made by Captain Coghlan of the _Raleigh_. The _Olympia_ had led the way
into the harbor, and she now headed for the centre of the Spanish fleet.
Calmly watching everything in his field of vision, and knowing when the
exact moment arrived for the beginning of the appalling work, Commodore
Dewey, cool, alert, attired in white duck uniform and a golf cap, turned
to Captain Gridley and said in his ordinary conversational tone:

"Gridley, you may fire when ready."

A series of sharp, crackling sounds followed, like exploding Chinese
crackers, and then the thunderous roars and a vast volume of smoke
rolled over the bay and enveloped the warships that were pouring their
deadly fire into the Spanish vessels. The American ships, in order to
disconcert the aim of the batteries of the enemy, moved slowly in their
terrible ellipses or loops, their sides spouting crimson flame and
answered by the shots of the Spaniards, who fought with a courage
deserving of all praise. The manoeuvring of the American ships led the
breathless swarms on shore to believe they were suffering defeat, and an
exultant telegram to that effect was cabled to Madrid, nearly ten
thousand miles away, where it caused a wild but short-lived rejoicing.

At half-past seven there was a lull. Commodore Dewey drew off to
replenish his magazines, of whose shortness of supply he had received
disturbing reports. Advantage was taken of the cessation to give the men
breakfast, for it is a well accepted principle that sailors as well as
soldiers fight best upon full stomachs. As the wind blew aside the dense
smoke, it was seen that the _Reina Cristina_, the Spanish flagship, was
in flames. Hardly two hours later the American squadron advanced again
to the attack, and Admiral Montojo was observed to transfer his flag
from the doomed _Reina Cristina_ to the _Isla de Cuba_, which soon after