377 CHAPTER XXXI.

THE DESTRUCTION OF CERVERA'S FLEET.

GENERAL SHAFTER having failed to take Santiago, and having his army reduced to such straits that he was talkingofretreat.AdmiralCervera, to the astonishment of friends and foes alike, suddenly acted in a way that practically made a present of one suspected that the Spaniards were getting ready to come out. The ships lying off the entrance to the harbour had all, with the exception of the Oregon and the Gloucester, let their furnace fires burn low, and there was very little pressure of steam in the boilers. The Santiago to the Americans, and hopelessly wrecked and destroyed the one fleetthat Spain possessed in the West Indies.

On the evening of July 2nd, Consul Ramsden had written in his diary: " They say tonight that the Manzanillo reinforcements, some 4,000 men, are at San Luis, and will be here to-morrow. It seems incredible that the Americans with their large force have not yet taken the place. The defence of the Spaniards has been really heroic, the more so when you consider they are half-starved and sick. It was affirmed to-day that the squadron would leave this evening, but they have not done so, admiralhad gone away tothe eastward,making for Siboney, where a cavalry escort waswaiting to conduct him to General Shaffer's headquarters. The general had sent for him in order to urge upon him the necessity of extricating the army fromits difficultposition by forcing the harbour mouth. Several of the ships were absent from their usual stations. The battleship Massachusetts, the auxiliary cruiser Suicaucc, and the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius, had gone to coal at Guantanamo. The torpedoboatPorter was away on despatch duty. The other torpedo boat,theEricsson, was accompanying the flagship.

Of the ships actually The. Naval Battle, off SANTiA&o-Dt-CuBA.I.

thoughthepilots areon board. Iwill believe it when Isee them get out, andIwish they would. If they do, thej will fare badly outside." Preparations were actually in progress for the departure of the squadron. The men who had been landed to aid in the defence of the trenches were reembarked, and an opening was made through the obstacles at the harbour mouth.

On Sunday morning the sky was clear and bright, the sea was smooth, and there was a light wind. On board the blockading fleet no engaged in blockade duty, the Iowa lay due south of the harbour entrance, about five and a half miles from the land,undereasy steam, with her bow towardsthe shore. To the east ofher,and somewhat nearer the land, lay the battleships OregonandIndiana. To the westof theIowa was thebattleship Texas, andbeyond her the armoured cruiser Brooklyn, flying the flag of Commodore Schley. The Brooklyn was almost exactlysouth-west ofMorro Castle. Closer still to the land lay two small armed vessels, the Vixen west of the entrance