The Indianapolis journal., 1898-02-24
OUR NAVY AND SPAIN'S
UNCLE SAM COULD WHIP THE DONS
IN THREE MONTHS ON SEA.
Spaniards Have Only One Battle Ships
and that No Match for Ours
List Of Ships Compared.


the immensely superior naval strength of
the United States would be relied upon to
make the war brief and decisive. The de-
struction of the Maine would not greatly
affect the fighting strength of the navy.
If it should be elected by this country to
harry the seas for Spanish craft Spain
would not, in short space of three months,
have vessel ahoat, save in her best-de-
Tended ports. AS to the naval strength or
the two nations. the United States outranks
Spain in that most important class battle
ships. These craft would have to bear the
brunt of the conflict, following the fleet
cruisers and acting as the ponderous ham,
mer to deal telling blows. The four United
States first-class battle ships-Massachu-
setts, Indiana, Oregon and .Iowa-are the
finest in their class in the world
Spain has but one battle ship the Pelayo,
and that of lesser tonnage than any OF the
four big battle ships of this country. Be-
sides the superiority of the battle ships OF
this country over those of Spain, the two
armored cruisers New York and Brooklyn
stand for the finest ships of their type in
the world. However the Spanish armored
cruisers are good ships from every point OF
view, having two guns heavier than any
carried by the New York and the Brooklyn.
but either of the two latter would be more
than match for one of the Vizcaya class,
because of the greater number of heavy
guns. Although the Texas and the departed
Maine are classed with the Numancia ana
the Vitoria neither of the Spanish vessels
would stand for ten minutes before the
Texas. In fact, she could capture or sink
both of the Spaniards. The Texas is thrown
into the arnored cruiser class. as are also
the Numancia and Vitoria, giving the
United States three vessels of this type and
Spain six. But although Spain has the
greater number of this type, the three
United States vessels would be at least u
match for all the Spanish six. The United
States has thirteen nonseagoing coast de-
fense monitors of from 1,S0o to 100 tons
displacement, which could be utilized Tor
the defense of harbors. Spain has TWO, OK
55S and 200 tons, respectively
Spain has a number OF small gunboatSs
used as coast guard and patrol in Spain
Cuba, Porto Rico and the PhllIpplles.
which are more than offset by thlfty-four
vessels in our revenue marine service, ana
the small steamers that are employed Dy
the engineers department of the United
States. There are also in the navieS or both
nations number of old ships such as the
Lancaster, Hartford. Richmond, WaDashs
Minnesota and Franklin in the service OF
this country, and the Almanac, Blanca,
Carmen, Lealtad and Asturins in the Span
iSh service
SHIPS UNDER WAY.
Many war ships are being built for each
nation-77547 tons for the United States and
5S,676 for Spain. America builds her own
ships but several of the Spanish ships are
being built in England and Germany.
Should war break out the ships building
could not be finished in time to take part
in it, for it is certain that Spain would be
exhausted in a few months, even If her
ships were not destroyed in less time. The
halt of inches.
her barbettes having Pinch armor, and she
has a speed of 16 knots She carries main
battery Of two 12121nch, two n-inch, one
6.2-inch and twelve 4.7-inch guns. Spain has
also two old and slow second-class 1O0O-ton
battle ships. the Numancia and Vitoria; but
it was lately announced that two Frencn
engineers had gone to Cartagena to alter
them into modern vessels.
More important are the four belted cruz
sers, Imperador Carlos V, Almrante Oquen-
de, Vizcaya and Infanta Maria Teresa. The
first of these is of a little over 5000 tons,
and carries two n-inch, eight 5l2-inch ana
four 4-inch guns; but she has only two
inches of armor on her upper works More
heavily armed are the other three Whlch
have belts IL inches thick, with lo12-lnch
turrets, and carry two ll1nch ana ten az
inch guns, with sixteen smaller pieces. me
Princess De Asturias is sometimes reck-
oned in as a sister ship of those just named,
but she was only recently launched at
Cadiz and is not available.
The United States second-class battle
ship Texas is vessel of 6.3l5 tons, with
inch and six six-inch guns OF armored
cruisers the United States has the New
eight-inch and twelve four-inch guns, and
the Brooklyn, 9,271 tons, 2l.9 Knots, ana
eight eight-inch and twelve fiye-inch guns;
OF monitors there are the Puritan, $3.50
tons, fourteen-inch armor and four twelve
inch and six four-inch guns the Monterey.
40S4 tons thirteen-inch armor. and two
twelve-inch and two ten-inch guns; the
Amphtrite. Miantonomah, Monadnock and
Terror, Of 1880 tons and four ten-inch guns,
..1r Nxrrf fNftrs ranh
cruisers are the sister ships Alfonso XIII
and Lepanto, each credited with twenty
knots and carrying four 7.S7-inch and six
4.72-inch guns. They are like the Riena
Regente, which foundered al sea- Then she
has the Castillo, the Navarro and the Ara
gon, sister ships of 3,342 tons, or something
like the Cincinnati and the Alfonso XII.
Reina Christina and Reina Mercedes OF
5000 tons. and carrying half a dozen 6.9i-
inch guns.
Among these could be placed the 7.S75-ton
Minneapolis and Columbia. with their speed
of about twenty-three knots each. carrying
eght-inch, two-inch and eight four-inch
guns; the Olympia, $50 tons, 2l.7 knots, and
four eight-inch and ten five-inch guns; the
Baltimore, the Boston and the Charleston.
the Cincinnati, the Detroit, the Marble
head. the Montgomery, the Newark tho
Philadelphia, the Raleigh and the San
Francisco, not to include the Atlanta and
Chicago. under repair.
AUXILIARY CRUISERS
The United States navy has available for
service at snort nOIlce IWO-ScOrS ufSt-cldSS
auxiliary cruisers, capable of being
equipped and made ready for action in
twenty-four hours. and mounting batteries
as strong as many of those carried by the
second-class cruisers of the service These
batteries are now stored away at the navy
yards along the coast, convenient for
prompt installa1ion. The batteries assigned
to the vessels OF the American line would
render those ships equal in fighting efii-
cheney, perhaps TO vessels of the Mont
gomery- Raleigh type and their speed would
enable them to overhaul the neetest oe the
ocean travellers. Ships of the American
line class mount about twelve guns EACH
all arranged or broadside.
The ships select ed by the Navy Depart
ment as available for carrying this ord
nance and the number of guns that will
be assigned each fOows The In
ternational Navigation Company. which In
cludes the st. Louis and ST. Paul. mount
ing each eight six-inch rifles, four machine
guns and four siX-pounders: the Paris, with
twelve six-inch rifles, six machine guns and
six-inch rifles, four machine guns and six
ix-pounders. The Pacific Mail Company
has the Newport which will mount eight
four-inch and eight machine guns; the Co
lumbia, mounting six five-inch and six MAJ
chine guns; the City of Paris, eight four
inch and eight machine guns. The Red D.
line sailing out OF New York for West
Indian ports. has three vessels, each OF
which will mount eight four-inch rifles and
eight machine guns The New York and
Cuban mail line has the Orizaba, Yumuri
tn.