The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
E s., 1898. COPYRIGHT. 1898, BY THE SUN PRINTING AND PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION.
SPANS RESERVE FLEET.
n GERMAN WAR CORRESPOND
ENT's sARCLSTIO DESCRIPTION.


Tho PsIayo Greatly Admired In HarbsrS, but
Beautiful OnIy In Repose-The VittsFIS
Bupsransuatod-MOre war Preparations nc
ColoGne In n Day Than at CadiE In n Week.
Spain's preparations for war have not excited
the admiration OF German experts who have had
an opportunity to inspect them. and the Army
and Navy Journal reprints the following de-
~scription Of what the Spaniards are doing at Ca
diE. as seen by Eugene Wolf. q correspondent of
the Berlin TaOebidtt:
"Three long days and the greater part Of az
many nights l have spent in the harbor Of Cadis
and In her dock yards. / saw some formidable
intrenchments Rolng up at the northern end Of
the bay, at Rota. The dam at the south end
Of the city 10 being strengthened and for
titled. and three batteries have been erected. A
naval officer told me CadiE had fifteen or six
teen new Krupp guns. Whether there is any
ammunition for those guns l could not learn.
The CSdiE people doubt II. Another matter
which is quite serious: Gun practice seems to DO
a lost art In Cadiz. ] have not heard a shot
fired during the week l am here. The present
Captain-General does not think much of It, said
q black eyed sohora to mo. 1t is 30 hard on
ones nerves, and such q waste Of powder be-
sides.'
ga waste of POWDER indeedi The Governor
General OF the Philippines must have been Of
the same opinion.
II an almost ashamed Of this letter. l was
sent out to report war, or at least war prep
a~rations; and, though l searched high and low.
l cannot discover any. l came to this city from
Cologne, the Rhenish fortress. and l VOW that l
saw moro war preparations there In n day than
l did here in a week. The soldiery is lounginR
about: army officers are gambling, flirting and
smoking cigarettes. l hoped to find the Captain
General on q bed Of laurels, and found him in a
forest of orange blossoms. His intimation of
war secrets was a mere bluff There are no
secret preparations. II there were any. I would
have seen them.
"The spot where Cadiz Is mortal Is its water
supply. or rather its want of the commodity.
The city has few wells. and 90 per cent. OF the
necessary water comes from Santa Maria, which
is six miles distant to tho north by sea and nine,
Under date OF May 8 Mr.. Wolf writes as fol-
AT last have seen the Spanish Armada No,
Alfonso xii. the Vittoria, the Normannla, for,
merly owned by the Hamburg line; the tolum,
boat. The CARLOS V. an ironeiad, is on the way
here;
good impression. There are four big guns on
deck and a good many smaller ones at the sides.
The spanlards regard this ship with almost su.
every where; tho general public thinks her the
fastest and most formidable craft afoat. But
fsES S' we'll tI and | gather % t PlG POm th whG in nnGS fas
and hints that she 10 one OF those bellies who are
beautiful only when In repose. She has u bad
Pelayo has mover been taken around much,
She only shows off in,the safety OF harbors. and
then Is much admired. Only once did she ven.
ture out to sea, l am told. and the experiment
was disastrous.
OF which little good or bad Is said. The Vittoria
She looks her years ali over. They are fixing
OF late ap ana 1dG new ga nMG but out after sfsS;t ali. toS quote %S,,t ar
English naval oficor ,whom'I met, here. ':sht
over on the first rush of the bull
But must not forget the brand new iron
clad which has boon building opposite the ar
senal for the last ten years. A week ago she
was far enough advanced to receive her boilers
But the chain broke and the boilers went dowr
into the hold. twenty-four feet deep. Thoy
went into smithereens,, Of course. Now they
are erecting great. derricks near by to haul W
going. on in the harbor. All tho docks arc full
OF old iron, old cannon. dilnpidated armor. ole
cannon balls. SC. In the yards Of Carrara Ar
ments for the vittoria. Normannia and Column
bia are being constructed amid great secrecy
name of Rapido; the olumbiR has been re
named Patricia. ! have made the acquaintance
of the commander of the PelGy0. who constantly
up schoolmAster. But those Yankees SHOULD
look out for tho commander OF the, Columbia
knows that the most successful pirates In til
Capt. Osbon. who brought to New York a de
s%cription of Cervera's boats as they appeared
In the harbor Of Curacao before they went t.
Santiago. said that they were SO poorly equipped
needles. II the TageDiGtfS report Sp Of the CON
dition at Cadiz Is authentic. it would seem as
the CadiH feet, II 1t ever docs sail, would go b
sea equally unprepared.