ewhat extraordinary that this shell should have waited
so long to act, as the after part of the ship was generally well cooled
off. There was still much heat and some flames about the bow. One
extraordinary fact is the survival, in proper shape, of many powder
grains, baked hard; several of these were picked up about the deck.

"A board has been ordered by the commander-in-chief to report in detail
upon the stranded ships."

On the fifteenth of July Admiral Sampson made his official report, which
is given in full:

"U. S. FLAGSHIP NEW YORK, FIRST RATE, OFF
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, CUBA, July 15, 1898.

"_Sir_:--I have the honour to make the following report upon the battle
with and the destruction of the Spanish squadron, commanded by Admiral
Cervera, off Santiago de Cuba, on Sunday, July 3, 1898:

"2. The enemy's vessels came out of the harbour between 9.35 and 10 A. M.,
the head of the column appearing around Cay Smith at 9.31, and emerging
from the channel five or six minutes later.

"3. The positions of the vessels of my command off Santiago at that moment
were as follows: The flag-ship _New York_ was four miles east of her
blockading station and about seven miles from the harbour entrance. She
had started for Siboney, where I had intended to land, accompanied by
several of my staff, and go to the front to consult with General Shafter.
A discussion of the situation, and a more definite understanding between
us of the operations proposed, had been rendered necessary by the
unexpectedly strong resistance of the Spanish garrison at Santiago.

"I had sent my chief of staff on shore the day before to arrange an
interview with General Shafter, who had been suffering from heat
prostration. I made arrangements to go to his headquarters, and my
flag-ship was in the position mentioned above when the Spanish squadron
appeared in the channel.

"The remaining vessels were in or near their usual blockading positions,
distributed in a semicircle about the harbour entrance, counting from the
eastward to the westward in the following order: The _Indiana_, about a
mile and a half from shore, the _Oregon_,--the _New York's_ place between
these two,--the _Iowa_, _Texas_, and _Brooklyn_, the latter two miles from
the shore west of Santiago.

"The distance of the vessels from the harbour entrance was two and a half
to four miles,--the latter being the lim