The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-10
"BA1TIE OF JULY THIRD"
A Companion of the Gums ofthe Spanish
 and American ships.
(Correspondence of the Associated
 Press)

been so much conjecture since the bat tie of July as to the American pre- dominance of guns over the Spanish that, at the request of the Associated Press, Lieutenant Benjamin w. Wells, flag secretary for Commodore Schley, who directed the fire of two tiVe-inch guns during the battle, has made a comparison of the gun fire of the Uni ted States and Spanish vessels during the battle.
 The abbrevations may be explained as follows M, machine rapid tire H. R, C., Hontoria Revolving Cannon, Max. Nord Maxim Nordenfeldt R. F. G., rapid fire gun.
 The United States vessels on the blockading line were the Brooklyn, Texas, Iowa, Oregon, Indiana, Vixen and the Gloucester. The Spanish squadron consisted of the lnfanta Ma ria Teresa, Vizcaya, Almirante Oquen- do, Christobal Colon and the torpedo boat destroyers Pluton and Furor.
 The batteries of those vessels were as follows:
 Brooklyn, s-S"; 12-5"; 12-6 pdrs.; Al 
 Oregon, 4-1S"; s-S'; 4-6''; 2o-6 pdrs.; 6-1 pdrs. fl.
 Indiana, 4-1S"; S-S"; 4-6"; 2O-6 pdrs.; | 6-1 pdrs. Il.
 Iowa, 4-12"; S-S"; 6-4'; 2O-6 pdrs.; | 6-1 pdrs. M.
 Texas, 2-12"; 6-6'; 12-6 pdrs.; 6-1 | pdrs, M.
 Gloucester, 5-6 pdrs.; 4-3 pdrs. Vixen, 4-6 pdrs.; Max Nord. Auto matio.
 SPANISH.
 Teresa, 2-11"; 1O-5. g.; s-6 pdrs,; s-H. R. C.; 4 M.
 vizcaya, a-11"; 1o-5. g.; s-e pdrs,; S-H. R. C.; Nj.
 oquendo, 2-11": 1o-5. B; s-6 pdrs,; S-H. R. C.; 4 M.
 Colon, 1o-6"; GA. r; 10-6 pdrs; 1o-1 pdrs.; M
 Fulton, 2-12 pdrs.; 2-6 pdrs. ? Max. Nord. Automatic. l Furor, 1-12 pdrs.; 2-6 pdrs.; 2 Max, Nord. Automatic.
 TOTAL NUMBER OF GUNS. United States. 13 inch, 8: 12 inch, 6; 8 inch, 32; 6 inch, 14: inch R. F. C., 6 6 pdrs., 9O; l pdrs., 2S; Max, Nord.i 8; Machine, 26; | total, 225
 Spanish.
 ii inch, 6; inch R. F. O., 10; 5. 5 inch R. F G., 30: 4. inch R. F. G., 6; 12 pdrs, 4; pdrs. 3S; 1 pdrs., 10; Max. Nord., 4; H. R. C., 37-m-m., 24; ma chine. 1d: total, 146.
 From the foregoing table it will be observed that the United States yes sells were superior in guns of large cal ibre, having a total of fourteen thir- teen-inch and twelve-inch, against the six eleven-inch guns of the enemy But it might be well to state here that the very heavy guns did not get home except in the case of two shots, twelve and thirteen inches, which struck the Teresa, and perhaps one which struck one of the destroyers. On the other hand, the superiority of rapid fire guns of medium calibre was in favor of the l Spanish ships, they having fifty guns from six-inch rapid fire down to and including their twelve pounders, while the United States vessels had but eighteen guns of the rapid fire type In the smaller guns the proportions were one hundred and thirty-one for the United States and seventy-six for the Spanish ships, emitting machine guns. The superiority in number proved an important factor in the bat tle for it was stated by the Spanish officers that the six pounder fire was so accurately destructive that difficulty was experienced in keeping the men at their guns.
 In this connection, however, the thir- ty-two eight-inch guns of the Ameri- can vessels must be most seriously taken into account. They easily proved their excellence over other guns by the terrible execution which they wrought, and which undoubtdly con- tributed in a very marked degree to the final result.
 COMPARISON OF GUNS ENGAGED.
 In making this comparison, it must be remembered that immediately on coming out of the harbor the Spanish vessels headed to the westward, bring ing their full port batteries to bear, while the United States vessels were handicapped in varying degrees in this regard at the beginning of the battle The following table is believed to be a fair estimate of the number of guns en- gagged on each side: TOTAL GUNS ENGAGED. United States. 13 inch, 4; 12 inch 4; s inch, IS; 6 inch, '; inch R. r. G., G. 4 inch R. F. G., 8; 6 pdrs. 47; pdrs 4; 1 pdrs., 4; ma chine, 8; total, 119.
 Spanish.
 Il inch, 6; inch R. F. G., 5; B. inch , R. F. G., l.; 4. inch R. F. G., 3; F pdrs, 1; pdrs., 21 pdrs, 5; H. R. c. B m-m., 21; Max. Nord., A. machine, '; total. 91.
 [ The Vixen is not included, for she was almost directly in the line of fire when the engagement began, and ran outside of the heavier ships in order not to embarrass them, and remained . near the Brooklyn and Oregon to look out for torpedo attacks. She was un- der fire but was unable to return it.
 METAL THROWN PER MINUTE.
 To determine this quantity, take the time allowed from fire to fire for the thirteen-inch gun as a unite. Then ir that length of time the weight of met al from the thirteen-inch guns would be HOO lbs. guns-4, 400 lbs. The al lowed time from fire to fire for the thirteen-inch is 320 seconds, and fol the twelve-inch it is 300 seconds, hence the weight of metal thrown by the