f the proud battleships, as in
majestic array, representing both the Pacific and North Atlantic
squadrons, they seem to sweep gradually forward and onward within full
view. If Mr. Moran had never painted anything else, this picture would
stamp him as a surpassing genius. The grouping of the great vessels and
the indication of their vast number, the brilliancy of the water and the
whole coloring are matchless. It suggests in the proud procession of the
ships-of-war, in perspective, as far back as the eye can reach, a
gathering of almost the entire navy, and is in that respect far more
than a mere photographic representation of the actual occurrence. In
this picture he represents the "Olympia" as the principal object, the
nearest in the foreground, her hull in gleaming white, with the
suggestion of the figure of Admiral Dewey standing on the bridge, with
her sister ships of like hue following in her wake; while another line,
on the left of the picture, headed by the "New York" and "Brooklyn," and
with Admirals Sampson and Schley on board, appears in more sombre hue,
only second in importance, however, to the "Olympia." Such a picture
could only be produced by an artist of the most poetic and imaginative
instincts as well as a close student of the actualities; for while it is
to a certain extent allegoric of the event which it records and the
memories connected with it, nothing could be more real or faithful than
the reproduction of our iron-clads, with all the detail of armament,
turret, tackle, anchor, port-holes and even the national coat of arms on
the prow. Even the signal of the "Olympia," "Remember the Maine," and
the answering signal of the "Brooklyn," "The Maine is avenged and Cuba
is free," can be seen flying from their yards.

The events which are recalled by this painting are so recent that it
would seem superfluous to refer to them at all, and yet, in continuation
of the historic outline presented in these pages, it may be of interest
to record that the battle of Manila was fought on May 1, 1898; that not
a single life was lost on the American side and only a few men wounded,
without any material injury to the American ships, consisting of four
cruisers and two gunboats, while the whole Spanish fleet, under the
command of Admiral Montojo, consisting of seven cruisers and five
gunboats, was destroyed, with the exception of two, and these were
captured, and that our ships, in addition, silenced and captured the