Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-07
THE SPANISH SHIPS.
PLANS TO SAVE SOME OF GER
VERAs sUNKEN WAR VESSELS.
LIEUT.. H0BSON TO RAISE THEM.
t Least Two Can BE Rescued, and
in Proper Hands VIII Make Formi-
Navy.
Navy.
(For the Dispatch.O

WASHINGTON, August with at
| least two of the ships Of Admiral Ger
! yera's famous fleet it will be possible
to obtain practical answer to the ques-
ton asked so frequently OF late. What
would have been the result had the Yes-
sells that proved such an easy mark
for our gunners been manned by Ameri-
can instead OF Spanish sailors?" Wash
ington officials had a long interview
with "Merrimac" Hobson. when that
hero was in the capital city. on the sub
ject OF raising those Of Ceryera's slips
that are not too much injured TO be re-
paired and made seaworthy again. and
Hobsdn made 1t clear that the Cristobal
Colon and the Infanta Maria Teresa
could be saved from the greedy nav Of
the ocean, and, with a good deal Of mend
ing and new names, made worthy addi-
tons to the United States navy.
THE CHRISToBAL COLON.
But for the dastardly act Of the crew
of the Cristobal Colon in opening every
inlet by which water could get into the
ship, after they had hauled down their
flag and the vessel was virtually our
property, that fine snip would have been
afioat now instead of breaking her BACK
on the unsympathetic Cuban Deach. But
wrecking machinery can undo the mis-
chief done by the Spanlards, and II Is
only a question OF time when the Cris-
tobal Colon will be weighed up and hodt-
ed once more, this time with flag 10 be
proud of waving aloft and sailors aboard
her who will make her snort with giee
at the respect she inspires.
Although struck eight times by mis-
siles from American guns, there are only
two serious wounds in the hull or the
Cristobal Colon, and these can be re-
paired so that the ship Will be IN as
good condition as when she left the
slips. The Maria Teresa was hit thirty
three times, but none OF her wounds was
mortal, and skilful repairing can make
of her a good, sound ship once more
TWO FINE PRIZES.
With the prospects Of ever getting any
indemnity from Spain becoming smaAer'
a. the hopeless bankruptcy OF that pitt
full nation Of hobo-grandees becomes
more and more apparent it is some con-
ISOLATION TO know that, beside the terri
torial additions, the prizes or the war
will include two fine warships.
lust at this point ii may be excusaple
10 make a slight depression in order TO
emnhasize the novelty of another unique
feature of this unprecedented light
namely. that not only Will our navy, ac-
cording to present indications, come out
OF a war In which the fighting has been
largely done at sea without the loss OF
single ship, but with its effectiveness In
creased by the addition of two fine craft.
III any war waged since men fought bat
ties can show such result its record
has been lost.
To come back to the subject of the effec-
tiyeness OF the Cristobal Colon and
Infanta Teresa as American ships Of
war il is well known that the former
is an exceedingly fine vessel. and naval
experts have been amazed at the poor
showing she made in the fight outside |
Santiago harbor.
AN ARMED CRUISER.
The Cristobal Colon is an armed |
cruiser. and was originally the Giuseppe /
Garibaldi III. Her displacement Is $50 |
tons and her Indicated horsepower 1900. |
Her main armament consists OF
two l0-inch guns and ten 6-inch. and six
|, Finch. and four torpedo tubes. 50 that !
she Is powerful in this respect She is
oroyided by a 6-inch belt OF Harveyed
steel. and her guns are similarly pro-
yided. Her deck plating Is IL inches
thick. Her normal coal supply is 1000
tons. She was launched at Sestri Po-
nente In 1896.
The Infanta Teresa Is also an armored
cruiser OF the Vizcaya class. She was
built in 1891 at Bilboa. Her displacement
8 1000 tons, her length $40 feet; breadth.
S feet, and maximum draught Il feet
inches. She is propelled by twin screws.
Ter engines developing 13oco horsepower.
Ter normal coal supply is large-namely.
200 tons. sufficient to take her nearly
0 90 miles at ten knots