what followed may more properly be termed a siege. General Shafter was, however, much disheartened. He was ill and suffering greatly from the intense heat. He had learned that the garrison of Santiago had been reinforced. by 5000 troops which had evaded a force of Cubans under General Garcia, especially detailed to prevent their entrance. Appalled by the heavy losses in his own army, he decided that his position was untenable and contemplated ordering a retreat, and so intimated in his despatches to the War Department in Washington. Instant preparations were made there to send him reinforcements, and Major-General Miles, who had been striving in vain to get permission from Secretary of War Alger to go to the front, was now directed to proceed to Santiago. The division and brigade commanders under General Shafter took by no means. the gloomy view of the situation that he did, and they counselled so strongly against retreat that General Shafter delayed his contemplated order. He had been complaining to the Washington authorities that the co-operation of the fleet was not as great as it should be; and he and Admiral Sampson received orders to confer with a view to a better understanding. While Admiral Sampson was on his way to confer with General Shafter, an unexpected move on the part of the Spaniards entirely changed the outlook. CHAPTER XLI CERVERA'S FLEET DESTROYED THE Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera, consisting of the cruisers "Cristobal Colon," "Infanta Maria Teresa," " Vizcaya," and "Almirante Oquendo," and the torpedo boat destroyers "Pluton" and "Furor" were destroyed by the American fleet under Admiral Sampson at Santiago de Cuba on Sunday morning, July 3. This fatal dash from the harbor of Santiago was not the wish of Admiral Cervera. It was Cervera a made by the order of General Blanco Prisoner at Havana, who had been urged to take this step by the authorities in Madrid, who considered some show of resistance necessary to convince the turbulent Spanish populace that Spanish honor was being satisfied. It was in vain that Admiral Cervera protested that to emerge from the harbor when a superior squadron lay in wait for him meant certain defeat. On the morning of July 3 the Spanish fleet steamed boldly out of the harbor, with the "Infanta Maria Teresa" in the lead. In less than half an hour two of Cervera's ships were wrecks, a few minutes later a third ran up a white flag, the two destroyers were sinking hulks, and the "Cristobal Colon Cristobal Colon" was being hotly pursued along the coast, where, some miles from the harbor mouth, she was grounded to prevent her sinking. In the engagement the Americans lost only one man, while practically all the Spanish officers and most of their crews were either killed or taken prisoners. One of the captains committed suicide. Admiral Cervera was taken prisoner. Admiral Villamil, in command of the torpedo boat destroyers, lost his life. Admiral Sampson missed the engagement, having shortly before the Spaniards emerged moved down the coast toward Aguadores, and being unable after the firing was heard to reach the scene in time to participate, beyond firing a couple of small shots. The command of the fleet during the action thus fell to Commodore Schley, on the cruiser " Brooklyn." It was to him, even though the fleet was under the command of Admiral Sampson, that the popular mind gave the greatest credit for the victory. In the quiet of the Sunday morning the American men-of-war lay off the harbor entrance of Santiago at distances ranging from four thousand to six thousand yards. It was about half-past nine o'clock, and Lieutenant Duzer, the officer of the watch on the battleship "Iowa," was relieving the navigating officer, Lieutenant Schuetze, officer of the deck, when he heard a quick cry to call the captain, followed by the shout: " "There come the Spaniards out of the harbor!" The trained eye of the alert officer marked the thin trail of drifting smoke, and before the signal "Clear ships for action!" had been given, the bows of the Spanish cruisers, rushing in "line ahead" were seen darting around Socapa Point for the open sea. Men rushed to quarters, guns were trained, and in less than thirty seconds the whistling shriek of a rapid-fire gun warned the startled fleet of the hot work awaiting it. In two minutes every gun on the "Iowa" was cast loose, manned, loaded, and ready for the long-expected signal to fire. At the yard arm of the " Iowa" a string of signal flags warned the fleet that the enemy was trying to escape; but even before the answering pennants of the other ships |