Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1910 — The Spanish Armada. [ARTICLE]

The Spanish Armada.

In 1588 Philip 11. of Spain fitted out a great naval armament, with a view of conquering the English with It. The fleet consisted of 131 greater and many smaller ships of war, and carried 19,000 marines and 8,000 sailors. The ships had scarcely quitted Lisbon when they were scattered by a storm and had to be refitted. Advancing ir. the form of a half moon seven miles in extent, It came In sight, off Plymouth, of the English fleet, scarcely numbering 80 sail, and commanded by Lord Howard, who endeavored by dexterous seamanship, and the discharge of well directed volleys of shot at alternately long and short dla tances, to damage the vessels of the enemy. Some of these either fell Into the hands of the English or tvere destroyed. Arriving off of Dunkirk the armada was becalmed and thrown into such confusion by the arrival In the fleet of eight fireships sent by the English admiral, that on the next morning Lord Howard was able to attack it on several sides. Though theSpanish bravely resisted their vessels or fell Into the hands of the English and the Dutch, and in consequence their commander resolved to abandon the enterprise, conceiving of the idea of taking his fleet around the northern coast of Great Britain. But a violent hurricane now broke out and the larger part of their ships were dashed upon the rocks and scattered In all directions. The armada is said to have lost in the open sea 72 large vessels exclusive of the smaller craft, and 10,185 men, while every family of distinction in Spain had to mourn the loss Of one or more of it 3 members. Only about 50 vessels reached Spain on the return trip.