The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-16
sPAIN,s TWO wARsHtPs.
Tho Peiayo aud Carlos v PracticaiI,
All That IL Lsft of Her Navy.
From the PhIladelphia Bulletin.


From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
Spain's armored navy at the begin
ming OF the war consisted of one bat
tleship. the Pelayo; one armored crus-
er, the Emperador Carlos ", and sew
Ell other afmored cruisers, namely, the
Vizcaya, the Infanta Maria Teresa, the
Almirante Oquendo, the Cristobal Col
on. the Cardinal Cisneros, the Princess
de Asturias and the Catalina. 1t was
poprlarly thought that this fleet Of ar
mored vessels, Of large size and of great
speed, was a modern fleet CAPABLE of
i1ghting modern ships and of waging
an aggressive war, and there were
many persons who believed IL to be in
point of offensive power and efficiency
more than a match for the United
States fleet.
When active hostilities began Spain
presumably put her best ships into ac-
tive service. Accordingly, the Cape
Verde squadron. under Admiral Ger
vera, was formed and despatched. 1t
was then discovered that the four large
armored cruisers composing the squad
ron constituted every available ship At
10 fly the Spanish flag on the hisn seas.
This squadron we know now was not
IN what we would consider a suitable
condition for active service. 1t was
manned by crews ignorant of the art
of gunnery. and further, its machinery
was not in proper working order. The
oretically, Cervera's squadron was able
10 make a speed of twenty knots. In
reality its sEeed was considerably less,
FOR our ships, with trial speeds of fif-
teen khots, which must have been con-
sderably reduced by foul bottoms and
The conditions attendant upon active
service, were able to overhaul the
Spanish vessels and force them to run
on the beach. Thus four of Spain's
once apparently powerful fleet were de-
stroyed.
There is left, then, of the original
Spanish armored fleet the Pelayo, the
Carlos ", the Cardinal Cisneros, the
Primo ess de Asturias and the Catalina.
These last three are sister ships of the
three that were destroyed near Santa
go; they are in an unfinished condi-
ton in the shipyards of Spain, and it is
now we'll known that they cannot be
made efficient vessels for a long time
to come.
Hence. the number Of the present
effective fighting ships of Spain is mar
rowed down to two, the Pelayo. fair
" good battleship, and the Emperador
Carlos ", an excellently designed ar
mored cruiser.
Another reputed powerful element Of
the Spanish navy was the torpedo boat
destroyer. Here again reports were al
together at fault. Spain has six Of
them-new. English built, of extraordi-
nary speed, well armed; in short, ex-
cellent specimens of the type. These
destroyers have failed of serving any
purpose as signally as the armored
cruisers and from the same causes, un-
skilled seamen and defective machin-
cry. Two of these boats are now on
the rocks, wrecks; two more are limp
ing back to Spain from Port Said,
broken down. and the others are under
going repairs. AS a force they need
not be reckoned with.
This closes the account Of the real
| fighting force of the Spanish navy.
There yet remain some inferior cruis-
ers and some gunboats. The two large
cruisers, the Lepanto and the Alfonso
XIII, which might prove of some use,
| are undergoing repairs"
Two old-time iron broadside battle
ships, the Numancia and the Vitoria,
have been re-engined and armed,
| modernized in these respects, yet
| neither has been able to go to sea, and
| 1t is reported that the one was not en-
tirely re-engined before leaving France,
| where she had been repairing, and that
| the other has not yet receivd her ar
mament.
The conclusion is that the Spanish
| navy consists TODAY of the following
| ships: Pelayo, battleship, 10000 tons,
sixteen knots, nineteen guns: Carlos
| ", armored cruiser, 5000 tons, twenty
knots, twenty guns.