it of day blockading distance. The
length of the arc formed by the ships was about eight miles.

"The _Massachusetts_ had left at four A. M. for Guantanamo for coal. Her
station was between the _Iowa_ and _Texas_. The auxiliaries, _Gloucester_
and _Vixen_, lay close to the land and nearer the harbour entrance than
the large vessels, the _Gloucester_ to the eastward and the _Vixen_ to the
westward.

"The torpedo-boat _Ericsson_ was in company with the flag-ship, and
remained with her during the chase until ordered to discontinue, when she
rendered very efficient service in rescuing prisoners from the burning
_Vizcaya_. I enclose a diagram showing approximately the positions of the
vessels as described above.

"4. The Spanish vessels came rapidly out of the harbour, at a speed
estimated at from eight to ten knots, and in the following order: _Infanta
Maria Teresa_ (flag-ship), _Vizcaya_, _Cristobal Colon_, and the
_Almirante Oquendo_.

"The distance between these ships was about eight hundred yards, which
means that, from the time the first one became visible in the upper reach
of the channel until the last one was out of the harbour, an interval of
only about twelve minutes elapsed.

"Following the _Oquendo_, at a distance of about twelve hundred yards,
came the torpedo-boat destroyer _Pluton_, and after her came the _Furor_.
The armoured cruisers, as rapidly as they could bring their guns to bear,
opened a vigorous fire upon the blockading vessels, and emerged from the
channel shrouded in the smoke from their guns.

"5. The men of our ships in front of the port were at Sunday 'quarters for
inspection.' The signal was given simultaneously from several vessels,
'Enemy's ships escaping,' and general quarters were sounded. The men
cheered as they sprang to their guns, and fire was opened, probably within
eight minutes, by the vessels whose guns commanded the entrance.

"The _New York_ turned about and steamed for the escaping fleet, flying
the signal, 'Close in toward harbour entrance and attack vessels,' and
gradually increasing speed until toward the end of the chase she was
making sixteen and one-half knots, and was rapidly closing on the
_Cristobal Colon_.

[Illustration: U. S. S. OREGON.]

"She was not, at any time, within the range of the heavy Spanish ships,
and her only part in the firing was to receive the undivided fire from the
forts in passing the harbour entrance, and to fire a few shots at one of