Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-05-09
READY TO MEET SPANS FLEET.

the glorious achievement OF Amer1-
can sailors on the other side of the
world, while for the most part finding
vent in demonstrations of the widest
enthusiasm, gives no indication OF
carrying If their feet or turning the
heads .; the army and navy officers,
who, under the commander in chief
Of all the forces Of the United States,
are charged with the responsibility Of
guarding the country and defeating
It's enemies. They have already
sounded warning against overconfi-
dence and have redoubled their prep
arations for the supreme test that may
come in short time on tho Atlantic,
when the heavily armored and most
powerful ships of the two combaJants
will be pitted against one another.
The flower of the Spanish navy is
now, according to many reports, west
ward bound, and whether it will at
tempt a desperate assault on New
York or rendezvous in force at Porto
Rico or attempt to destroy the Ore
gon, the resulting combat is expected
to be sanguinary and destructive to
the last degree.
If the aim of the unarmored squad
ron which left Cape Verde is New
York, Commodore Schley will engage
it in the most terrific sea duel Of mod
ern times, in which the humiliation
of one or both fleets will probably be
as complete as that suffered by the
Spaniards Sunday in the bay of Ma
Mia If the four formidable cruisers
have Porto Rico as an objective, there
will in all probability be prompt
repetition Of Sundays achievement,
the attacking force in this event be-
ing composed of the heaviest fighters
from SIMPSONS and Schley's COM
mands.
The third proposition, which has
had more serious consideration here,
and, though the most plausible, is be-
yond the power Of this Government,
with the present position of its fleet,
to avert, presupposes that the Span
iards mean to intercept the Oregon.
favorable for such an undertaking on
their part. The Oregon at Rio was
just one thousand miles from Pernam-
bouco, the most eastern port OF the
American continent, where South
America protrudes into the Atlantic
over three thousand miles from Key
West. From this point st. Vincent is
only 1900 miles away, less than five
days steaming for the Spanish cruis-
ers, which could then lie in wait with
the certainty of a battle royal
Against four Of the finest vessels of
the Spanish navy, each of 1000 tons,
with 12-inch armor, and armed with
a pair of 11inch rifles and ten 81 inch
with her 13inch barbette plating and
four 3-inch, eight S-inch and four
6-inch breech- loading rifles, could be
relied upon however great superb
cially the odds may appear, to render
a most satisfactory account of herself.
To whip her, tremendous sacrifices
would be imperative upon the Span
iards, whose guns, unless a chance
shot should be effective, would rain
their projectiles harmlessly against
her incom parable Harveyized protec-
ton, for they would have to face the
Of her tremendous IS inch
guns at short range in an attempt to
sink her by ramming, and it is doubt
full if any such cruiser could survive
the terrific effect of her half ton pro-
jectiles long enough to accomplish
such a purpose. The Oregon could
The apparent disparity between the
four 13-inch guns of the Oregon and
the eight10inch guns Of the four COM
bined ships against her may be better
when it is stated that her
13inch projectiles weigh HOO pounds
each, while the 10inch projectiles of
Spain weigh less than 500 pounds. A
volIey from the Oregon's heaviest guns
would therefore aggregate 400 pounds
while volley from the entire main
battery of the four Spaniards COM
bined would weigh about 1000 pounds.
The sole remaining battery of the
Spaniards, consisting of ten 81 Inch
guns, delivers projectiles of 100 pounds
weight, while the eight 8inch guns of
the Oregon throw a $50 pound shell
each, and the four 6 inch throw $50
pounds each at a discharge. The
Spanish So inch guns would be utter
ly harmless against the Oregon, while
every gun among the sixteen of the
Oregon's battery will readily perfo-