y given. "Sound the general alarm!"
"Clear ship for action!" "Bugles call to general quarters!" "Steam and
pressure on the turrets!" "Hoist the battle-flags!" "Close the
hatches!" "Full steam ahead!" "Turn on the current of the electric
hoists!" "Get to your guns, lads!"

Our men are hurrahing and yelling with glad excitement. They throw off
their white clothes, and tumble down the ladders, and throw themselves
through the hatchways in their haste to obey orders. In less than
three minutes every vessel is speeding along, and has obeyed the
signal: "Open fire!"

There are the beautiful Spanish ships running at full speed, in a
line, one behind the other, all their flags flying as if on a holiday
parade. They are coming out of the channel and turning westward,
firing fiercely on the Brooklyn, the nearest of our ships, while the
forts on the cliffs fire on the rest of our fleet. First of the
Spanish ships comes the Maria Teresa, carrying the flag of Admiral
Cervera. The last two in the line are the torpedo-boat destroyers.

Our ships send forth a storm of fire; every instant the roar of our
guns is heard, and the air is so filled with smoke that our men can
hardly see their enemy.

Indeed, it is a wonder that our ships, all rushing toward the Spanish
ships, do not crash into one another. And how can they help injuring
one another with their guns? Ah, there is good management! Not one of
the captains loses his wits--not one of the gunners mistakes a friend
for a foe.

Now the Maria Teresa is on fire in different places, and turns in
toward the shore. Great columns of flame shoot up as the big ship runs
upon the beach and hauls down her flag as a sign of surrender. Now
another Spanish ship is on fire from our guns, and runs ashore,
hauling down her flag. She is as helpless as the Teresa. Not half an
hour has passed since those two ships came out of the harbor, yet now,
after running six or seven miles, they are ashore and in flames; most
of their men are killed or wounded, the others are clinging to parts
of the ships or jumping into the sea, though sharks are plainly seen
in the water.

Meanwhile, the Gloucester, one of our smallest vessels, is attacking
the two torpedo-boat destroyers, and, with a little help from some of
our battleships, soon puts an end to the two little Spanish boats. One
of them sinks, the other is compelled to run ashore; both ruined in
less than eight minutes after the Gloucester fired the fi