Young Peoples' History of the War with Spain

was thought best that our ships should blockade the large harbors of Cuba. Do you know what blockade means? It means to surround a place held by the enemy, and stay there, doing any da

miral S

o establish a blockade of the most important Cuban ports. The ships which were to be stationed off Havana reach

ower waters than the large ships. There were also monitors-immense fighting machines with decks but a little height above the water and big guns in

good work for the blockade, as they can move very fast. They flew about from place to place as "scouts"

was the first shot in the war between the United States and Spain. The Spaniard was not inclined to stop, and it required another shot before she would stop her engines. The Nashville sent an officer in a boat to inform the steamer that she was a prize to the United States. She was found to be a Spanish m

ith the exception of Havana, Matanzas has the finest harbor on the northern coast of Cuba. The city itself lies between two small rivers and contains many beautiful homes. The houses are often decorated with colored tiles, and with their luxuriant gardens make a charming picture agains

adsides right and left. Then the Puritan's big guns came into play, and then the Cincinnati poured a stream of shells into the forts. It did not take long to knock the Spanish defences into sand-heaps-only about half an hour-and then the American ships stood out to sea. As they were doing so, the Spaniards fired one more

ld come to a Spanish port in the West Indies, or whether they would attack one of our large cities on the Atlantic coast. We had not ships enough to protect all our po

pe Verd

l, but that was about all they did know regarding it. At last it was seen off the Island of Martinique and then it was lost again. It was next heard from at Curacoa, an island in the Caribbean Sea, off

tleship

n, she took coal at San Francisco and started-March 19th-on her long voyage. She went south through the Pacific Ocean, east through the Strait of Magellan, and then turned northward into the Atlantic Ocean. Then the closest watch was kept for the enemy; the guns were always ready, the lights were covered every night. Though Captain Clark did not

Charles

rt where the Oregon stopped. From there she ran down the Pacific coast, and after passing through the straits sailed up the eastern coast of South America to Rio Janeiro, where she was notified by the American consul that the United States and Spain were really at war. There were no

e had been at sea a little while, to leave the Buffalo and the Marietta to shift for themselves. They were so slow that I feared the Oregon might be late in arriving where she was most needed. I left these ships off Cape Frio, one hundred miles above Rio, after signa

drove along at our highest speed-seeing lights many times, but always avoiding the ships that bore them. We

ible. For four days at a time hammocks were never strung. Watch and watch about, the men lay beside the guns, sound asl

. I am not a rash man. I was not looking for that fleet. The situation seemed critical. Sailing just before dark, I headed northwest, apparently into the heart of the Caribbean Sea. This information, I have no doubt, was promptly communicated to Admiral Cervera. But as soon as the darkness of a moonless night had thoroughly se

w one had been at Hampton Roads and another at Key West, and the charts told me that Jupiter Inlet was in telegraph

ron, in Cuban waters, and was one of the vessels under Commodore Schley

ing force above. In battle they are kept under the hatches, and, as a rule, never know of the progress or the result of a fight until it closes. They work in a temperature of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty d

ho Make t

hat Spain owned another large island some mi

ited the island and established a settlement, to which he gave the name of San Juan Bautista. Spain did not always hold it peaceably, however, for at different tim

largest city in the island, but San Juan has the advantage of a large, protected harbor. Like Havana and Santiago, San Juan has its Morro Castle, and within

-wall, San Jua

colors-pink, blue, purple and yellow. There are heavy shutters in the windows for protection, but there are no panes of glass in the town. Behind the gloomy walls are splendid gardens and courtyards, with splashing fountains, shaded by palms. The city contains a cathedral, a theatre, a city hall, the Governor-Ge

rto Rico in hope of meeting Admiral Cervera, the Spanish commander, and his fleet. Our ships reached San Juan in the evening of May 11th, but could see nothing of the Spanish ships. Next morning our ships fired upon the forts guarding the harbor, to try the strength of the enemy

here was one port on the southern coast that seemed to be a good one for the Spanish fleet-the port of Cienfuegos. So our sh

by the water's edge there stood a cable-house, where one end of a submarine cable, which reached to Santiago, some three hundred miles to the eastward, was secured. On one side of the cable-house was an old fort or lookout, such as the Spaniards use

. She is not a pretty boat at all. She is built differently from other vessels of her class, and her two tall funnels, or smokestacks, give her an ungainly appearance. He

o the gunboats. She soon overhauled the steamer, which proved to be the Argonata, and took possession of her. Her cargo was a very rich one, and among the passengers were twenty-nine Spanish soldiers and officers. These were taken on board the Nashville. Meanwhile, the Marbl

mmander of the American vessel did not hesitate an instant. He cleared his ship for action and trained his guns on her. Just then she hoisted English colors and dipped them in salute to the stars and stripes that were floating above the Nashville. She proved to be the Talbot, an English ship cruising in those waters. The whole affair was a splendid display of courage on the part of the Nashvi

ied a small rapid-fire gun to protect the workers as much as possible. The Nashville shelled the shore and then the boats were ordered in. They went within one hundred yards of the shore and then began to grapple for the cable. As calmly as though they were fishing, the men worked with thei

llets dimpled the water around the Americans as they worked. When a man in the boats was hit, another took his p

able-house, the fort and the light-house to bits. It was not intended at first to destroy the light-house, but when it was discovered that the Spaniards use

ial. Cable cutting is one of the new features of modern warfare, but that made no difference to the brave jackies and marines that volunteered for

e Cables U

rdered to Santiago to cut the cables at that point. One very dark night the boats left the big ship and began to grapple for the cables. About three o'clock in the morning they returned with a long piece which they had cut out of one of the cables. About eight o'clock the St. Louis went to work to find the other cable, and after working for three hours, the

Navy would try to unite with the Spanish Army. From Matanzas and from Cienfuegos the troops from the Spanish ships could go easily by railroad to Havana, through a part of the country still in the hands of the Spaniards. I may have told you more than you care to hear about the comi

rn end of the island-the eastern province-is called Santiago de Cuba. The chief city of the province is on the southern coast, and b

hillside, and its massive buildings are tinted pink, blue, green and purple. There are plenty of red-tiled roofs, among which rise towers, steeples and palms. The houses are low and built around courtyards, where flowers and palms grow in profusion. The floors are of brick or m

ings and general decay; but if you climb the hills that encircle the city and l

t in the western hemisphere. It is the Morro Castle, one hundred years older than its namesake at Havana, perched on a rock at the entrance to the channel. This channe

er directions, Admiral Cervera and his fine Spanish ships quietly sailed at daybreak on

astle,

not there, he kept on up the coast. His flagship was the splendid cruiser Brooklyn, and among his ships were the Massachusetts, the Texas and the Iowa-all immense battleships. He also had a number of smaller vessels,

Paul, ran close enough to the mouth of the harbor to see some of the Spanish ships inside, and the long game of hide-and-seek was over. Commodore Schley at on

me!" A few days later, the two squadrons were consol

his country in nearly every quarter of the globe. When the Civil War broke out, he staid by the old flag when many of his brother officers went with the Confederacy, and during the war performed many gallant and meritorious ser

ound the seven men alive. If he had been slower in his movements they would have been dead, for they were in the last stages of starvation and exhaustion. At another time, some of his sailors were stoned in the city of

iral W.S

ames of the Spanish vessels, and

ch is the Spanish name for Christopher Columbus; and the Almirante Oquendo. Many years ago Spain had a famous admiral whose name was Oquendo, and in recognition of his services the Spanish Government made a law that there should always be a ship in their navy bear

n, the Texas, the Iowa, the Oregon, the Indiana, and the Massachusetts. There were a number of smaller vessels, and one of them, the Glo

a long, narrow channel with high cliffs on each side, and on

ut. For the first few nights of the blockade a bright moon lighted up the channel, but after the moon failed, the place was wonderfully lighted by the great "search-lights" of our ships. F

onsters of the sea, waited and watche

uban blockade our vessels captured at least one large ship loaded with coal that was intended for Admiral Cervera's fleet. When nations are at war, they do not allow other nations to supply their enemies with anything that will help them. There are international laws about t

not. If a ship does not stop when hailed, she may be fired upon, and if she is sunk while endeavoring to escape, it is her own fault. Blockade running is perilous business, and is usually attempted under cover of night, or in stormy weather, and it is as full of excitement and adventure as war itself. The motive is usually

Cubans. We were obliged to do this because we were a neutral nation. But after our war with Spain began, we sent all

n addition to a great quantity of provisions, clothing, shoes and medicines, she carried several thousand rifles and an immense amount of

ne night to unload the cargo. Small boats conveyed the stores to the eager hands that hurried them inland. The mules and horses swam ashore. W

g for Co

the Cuban soldiers ranged themselves along the shore; women and children grouped behind

he armed tugboats. Many strange encounters took place during those nights when these little craft ro

night, firing across her bow, and demanding, "What ship is that?" It was the same vessel that had

Majesty's s

y pleasing to the British Captain. Neither was he better pleased when some one on the tug-bo

y go, L

t John C.

edo-boat Porter. Fremont was the son of John C. Fremont, whom you may possibly remember as a noted explorer and pioneer in the western p

batteries than yours. What would you do

oyer, and if I found his battery was too heavy for me I'd close in. If a chance offered, I'd torpedo him. If not-well, this b

d t

mming match. It saves time to have your