Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-23
4 Spanish Fleet at Havana.

Since the utter destruction of Mon
tejo's fleet at Manila and Cervera's
at Santiago. SPANS navy has ceased
to be factor of great Importance in
TINS war. There is Camara's fleet.
now on the Spanish coast after it's
ridiculous voyage through the Suez
canal and back, but that is far from
the scene of warfare and in any case
would not be very formidable against
what it would have to meet, whether
the meeting place were in the Philip
pines, in Atlantic waters or off Spain.
But there are still in Cuban waters a
score or SO of small Spanish gunboats
and cruisers. They are not proving
very dangerous, for they keep closely
in the various harbors, but even them
as several of them found to their sor-
row at Manzanillo. they are not safe
from attack and destruction.
According to the published state
HieHlS VI spanish ueScIteIS iHeIe is
fleet of small Spanish vessels locked
up in Havana harbor, of considerable
The deserters claim to have belonged
to small gunboat also in the harbor,
be at least in part true, and if time
demonstrates the accuracy of the
whole, there will be in all likelihood
added to the American navy a number
of very desirable craft of the cruiser
and gunboat type. From the state
ments made there are ten war vessels
in Havana harbor. all of which, save
two, are rated in Brassey's Annual.
These two are small boats of unknown
tonnage, and probably are of the eight
cen third-class gunboats built for Gu
ban waters in 1895. The other eight
are from 81 tons to 5000 tons. Four
are second class cruisers and four tor
pedo gunboats. The cruisers named
are the Alphonso XII, 1880 tons, which
has been reported destroyed several
times; Marquise de la Esenada, 1890
tons; Condo de Nenadito, 1880 tons,
and Infanta Isabel, 1870 tons.
The four torpedo gunboats described
are we'll known to naval men, and are
the Marquise de Molina, Martin Alon
70 Pinzon, Vincente Yanez Pinzon,
each of 81 tons. and the Neuva Es-
pana. $50 tons.
In all. these eight vessels mounted
at the beginning of the war "a guns Of
modern type, including A. inch hon
torias and quick fire rifles, If these
boats We're still SO armed and in good
condition, and really in Havana har-
Dor, they would constitute quite a for
midable fleet, and be able to make a
very good fight against the small
American vessels blockading the har
Dor. AS farsas tonnage is concerned,
they outclass probably four times the
| number of the bockading vessels, and
their armament is also vastly supe-
rior. AS this reported fleet has not
made itself heard, it may be that the
| desefters named several boats not
there, or, if there, they be unseawor
| thy, or have been disarmed. or, what
| is more likely, that the officers man
| ming them have too great a respect
| for the fighting qualities of the Amer
| lean seamen. Whatever the reason
| for their remaining in close hiding, if
they are really there. it is to be hoped
that they will so continue. as when
Havana falls it will not cost so much
to put them in good shape for the
United States navy as it would if they
were to venture out within range of
the guns of the boats now blockadng
the harbor of Havana.