The evening times., 1898-04-18
WOULD TAKE THE PHILIPPINES
AsfatIc Squadron Ready to Descen'
tp0n the Islands.

AsfatIc Squadron Ready to Descent
Upon the Islands.
The American squadron now in Asiauc
waters so far surpasses the Spanish fleet
in that part of the world that in the event
of serious conflict With Spain the Phil
ippines are likely TO be, lost to her. as well
as Cuba The squadron. which is now at
Hong Kong, is ready for sea. and can be
started for the Philippines few hours
after war is declared.
Commodore Dewey's squadron in day
or two will include these named vessels:
! Olympia, Boston, Concord, Petrol, Zafira,
Baltimore, Raleigh, McCulloch and Nan
shan. The NcCulloch is expected in day
or two. She is the fine new revenue cut
ter which left Baltimore in January TO
go around the world for the purpose of
taking up her initial service in the Beh-
! ring Sea. AS she was passing through
| the Red Sea orders were sent her to join
the fleet at Hong Kong, where she will be
| refitted in order to provide additional
armament.
At present her guns comprise four g.
pound rapid-firing rifles, four 1-pound
rapid-firing rifles and torpedo tube. She
is a single screw steamer, PIG feet long.
$50 tons gross and capable of seventeen
! knots. Ii is likely that she will become
the dispatch boat of the Asiatic station.
The Nanshan and the Zafira are two
British steamers bought last week for
I transports, and especially for carrying
coal. The Nanshan is new and of 2,200
tons gross register. while the Zafira is
of 1062 tons. Commodore Dewey has at
his disposal for actual fighting purposes
the large protected cruisers Olympia and
| Baltimore. the smaller cruises Raleigh
and Boston, the gunboats Concord and
| Petrol and the cutter McCullOch OF
! these the Olympia is considered one Of
| the most serviceable boats in the navy.
| with a tonnage of $50. a horsepower of
1913 and a speed of Zig knots, she has
fourteen 6-pound rapid-firing guns. six l.
pound. four Gatling and six torpedo
| tubes.
The Baltimore has a tonnage of 4.il4:
| horsepower 1006l and a speed of TWEEN
| ty knots. She carries four 6-Dounders,
two S-pounders. two 1-pounders. four
| Hotchkiss guns two Gatlings and four
torpedo tubes.
The Raleigh has speed of nineteen
knots. tonnage of 3,2l3 and a horse
| power of 10000. She carries eight g.
| Founders, four 1-pounders, two CAT
lings and four torpedo tubes.
The Boston is slightly smaller, having
a tonnage of 1900. a horsepower of 4050.
a speed of fifteen knots and an arma-
ment comprising two 6-pounders, two g.
pounders two 1-pounders, two Hotchkiss
| guns and two Gatlings.
/ The gunboat Concord Is heavily arm
| ed for it's class. having two 6-pounderS.
| two S-pounders, two Hotchkss guns, two
Gatlings. and six torpedo tubes. She has
| a tonnage of l,7i0. a speed of sixteen
| knots and horsepower of S.405.
| The Petrol is the little gunboat built
| ten years ago at the Columbia Iron
| Works. Baltimore. She has a tonnage Of
| only S92 and a speed of eleven knots. and
her armament comprises only one J.
FOUNDER. two Hotchkiss guns and two
Gatlings
According TO =. the best information
! Spain has al Manila and elsewhere in the
! Philippines eight warships. and I'm the
Caroline Island. further eastward. four
( warships. But Of these twelve none in
any sense equals the Baltimore or Olym-
| pia in size armament or speed. while
| only two are even as large as the Bos-
| ton or Raleigh. The list is as follows
| Castillo. Reina. Christina. Isla de Cuba.
| Don Juan de Uloa Elcano. Marques del
| Duero. Velasco. iIsla de Luzron. Don
! Juan de Austria. Gen. Lezo Queros and
| Eillalabos.
The only protected cruisers In this list
are the Isla de Cuba and Isla de Luzon
vessels of little over J. 900 tons. having
! steel decks. capable of fifteen knots and
armed with six i.7-inch four 6-inCh quick
| fire. two 1-pOunders and three torpedo
! tubes each. These are little fellows and
/ have crews of 163 men.
| The Reina Christina is a cruiser very
much of the type of the Alfonso Nil
now lying near the wreck of the Maine
in Havana harbor She has the following
armament: Six 6,2-inch. two 27-inch. six
! 6-pounders. four S-pounders, five machine
/ guns, and five torpedo tubes
/ The Castillo is of a type of little wood
| en- vessels, displacing 3,3i2 tons, having
/ 1000 horse power. and speed of from
/ twelve TO fourteen knots They are
! bark-rigged. and draw not over twenty
one feet Of water. None of these ships
/ are Of recent construction, nor does any
compare with the vessels of the Adams
or Marion class in our Navy. Their bat
! teries comprise Krupp guns, varying from
( 80 inches TO % inches Each has two
torpedo tubes and carries 600 men, They
! have ordinary secondary batteries of
| rapid-fire and machine guns.
Don Antonio de Uloa and Don Juan de
! Austria are little cruisers, built from ten
10 fifteen years ago. of 21O feet length.
1,l52 tons displacement, draft of L feet.
and carrying an armament from A1-inCh
guns. four 6-pounders. one machine gun
and two torpedo tubes. with 173 men on
each ship The Velasco is a little larger
has the same battery and number of
men. but knot better speed.
The other five Spanish boats in the East
are the small gunboats ErCano go tons;
Gen. Lezo. 500 tons; Marques del Duero
s95 tons; The Queros. 3l5 tons and the
Villalabos, 3l5. There are a few boats
still smaller used to patrol the coast
but in no way regarded as fighters. The
total force, including vessels of all kinds.
is about seventeen.
INVALID ENDS HER LIFE.