The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-02-17
Waste and RAVAGE.
How the Spanish Warship Could
Devastate New York.
oUGHTTO BE CLOSELY WATCHED
Sudden Declaration of War Would Play
Havoc with the Greatest city in
the Country-AdmInistrat
Appealed to.

New YORK, Feb. 14.--(Special. with
in few days Spain will have 1t in her
power to lay waste and ravage this city
as the volcano of Vesuvius ravaged
Herculaneum.
She will have 1t in her power to knock
the tower from the Produce Exchange,
desolate Wall street, ruin Trinity church,
disInantle. the elevated roads and levy
such colossal tribute of ruin that the
city will require long years to recover
from.
During the coming week the Vizcaya, n
great marine fighting machine, will
steam up the Narrows, past the forts,
flying the red and yellow flag of Spain at
her peak.
With hollow roars of mockery she will
salute the United States flag at Sandy
Hook, at Fort Wadsworth, Fort Hamil-
ton and, perhaps, at that decrepit old
cheese box, Castle William.
Then with the rumble of the eohoing
cannon will come the rumble of the heavy
anchor chain, and the Spanish man-of-
war will confront New York.
She will have passed our harbor defense
war vessel in the harbor.
1t is an unfortunate fact that under
these circumstances country of one
hundred million people will scarcely dare
to declare war.
When the Spanish battle ship Vizcaya
comes to q halt almost under the shadow
of the Statue of Liberty and surveys the
imperial city lying helpless under the
muzzles of her guns, there will not be a
man or cannon worthy of the name to
oppose her.
Three millions of people and hundreds
Of square miles of buildings to shoot at.
Targets, high and white and glittering,
unprotected. A lot of militia as helpless
as an army of Cinnamon, cursing i'm
potently in the streets and shaking their
fists helplessly at the bombarding Span
iards.
next Wednesday. She may arrive earlier
or she may put off her visit for a few
days. But certain it is that she has been
ordered to pay us visit, and is on her
way now.
Ordinarily there would be nothing to
fear from the arrival of a foreign man-of-
war, but the coming of the Vizcaya is a
menace, just as the visit of the Maine to
Havana harbor was q menace.
Disguise it as they will with diplomatic
powder smoke and courteous phrases, the
fact remains that the Vizcaya is coming
here to shoot-if necessary.
The Vizcaya is one OF the best modern
battle ships in the Spanish navy, and it
would not take her long to damage the
ci ty almost irreparably.
So far as can be learned at the Brook
lyn navy yard, at Governors Island and
at Fort Wadsworth, nothing is to be done
to defend the city against a possible at
tack.
There is not, at the present time, any
vessel OF any kind available at the
Brooklyn navy yard. 1t will be easily
seen therefore that the Spanish battle
ship would have things all her own way
should there be sudden declaration of
war between the two countries.
There are officers in the Spanish navy
and on the Vizcaya for that matter who
would not hesitate to do all the damage
possible with their guns before ultimate
capture.
1t would not take over half dozen
shots from the Vizcaya's eleven-inch
guns to reduce Governors Island to a
defenseless condition.
Then, with absolutely nothing to con-
tend with, the Spanish battle ship could
train her lighter guns on the lower por-
ton of the city.
A few SHELLS from her flve-lnch guns
would cut the sinews of the Brooklyn
Bridge as knife cuts flddlestrings. A
few more would stop the repairs on the
cruisers at the navy yard. These same
ave-inch shells would set at defiance all
the efforts of the fire department. To
the widespread destruoton by projectiles
would be added the horrors of vast and
unobstructed fire.
At the same time the Vizcaya's eleven
inch guns would be playing in the neigh
borhood of Madison Square. The eleva-
ted would have long since been rendered
useless to the panic stricken crowds.
The Fifth Avenue hotel, the Holland
house, the Waldorf-Astoria Madison
Square Garden and other notable resorts
would have been sacrificed.
A bird s-eye view of the city an hour
after such bombardment would afford
a spectacle that would interest even the
United States senate.
When the Spanish battle ship had
completed the work within her area of
destruction 1t would be an easy matter
for her to haul up her anchor and proceed
leisurely up the North river, welding her
sword of fire as she went.
Tne great piers, the huge ocean steam
ers of the American line, the gas tanks
along the river front, the electric light
p lants, and all Harlem, would be laid
waste.
In view Of these not very cheerful pos
sibilities, it is the opinion of many army
and naval men In this city that the navy