regular army was moved to places near the Atlantic coast, and measures were taken to provide the immense. amount of money necessary to carry on a war. The different States also voted large sums "for military purposes," and great numbers of young men, especially from the South, offered to fight in the war.

10. Spain Prepares for War.-Spain refused to agree to the demands of the United States. She sent away

the American Minister, bought more ships, and assembled a fine fleet at the Cape Verde Islands. This fleet, under Admiral Cervera (Ser vā' rä), afterwards sailed for Cuba.

11. Blockade of Cuban Ports.-President McKinley declared a blockade of the principal Cuban ports, and sent a fleet under. Captain Sampson to enforce it. Frequent shots were exciianged between the Spanish forts and the American fleet. In one of these fights, a bave young officer, Ensign Bagley, of North Carolina, of the torpedo-boat

Winslow, was killed. He was the only United States naval officer killed during the entire

war.

12. Dewey at Manila.-With all this preparation, the first fighting of the war took place on the other side of the world. Commodore Dewey, who commanded the American squadron in Asiatic waters, was the man who

Ensign Bagley.

began it. With his squadron of six American ships he steamed into the harbor of Manila, on the night of April

1898

May 30th, and at dawn of " May Day" attacked the Spanish fleet of eleven vessels lying there under the fortifications at Cavite (Cä vē'tā). In about two hours, the guns of the forts were silenced, and the whole fleet was destroyed without serious injury to any of the American vessels or a man upon them; while two Spanish commanders and 600 men were killed or wounded. Dewey was made admiral for this daring deed. The people of the Philippines, like the Cubans, were in revolt against their Spanish rulers; and more war-ships and many thousand soldiers were sent to Manila under General Merritt to assist Admiral Dewey to hold his position.

QUESTIONS.-1. Tell something about President McKinley. 2. Why did the Cubans rebel? 3. How had Spain kept her promises? 4. What had Cleveland thought about Spain's conduct? 5. Who is Fitzhugh Lee? 6. What did he say about the affairs in Cuba? 7. What United States vessel was sent to Cuba? 8. What became of it? 9. What preparations were made for war? 10. What was the President's message to Congress? 11. How did Congress act upon it? 12. How many troops were called out? 13. What were Spain's preparations? 14. What blockade did the President declare? 15. Who is Dewey? 16. Where did he defeat the Spaniards? 17. What were the losses on both sides? 18. When was this? 19. What was Merritt ordered to do?

GEOGRAPHY QUESTIONS

FOR CHAPTER XLVIII.

Map of Cuba-1. Where is Santiago de Cuba? 2. Find Guantanamo. Map of the West Indies-3. Locate Porto Rico. 4. How far is it from Cuba? (Answer: Three hundred and seventy-five miles.) 5. Find the city of Ponce. Map of Polynesia-6. Find the Hawaiian Islands.

1.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

MCKINLEY'S ADMINISTRATION (CONTINUED).

Cevera at Santiago de Cuba.-It became known that the fine Spanish squadron under Admiral Cervera. had sailed towards America. Sampson left Commodore Watson in command before Havana, while he with a good part of the fleet set out to look for the Spanish ships. The "flying squadron," under Schley, was sent on the same errand. On the way, Schley's squadron was joined by the battle-ship Oregon, which had come all the way from the Pacific coast (more than 13,000 miles) without any damage whatever. After hunting for Cervera in different places, the American commanders learned that the Spanish admiral had taken his strong, iron-clad ships into the harbor of Santiago de Cuba.

2. Brave Deeds at Santiago de Cuba.-The entrance to this harbor is narrow and winding, and the fortifications were believed to be very strong. Lieutenant Blue, from South Carolina, alone and without a guide, twice made his way around the city and Bay of Santiago, and saw that the Spanish ships were really there. It was too dangerous for the Americans to enter the harbor to fight them, on account of the risk of being blown up as the Maine had been. To

Lieutenant Blue.

prevent the escape of the Spaniards, Lieutenant Hobson

with a volunteer crew of seven men took the Merrimac, a great coal-carrying vessel, into the mouth of Santiago June harbor and sank her right in the

3,

narrowest part of the channel. Un1898 hurt by the storm of shot which the

Spanish guns hurled at them, Hob-
son and his men held on to a small
raft until morning, when they sur-
rendered to the nearest Spanish
officer, who was Admiral Cervera
himself.

Lieut. Hobson.

3. Troops Landed in Cuba.-There was now no danger from the Spanish ships, and American troops

The U. S. Battle-ship "Maine," destroyed in Havana Harbor.

could be landed on the island. Six hundred marines who landed at Guantanamo (Gwän tän'ä mō) had sharp

4. Attack on Santiago de Cuba.-On the 1st of July, July Shafter's army began their assaults on the Spanish lines

at El Caney (El kä' ni) and San Juan (Săn Wän), the outposts of Santiago. These lines were very strong. Among other defences, were seven barbed-wire fences one after another. Our men had almost no artillery, and no horses. The cavalry, both regulars and volunteers, fought on foot.

The

General Shafter.

Spaniards had plenty of artillery, and, while the Americans were forced to advance slowly, cutting the stout wires which hindered them, Spanish shells continually scattered death among them, and Spanish sharpshooters, from behind breast works or from the tops of trees, picked them General Wheeler. Off, man by man. Our troops lost heavily in these fights, but succeeded in driving the

1898