Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1373

 DEFENCE

1017

—

Peace

War

Infantry Cavalry Artillery Engineers Administration Sanitary, &c. . Gendarmerie. Customs' service.

Men

63,991

14,386

12,063

5,539

1,500

2,197

14,697

14,186

Men 132,000 17,156 12,166 11,027 11,140 483

Total

128,559

183,972

The army is provided with about 14,300 horses and mules, and 590 guns. The annual contingent of recruits is fixed at 80, 000 men. There are in Spain 13 military schools and colleges.

III. Navy.

In the war Avith the United States complete disaster overtook the Si>anis]i fleet. In the battle of Cavite, May 1, 1898, the following vessels of Admiral Montojo's squadron were lost to Spain, mostly by fire : Reincc Cristina, Castilla, Antonio de Ulloa, Juan de Austria, Ma de Cuba, Isla de Luzon and Velaseo, with the transport Mindanao. The Jican, Cuba, and Luzon, have since been floated, and added to the United States Navy. In the battle oT Santiago, July 3. the fine armoured cruisers Maria Teresa, Oquendo and FiscaT/a (sisters of 7,000 tons), and the Oristobol Colon (6,840 tons), bought from the Italians, were lost. The first-named was floated by the Americans, but foundered on her way to a United States port. In the same engagement the destroyers Furor and Pluton perished. In addition the gunboats Delgado Parayo and Ccntcnella were burned at Manzanillo, on July 20, and the Jorge Juan was sunk in Nipe Bay, IST.E. Cuba, on July 21. Some small vessels have returned from Cuba, but a number of the Cuban gunboats ha\-e fixllen into the hands of the Americans. It has also sanctioned the sale to the Argentine Government of the armoured cruiser Pcc^ro ci'^rrt^07i, a sister of the unfortunate Colo}i, which is in hand at Sestri Ponente, in Italy. The following statement of strength excludes training ships, transports, and non- effective vessels : —

Launched, February, 1 898 Building

Battleship, 1st class ... 1

Coast Defence Ships ... 2

Cmisers, 1st (dass (armoured) . 4

,, 2nd (dass ... 5

Cruisers, 3rd (dass ... 4 . . 1

Gunboats, &c. . . . 60 . . 1

Torpedo Craft, 1st class. . 20 . . 4

,, ,, 2nd class. . 3.

,, ,, 3rd class. . 4.

The single battleship credited to S]>aiH in the above table is the Pelayo, launched at La Seyne in 1887, and lately reconstructed at the same place. The following are her principal characteristics :— Displacement, 9,900 ton.s : length, 330 ft. ; beam, 66 ft. ; draught, 24 ft. 9 in. ; engines, 6,800 nominal horse-power; speed, 15"8 knots; principal armament, 2 12"5-in., 2 ll-in.,