
reader has ordinarily been befogged by
the various estimates that have an
peared in print. Briefly, this writer
summarizes the situation thus: The
United States is superior in battleships,
monitors and protected cruisers, while
Spain excels in heavy armored cruisers,
torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroy
ers.
Our three first-class battle ships, Iowa,
Indiana and Massachusetts (not count
Ing fourth in the Pacific are only to
be compared with the Pelayo Of the
Spanish navy, which has no. other
strictly first-class battleship. The
Spanish vessel is inferior to any of the
three American battleships named, but
to support it, Spain has seven armored
cruisers sometimes called second class
battleships) of the Vizcaya type, which
are regarded superior to our second
class battleship, Texas These seven
great ships are heavily arnored, but
they are not so swift as the New York
or Brooklyn nor do they carry as a rule
SO heavy guns.
The battleships and heavy cruisers
enumerated might constitute the line of
battle in case of general engagement.
The seven Spanish cruisers are superior
in speed, armament, armor and effective
radius Of action to any squadron "of
equal numbers, equal tonnage and equal
speed that we can send against them.
Owing to their speed, they can keep out
Of the way Of our battleships and select
the time and place of battle The writer
thinks mistake has been made in not
building more Brooklyns and fewer pro-
tected cruisers of the speedy Columbia
and Minneapolis type.
We have 16 of these protected cruisers
az of them already in commission be-
sides II still lighter cruisers or gumboats.
The protected cruisers are excellent
boats, but only one Of them (the O1ym-
pia, on the Pacific station) and one of
the very best war ships afoat, is cap
able of standing up against SPANS
heavy cruisers. They are commerce
destroyers and that is all The Raleigh,
now on the Asiatic station, holds the
worlds record at target practice. Spain
has no such fleet of protected cruisers.
Our gunboats can be trusted to take
care of Spanish boats of the same class,
which have not distinguished them
selves in catching filibusters. our
thirteen torpedo boats are efficient for
coast defense, but we have few torpedo
boat destroyers to match SPANS IA fast
boats of this class, some of which have
a speed of 30 knots and a thoroughly
up-to-date armament In this arm of
the service our navy is very weak.
AS for Auxiliary cruisers" Spain is
reputed to have 30 available craft
against the 200 and more that we can
put into service. Besides the list of
! fighters already enumerated, we have
six heavy monitors already in commits
sion, that are believed to be among the
very best coast defenders. Spain has
none. The dozen old style monitors laid
| up in the navy yards are out of date,
and, of course, the wooden ships do not
count.
The merits of the Ammen ram (Katah-
DIM, the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius
/ (Which is included among the 10 torpedo
boats) the Holland submarine torpedo
boat, the Baltimore plunger, etc, re-
main to be proved. These are expert
ments. There is grave question about
their armor
Measured in ships and guns only,
SPANS naval equipment is no match
for ours" this writer says, and the
most important factor Of all-the officers
and men-is improved, and only battle
can determine the superiority of either.
In conclusion: "a naval conflict
against the United States for the reten-
ton of Cuba is likely to resolve itself
into a fight for the possession of coal
heaps. After a severe engagement, re-
sulting in the loss Of these Ia few ports
in Cuba and Porto Rico, Spain will
! have lost both Cuba and the war"