Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-06
TRY NAvigs OF THE WORLD
SOME SOUTH AMERICAN COUN
TRIES HAVE BUT ONE WAR
SHIP AFLOAT.

(New York Mail and EXpress0
The blue-noscd skipper who tele-
legraphed from City Island that he had
Killed his crew and wanted the police
to meet his craft at He'll Gate had
moro humor than usually accompanies
a tragedy of its kind. His exploit has
gene over the'world in a measure. This
appeal was answered by the police boat
Patrol, bristlng with arms and blue
coats. When it came alongside the
skipper pointed TO the body OF Il dead
negro and said: 81 have shot my crew"
There is Il parallel story in cableSram
That was received from Colombia sew
eral days ago. IL read: whole Colom-
ban navy sunk" The marine editor
and expert naval writer of 4 morning
paper happened TO be out splicing the
main brace At this critical moment. and
mad no hand in the furry that followed.
1T TOOK much overhaulng to discover
that the whole of the Colombau
navy consisted OF just one ships and that
she aid not have any superimpOsed FUR
rets.
Both of these stories were heartily
laughed over when related ut the navy
yard III Brooklyn the other day, and
Then the question of infant navies was
discussed. II is not long since an un-
Patriotic bench comber put u lien on the
navy of Paraguay. Paraguay has an
ton os several millions. and its navy
consists of one gunbOat Several steam
launches built in northern waters make
y practice of following this gunboat
around to tow her off when she gets
aground OF 10 prevent the rebels from
lifting her out of the water and carry
ing her bodily 10 the woods.
AS insignificant as the navy of Para
quay is that of Persia is Il shade infcri-
or. Instead of having several steam
launches to dance attendance on the
Persepolis. the t'squadron." Persia has
but one launch.
Considering her scaboard territory
Colombia has tiny navy indeed. The
republic represents 504,713 square miles,
ana a population of over 100000 The
Sinuositics of the coast give about 400
miles on the Atlantic ana COO on the Pa
ciiic Ocean. It's navy for the most part
consists Of Il sectional gunboat that was
built at Perth Amboy. \. j.. in 1895, and
sent down To the coast in sections.
Costa liica. which has always been
avcrsc To lighting with her larger
nciyhborS. Nicaragua and Honduras.
has. like them. water front on both the
Caribbean Sea and Pacific ocean. Yet
this country mas but one torpedo boat
as 4 navy. and she is but siXtytwO
feet in length. y torpedo boat in this
instance is as good as the armed fleets
~
tcmaia. nor Nicaragua has any navy"
at all. The once wealthy and populous
Aztec State called San Salvador has a
navy of its own. and this navy is
eighty-siX feet long and bears the good
old name of Cuscatlan. This vessel
was built i'm San Francisco. and when
taken seriously has displacement of
scVenty-iivc tons and triple expansion
engines.
When COMPARED with her next door
ucighbor, Colombia, the republic of
Ecuador is II menace TO that portion of
the Pacific. Not only has Ecuador a
transport OF iron in the Chaihuin, but
she has also Il sloop- oC-war of six guns
with crew of III. ana two gunboats.
Peru towers away above both Ecua-
dor and Colombia in the matter of Il
navy. having several fairly good cruis-
crS. One. the Santa Rosa burns petro-
lcum. AS Peru stands shoulders above
both Ecuador and Colombia in the mat =
ter of IL navy. so does Chile soar above
Peru in the same rcsDcct. Either the
Captain Prat, of French construction;
the Alnirantc Cochranc. or the E.smcr-
aida. the last two of English build is
able to wine out the best portion of the
entire naVics of South America, eX-
ccDtinE. of course tho Arlrontinc Re-
public and Brazil. Chile. possibly did
not consider it worth while to take the
cruiser ls!mac back when Peru cap
tured her. Tor the same year in which
she lost that vessel she took as prizes
from Peru the lluascar and the Pill
comayo. both OF which were built at
l5rkenhcad.
Santo Domingo has n navy consist
ing of several gunboats. one the Res
taurancion, quite new and from Glas-
gov. with nine guns, and the other. the
independence. with seven uuick-iirincr
guns ard twin screws. Haiti has n
more formidable fleet. all being gun
boats. however, and two, the Crete a
l'icrot ana Capois In Mort. absolutely
new.
Mexico has but one cruiser. the cara
they-srty f--fot,rirr- uf frrrri
thnn she is of water. Liberia. with GOO
miles of water front, has but two gun
boats. the Gorronomah and the Rock
town. but some others are building
bulgaria. the 'crumbling off of the
northern edge Of the decayinG Turkish
Empire" as Il historian once nut If
has very small navy. considering her
possessions on the Danube River and
along the Black Sea. Korea has ONLY
three shi:s as a navy. and they are
practically unoimcd.
Dynamite johnny" O'Bricn has
made" more navies than any modern
freelance of the sea. He once threat
cned to subduc Venezuela with an old
ferryboat thai he chartered" from n
Sound junk yard.
A Single Fact,