had come out after the cruisers without
being seen, and were boldly heading west down the coast. 'All
small guns on the torpedo boats' was the order on the 'Texas,'
and in an instant a hail of shot was pouring all about them. A
6-pounder from the starboard battery of the 'Texas,' under Ensign
Gise, struck the foremost torpedo boat fairly in the boiler.

"A rending sound was heard above the roar of battle. A great
spout of black smoke shot up from that destroyer and she was out
of commission. The 'Iowa,' which was coming up fast, threw a few
complimentary shots at the second torpedo-boat destroyer and
passed on. The little 'Gloucester,' formerly a yacht, then sailed
in and finished the second boat."

The "Gloucester" of which the correspondent speaks was in command of
Lieutenant-Commander Wainwright, who had been the executive officer of
the "Maine." For two months after the disaster to that vessel
Wainwright lived on a United States ship in the harbor of Havana,
refusing to set foot on shore until he could go "with a landing party
of marines." In his attack on the torpedo-boat destroyers--vastly
superior to his craft in weight and armament--he threw prudence to the
winds and fought with a fierceness bred of bitter hatred for the Dons.
His was the most stirring display of personal courage shown on a day
when all were brave.

To return to the correspondent's account:

"Gun for gun and shot for shot the running fight was kept up
between the Spanish cruisers and the four American vessels. At
10.30 o'clock the 'Infanta Maria Teresa' and 'Vizcaya' were
almost on the beach, and were evidently in distress. As the
'Texas' was firing at them a white flag was run up on the one
nearest her. 'Cease firing,' called Captain Philip, and a moment
later both the Spaniards were beached. Clouds of black smoke
arose from each, and bright flashes of flame could be seen
shining through the smoke. Boats were visible putting out from
the cruisers to the shore. The 'Iowa' waited to see that the two
warships were really out of the fight, and it did not take her
long to determine that they would never fight again. The Iowa'
herself had suffered some very hard knocks.

"The 'Brooklyn,' 'Oregon' and 'Texas' pushed ahead after the
'Colon' and 'Almirante Oquendo,' which were now running the race
of their lives al