hundred yards away.

"Commodore Schley left the 'Brooklyn' in a small boat and went
aboard the 'Cristobal Colon' and received the surrender. Meantime
the 'New York,' with Admiral Sampson on board, and the 'Vixen'
were coming up on the run. Commodore Schley signaled to Admiral
Sampson; 'We have won a great victory; details will be
communicated.'

"Then for an hour after the surrender in that little cove under
the high hills was a general Fourth of July celebration, though a
little premature. Our ships cheered one another, the captains
indulged in compliments through the megaphones, and the 'Oregon'
got out its band, and the strains of the 'Star-Spangled Banner'
echoed over the lines of Spaniards drawn up on the deck of the
last of the Spanish fleet, and up over the lofty green-tipped
hills of the Cuban mountains.

"Commodore Schley, coming alongside the 'Texas' from the
'Cristobal Colon' in his gig, called out cheerily, 'It was a nice
fight, Jack, wasn't it?'

"The veterans of the 'Texas' lined up and gave three hearty
cheers and a tiger for their old commander-in-chief. Captain
Philip called all hands to the quarter-deck, and with bared head,
thanked God for the almost bloodless victory.

"'I want to make public acknowledgment here,' he said, 'that I
believe in God the Father Almighty. I want all you officers and
men to lift your hats and from your hearts offer silent thanks to
the Almighty.' "All hats were off. There was a moment or two of
absolute silence, and then the overwrought feelings of the ship's
company relieved themselves in three hearty cheers for their
beloved commander."

By this victory the naval power of Spain was effectively and finally
crushed. She lost four fine armored ships and two large destroyers. In
killed, wounded and prisoners her loss exceeded eighteen hundred men,
while but one American was slain. Among the prisoners was Admiral
Cervera, whose dignified bearing in the presence of disaster won for
him the high regard of the Americans, his foes. The value of the
property lost to bankrupt Spain exceeded thirteen million dollars, and
it is probable that before these words reach the reader the final
price of Cervera's daring dash will be paid by the surrender of
Santiago.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Naval History of the United