t tremendous outlay,
with two rebellions abroad. Yet all her many parties cried for war.
Popular subscriptions were taken to aid the impoverished treasury;
reserves were called out; in Cuba, Blanco summoned all able-bodied men.
The navy was supplemented by ships purchased wherever hands could be
laid upon them.

[Illustration]
After Deck on the Oregon, Showing Two 13-inch,
Four 8-inch, and Two 6-inch Guns.
Copyright. 1899. by Strohmeyer & Wyman.

Owing to the parsimony of Congress, our equipment for a large army, or
even for our 25,000 regulars, if they were to go on a tropical campaign,
was totally inadequate. Our artillery had no smokeless powder. Many
infantry regiments came to camp armed with nothing but enthusiasm. No
khaki cloth for uniforms was to be had in the country. Canvas had to be
taken from that provided by the Post-Office Department for repairing
mail bags. While the utmost possible at short notice was done with the
just voted $50,000,000 defence fund, the comprehensive system of
fortifications long before designed had hardly been begun. The navy had
been treated least illiberally; still the construction budget had been
so cut that only a few of the proposed vessels had been transferred from
paper to the sea.

[Illustration]
Blockhouse on San Juan Hill.

The United States navy which did exist was a noble one. Both its ships
and their crews were as fine as any afloat. Had the Spanish navy been
manned like ours the two would have been of about equal strength. Ours
boasted the more battleships, but Spain had several new and first-rate
armored cruisers, besides a flotilla of swift torpedo boats. The
Spaniards were, however, poor gunners, clumsy sailors, awkward and
careless mechanics; while American gunners had a deadly aim, and spared
no skill or pains in the care or handling of their ships.

American superiority in these points was tellingly proved by the
Oregon's unprecedented run from ocean to ocean. Before hostilities she
was ordered from San Francisco, via Cape Horn to join the Atlantic
squadron. The long, hard, swift trip was made without the break of a bar
or the loosening of a bolt, a result which attracted expert notice
abroad as attesting the very highest order of seamanship. Meantime war
had commenced. It was feared that off Brazil Admiral Cervera would
endeavor to intercept and destroy her; yet, with well-grounded
confidence, Captain Clark expected in that event not only to save