“Instantly the great guns of the Morro, 180 feet above the water, and those of the Socapa battery, lying higher still, with all the batteries beneath those two, began to belch and roar as their crews strove with frantic energy to aid the flying squadron. “Now, it was about three minutes from the appearance of the first Spaniard to the firing of the first American gun. “In these three minutes the distance between the squadrons was lessened by at least a mile,—the range was not more than two thousand yards. “But while two thousand yards is the range (about one and one-sixth miles) selected for great gun target practice, it will never do for an eager fight, and as the trend of the land still headed the Spanish off to southward, the battle-ships were able to reduce the range to fifteen hundred yards before they were obliged to head a course parallel with the Spaniards. “Meantime the _Oregon_ and the _Brooklyn_, as they were stretching away toward the coast, had opened fire also, and then the last of the big Spaniards, the _Infanta Maria Teresa_, having rounded the point, the magnificent spectacle of a squadron battle on the open sea—of a battle between four of the best modern armed cruisers on the Spanish side, against three battle-ships and an armoured cruiser on our side—was spread out to view. “And their best was the worst struggle the world ever saw, for it was a struggle to get out of range while firing with hysterical vehemence their unaimed guns. “The first shot from the American ships fell short, and a second, in like fashion, dropped into the sea. At that the gunner said things to himself under his breath (it was in the forward turret of the _Iowa_), and tried it once more. “For a moment after it the cloud of gun smoke shrouded the turret, but as that thinned away the eager crew saw the 12-inch shell strike into the hull of the _Infanta Maria Teresa_. Instantly it exploded with tremendous effect. Flame and smoke belched from the hole the shell had made, and puffed from port and hatch. And then in the wake of the driven blast rolled up a volume of flame-streaked smoke that showed the woodwork had taken fire and was burning fiercely all over the after part of the stricken ship. “The yell that rose from the Yankee throats at that sight swelled to a roar of triumph a moment later, for as he saw that smoke, the captain of the _Teresa_ threw her helm over to port, and headed her for the rocky beach. The one shell had given a mortal wound. “And then came Wainwright of the _Maine_,—Lieut.-Commander Richard Wainwright, who for weeks conducted the weary search for the dead bodies of shipmates on the wreck in the harbour of Havana. He was captain of the _Gloucester_, that was once known as the yacht _Corsair_. A swift and beautiful craft she, but only armed with lean 6-pounders. “‘Ahead, full speed,’ said Wainwright.