3Q7 A BARBED WIRE STOCKADE AND BLOCKHOUSE BEFORE SANTIAGO.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

THE fall of Santiago brought the end of the great struggle clearly into sight. It was true that Havana and Marshal Bianco's army, and the defences of Havana, were --ill intact, and the Spanish flag still Hew over Manila. But neither the people nor the Government of Spain had any longer heart for continuing the strife. It was felt that enough had been done for honour. Each day saw the desire for peace growing stronger. The war might have been prolonged. But all illusions had vanished a- to any other power taking up Spain's quarrel with the United States, and a fight to the death wouldhave meant the multiplication of useless sacrifices. But three or four weeks more went by before the actualstoppage of the conflict was accomplished by the good offices of French diplomacy.

of Cervera's destroyer squadron, was permanently crippled and made useless for the rest ot the war. The Terror had been left behinel at Martinique, to effect some repairs to her engines, when the Cape de Verde fleet sailed for Curacoa and Santiago. She succeeded in reaching the harbour of San Juan in Puerto Rico On June 22nd the auxiliary cruiser St. Paul, commanded by Captain Sigsbee. ot the , was lying off San Juan, watching the port. If the Terror hael slipped out under the cover of night, she might, perhaps, have succeeded in sending one of her torpedoesinto the big liner. But, for some unaccountable reason, the Spanish commander attempted a torpedo attack inbroad daylight. The St. Paul turned a whole broadside of quick-firers and machine guns on the unfortunate torpedo boat.

A heavy shell burst among her boiler tubes.

Several of her crew were killed and wounded; and then the Terror turned and struggled back into the harbour, in a sinking condition. The wonder is, not that she failed inher attack,but that she was not sent to the bottom of the Atlantic. This was the fifth Spanish torpedo boat uselessly sacrificed indaylight attacks— two at Manila, two outside Santiago, and the Terror at ftan Juan.

Having told so fully the story of the fight for Santiago, we may pass more lightly over the contemporaryoccurrences in other parts of the theatre of war and the events of its last few weeks.

During the operations against Santiagothere were a number of minor naval engagements at various points on the Cuban coast and a fight off Puerto Rico, in which the Terror, the third