Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-20
Oregon, Kentucky, Alabama, Illinois, and

Oregon, Kentucky, Alabama, Illinois, and
Wisconsin.
The single turret monitors are the Ajax,
Comanche, Canonicus, Cstskill, Jason, Le-
high, Mahopac, Manhattan, Montauk. Ma
hant, Nantucket, Passais, and Wyandotte.
Besides these there are the following UNI
aTmored steel vessels: Atlanta, Baltimore,
Boston, Charleston, Chicago. Cincinnati.
Detroit, Minneapolis, Olympia, Philadel-
phia, and San Francisco.
Then there are the following gunboats:
Bennington, Concord, Helena, Machias,
Nashville, Petrol, Wilmington, Yorktown,
Annapolis, Vicksburg, Newport, Prince
ton, Marietta, and Wheeling.
In the special class are the training-ship
Bancroft, dispatch-boat Dolphin, and the
dynamite-cruiser Vesuvius.
OF torpedo-boats the United States have
the Plunger (submarine). Foote, Rodgers.
Winslow, Porter. Du Pont, Rowan, and
Gwin. outside of these there are at pres
cnt being built eleven others which can be
gotten ready for service in a short time.
This shows, therefore, that the first out
break Of war Spain would have on hand a
fleet Of thirty-two vessels, including tor
pedo-boats. These ships would represent
a displacement Of 76.0O2 tons, with 432
bNAAhf NNAINACN2 VII WY I9n'l Va AAAC I
fleet, and an equipment that, putting point
against point, would be superior to that
Of the United States.
WE HAVE THE BEST OF IT.
Whatever the comparison shows when
figures are on paper, however, actually
the United States navy is superior to that
Of Spain, for we have on our side all the
elements that IN the opinion Of experts /
will constitute superiority in the naval
battle Of the future, the outcome of which
is largely p~roblematical.
II Is not the number Of ships or the
number Of guns that will tell in the naval
battle of the future so much as the thick
ness Of the armor and the caliber of the
guns, and, as Of old, the fighting spirit Of
the men. In all these particulars Ameri-
ca has a decided advantage. From sources
that are thoroughly reliable, it has been
ascertained that the fleet which Spain
would be ready to put to sea in the event
of an outbreak of war, within one week
from date, would be five thoroughly-efi- 2
w~ell-equipped armored cruisers, and
one able-bodied battleship. This powerful S
feet, 1t has been figured out, would have a q
total tonnage Of 1900 tons displacement, c
the calibre and number Of the guns !
would be as follows: t
In. In. In. In. In. In. In.
..12.5 lilo 95 go 90 Al 40
Number go. 10 l 4S u
THE speed Of the war vessels would
lyerage 20 knots an hour, and the fleet =.
,ould make the trip TO our seaports' ="
therefore,, in very quick time. A hastily .
American fleet that could be J"
,otten together at short notice to steam
ut and report on the or the
of Spaip would consist OF the
ruisers Columbia, New York, and Brook
vn Behind them would be a fleet OF ei
hirteen vessels, including the monitors tc
he total displacement OF this Meet that pl
limited States could mobilize at short
office would be $500 tons. Their speed
,ould he from twelve to twenty-five
nots per hour. and they would mount
ms OF the following number and cali
re: 10
In In. In. In. In. IN. re-
aIibre ,...13O 1910 so 60 90 40 ~
..12 s IS "a II ~ ~
THE FIRST HOSTILE MOVE. nj
Assuming that the United States adopt
/ the most aggressive tactics at the out
.eak of war, the first act OF TINS coun-
v would be TO seize Habana harbor, 81,
sinking the two Spanish war YES :.
Is there. The capture OF the detences .
Habana harbor after that would not -
a difficult undertaking. IL Hapana
ere captured, upon 0P@" w." q
rown the obligation OF making a coun- s
r move that would even up matters OF 3
acknowledging herself beaten, throw h
p up the sponge and retiring from the IA
IA as a claimant Of Cuba The Uniteo -
ates could we'll afford to let Spain make l.
= next move, after Habsna had been y
ptured.
United States fleet would be abe
turn IT'S entire attention to meeting the
anIsh squadron, and could concentrate
ickly on any point that the squadron
swift cruisers sent out to reconnoitre
/, spanish fleet reported the hostile
DIS were making for.
give Spain the benefit or the ooupt
,ardIng the outcome of an attack on
.bana. and admit that the harpor couUu
" be blockaded and not captured the
fleets at this would be as ioi-
vs.:
SPAIN.
MS Date
place. Horse OF -
met. per. Sp'd. L'ch.
1900 5000 IS 1897
aso ocuendo.. 1000 1900 70 1871 L
anita Maria Tie" ooo 1904 ~.
aa f.VV AVN @e 1850