A Gunner Aboard the Yankee""

wheel to be used in case the wheel in the pilot-house should be disabled. When the chill winds of May and early June were blowing off the northern

cept on duty. His order, like many others, received respectful consideration-when he happened to be looking. In the present case we were so eager to hear the

neck. The sudden shock sent him tumbling backward, and he fell kerflop! down the steps. Up above, his wife was howling to beat the band, 'Mike, Mike, ye spalpane! You do be killing your poor father. Och! why did

d "Stump." "Giv

" said Tom, prompt to take advantage of the opportunity, "I saw two gleaming eyes gl

d the "Kid," peering about the w

resumed Tom, "and stagg

ad of his story. "Well, when the Irish coppers saw Pat with the monk hanging around his neck they thought the old Nick had him. They started to run, bu

story. And a good job

end," retorted Bill. "You spi

," yawning. "If you fellows are go

the arms of the nurse, who had come down to see what kept me. I expl

uddenly spoke up a voice at the door on t

n in the telling, the wheel-house was empty. We huddled in the shadows for a m

you saw? Tell a

n an old chest," w

uh

eze stirring, and the spar and gun decks, where we spent the most of our time, were almost stifling. "Corking mats," as they are termed in naval parlance, were very much in evidence. The s

officer we broke out a number of bags of coal from the orlop deck and piled them five deep, and about the same number in height

agreeable fortunes of war to which we were growing accustomed, and we toiled without comment. That night when we turned in, that is, those who were

, who were sleeping at the batteries, were called by the

see her real baptism of fire to-day. 'Kid,' you young rat, you'

ance to stop one,

horoughly than usual. The boats and wooden hatches were covered with canvas, everything portable that would splinter was sent below, the

from the direction of the land, and envelop the fleet. It was not a cold, raw rain, like that encountered in more no

fferent guns' crews, stripped to the waist and barefooted, standing at their stations. There was something in the cool, practical manner in which each man prepared for work that prom

those of absolute peace, who had never heard a shot fired in anger before their arrival at Santiago, who had left home and business in defence of t

hen the signal to advance inshore appeared on the "New York," at six bells (se

o be in i

r port, was composed of the "Brooklyn," "Texas," "Massachusetts," and "Marblehead." The line to which the "Yankee" was attached, included, besides that vessel, the "New Yo

wn on the other side of the entrance where the Estrella and Catalena batteries were located, there seemed to be more activity. Men could also be seen running about

guns, the "Iowa" following immediately. At this moment, 7:45 a.m., the ships were arranged as follows, counting from the right: "New York," "Yankee," "New Orleans," "Massachusetts," "Oregon,

was no settled order of firing, but each ship just "pitched in," to use a

w paid strict attention to its own station, and the routine of loading and firing went on with the regularity of clockwork. A number of boxes of the fixed am

other ships and the forts. The heavy battleships, the "Indiana," "Oregon," "Massachusetts," "Iowa," and "Texas," were lost in the dense smoke of their guns. I

F MORRO CASTLE, S

ery air was rent and split and shattered, and the senses refused further burden. There was no possibility of hearing th

lt. The dense bank of vapor enveloping the ship also rendered it almost impossible to aim with any accuracy. We

won't give us any show. Just look how he's wor

y, was fighting his gun with savage energy. Under his direction, and inspired by a running fire of comments from him, the different members of Number Six crew we

rvellous shooting, that word presently came from Captain Brownson on the bridge,

the situation and a state of excitement, natural under the circumstances, kept us absorbed in our duties, but when it became appa

enemy's fire as much as possible. "Stump," than whom no more daring and aggressive man could be found on board, thought it wise to obey, so he crouched behind the gun-mount and compressed

. "Shoot anyway. Give it to the beggars! That's the ticket, old chap.

at the guns, commenting freely on the enemy's marksmanship. We felt more like a party watch

t first, Morro Castle and the smaller forts maintained a spirited fire, but finally their response to

time during the engagement were any of the American vessels in imminent danger. This was not due to length of range either, as the lines were maintained a

nearly all situated a short distance back from the crest of the ridge with a background little different in color from that of the battery, we found it difficult to locate them at

adlights. It was really beautiful to see the landing of the great shells upon the forts and surrounding earth. Some battered into the soft spots on the cliffs, sending

ck. At times a shell would land in a crack in the face of the hill, and immediately following would come an upheaval of stones. These boulde

the water like the pealing of tropical thunder. In fact, it was these noises, mingled with the fierce repor

orth all the coaling and standing watches and poor food we have had to put

rtily agre

re was nothing left to fire at. There had been a continuous outpouring of projectiles from the guns of the flee

nute or two. "Hay" had just fired a shot which caught one of the new batteries directly in the centre. The shell was extracted, an

the breech, but was stopped by a sh

reech till I give

ns were examined and the

Hay" finally; "let

d the elevating gear. The orders came sharp and clear thr

grow even more determined, and we knew that he had got hi

isgust he threw dow

d, "that cartridge w

guns was increasing with every passing second. Above and around us the vicious reports of the "Yankee's" five-inch rapid-fir

an ecstasy of impatience. "Lively t