The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1898-04-30

easements and turrets of from to 10
inches of steel. The superior protec-
tion and heavier secondary battery OF
the seCristobal Colon should render
her fair match for the New York.
Following these two ships in import
ance is a group of six sister ships, two
of which are already very familiar to
the people of New York. They are the
tAirnirante Oquendo, the Cardinal
Cisneros - the Catalina the
Princess de Asturias. the 'Infanta
Maria Teresa and the ''Vizesya.
The Maria Teresa represented Spain
at the Grant Memorial services last
year and lay for some time off River
aide Drive in the Hudson River, and
the ssViZcaya' visited this port
immediately after the Maine disaster.
Each of these six ships is of 900
tons displacement and 90 knots speed.
They are provided with belt of 12-inch
steel at the top of which is 3-inch
protective deck. At each end of this
belt an armored tube rises to connect
with barbette of 101a steel, and in each
barbette is an II -inch armor- piercing
gun. Between these guns is battery
of 5 s. inch quick firing guns.
Against these speedy ships we could
oppose two powerful first class battle
ships. the Indiana and Massa-
chusetts, = the armored cruiser
Texas and four powerful monitors,
the Puritan, Terror, Am
phitrite'' and 'Miantonomoh. In
point of guns and armor the advantage
would be vastly in favor of the battle
ships and monitors, though this would
be offset by the speed, hardness and
ability to use the ram of the Spanish
cruisers. In an artillery duel there
could be little doubt of the issue. In
heavy guns the seven American ships
have eight 13-inch, ten 12-inch, twelve
0-ineh and sixteen 8inch, total or
4e armor piercing guns against a total
of twelve II inch guns on the SIX
Spanish ships. This superiority how
ever would be greatly offset by the
murderous discharge of the secondary
rapid fire batteries of the Spaniards,
which would comprise sixty 5h-inch
guns. against which we could only
make reply with fourteen 6-inch and
eight A. inch guns. The result of such
duel would be that the unarmored
ends and the central secondary batteries
Of the Indiana, Massachusetts
and Texas would be blown away,
while the armor belts of the Spanish
ships would be pierced and the ships
either sunk or disabled.
Thus far, however, we have taken no
note of two other novel and hitherto
untried elements which would at least
| figure prominently in such battle, II
they did not prove to be its deciding
factor We refer to the armored ram
Katahdin, of the American fleet,
and the deadly torpedo boat destroyers
of the enemy. The Katahdin is a
vessel of 2, $50 tons and Is knots speed,
whole sole duty is to ram. For this
purpose she presents but little of her
bulk above the water, and that which
is visible is curved and armor plated
with view to DETECTING the shells of
the enemy. She is quick in turning,
and it would be an extremely difficult
task for warship to elude or sink her
before the fatal blow was struck.
The six destroyers 'Audaz,
HOsado, - Terror, "Furor,
"Pluton' and Proserpina, are the
fastest and most formidable of their
class They have speed of 30 knots
and carry two discharge tubes for the
deadly Whitehead tepedo. As they are
unarmored, they can be easily sunk by
gun fire, and for this reason they will
rarely make an unsupported attack in
the open In line of battle, however,
they will be certain to play very
important part. Sheltering themselves
behind the advancing ships (which they
can easily do, on account of their small
size) they will rush out at the oppor-
tune moment and fire their torpedoes at
the enemy SO greatly is the torpedo
dreaded that the hostile fire is certain to
be drawn away from the battleships and
concentrated on the destroyers in the
effort to sink them. This diversion will
be of great value to the fleet possessing
torpedo hotilla, and may easily turn
the tide of battle at critical moment.
The moral effect which these boats will
produce in naval battle is shown in
the naval war game which we
illustrated in the last issue of the
Scientific American Supplement. We
have nothing of the size and speed of
these 400 ton destroyers which we could
send against them, unless it were the
Porter and Dupont, of 30 knots.
Our torpedo boats would be too small to
accompany fleet on the high seas.
The possession of numerous torpedo
hotilla by Spain goes far to restore the
balance which, on account of our
battleships and monitors, would be
strongly in our favor in pitched battle,
and it is the knowledge Of this fact
which renders the sailing of the hotilla
for the West Indies matter of the
gravest concern to this country. The
1otilla consists of six torpedo boat
destroyers and six torpedo boats con-
voyed by a couple of small cruisers.
The boats have been stripped Of their
guns and topedoes and they are being
nursed across the water by the larger
boats, which are ready to give them all
necessary assistance. The 6otilla in its
present condition is as helpless as a
brood of ducklings and it is no doubt
the knowledge of this fact that has led
Spain to hurry them across the water
in time of peace.