was hardly an hour of inactivity. It was at three o'clock in the
morning that the signal lights began to flash from the New York,
Admiral Sampson's flagship. Answering signals appeared on the
warships all along the line, and in a few moments black smoke
began to belch from the funnels of all the ships and the crews
woke from quietness to activity.

As soon as day began to break, the cruisers and gunboats inside
the harbor hoisted anchors and moved out to join the big
battleships which were already lined outside the bar. At five
o'clock, when all the fleet were gathered around the battleships,
Captain Sampson signaled from the New York to go ahead. The
formation of the line had been agreed upon some time before and
each vessel was in position for line of battle, the New York in
the center and the Iowa and Indiana on either beam. The ships
presented a most beautiful appearance as they swept out on the
ocean without a vestige of anything not absolutely necessary on
the decks. They were stripped of all useless superstructure,
awnings, gun-covers and everything that goes to adorn a ship.
Officers paced the bridge, marines were drawn up on deck and every
man was at his post. They appeared as they were, grim fighting
machines, not naval vessels out on cruise nor a squadron of
evolution and maneuver, but warships out for business.

FIRST SPANISH SHIP CAPTURED.

The fleet had proceeded twelve miles from Sand Key Light, which
lies seven miles southeast of Key West, when the Nashville
signaled the flagship that a vessel flying the Spanish colors had
been sighted. Admiral Sampson signaled from the New York for the