%568.  The Maine destroyed.%—­While engaged in this humane work they were horrified to hear that on the night of February 15, 1898, our battleship Maine was blown up in the harbor of Havana, and 260 of her sailors killed.  Although our Court of Inquiry was unable to fix the responsibility for the explosion, many people believed that it had been perpetrated by Spaniards, and the hope of a peaceable settlement of the Cuban question rapidly waned.  The sum of $50,000,000 was voted to the President for strengthening our defenses and buying ships and munitions of war.  After declining to recognize the Cuban Republic, Congress adopted a resolution, on April 19, declaring for the freedom of Cuba, demanding that Spain should withdraw from the island, and authorizing the President to compel her withdrawal, if necessary, by means of our army and navy.  Spain severed diplomatic relations with us on April 21, and the war began on that date, as declared by an Act of Congress a few days later.  Two hundred thousand volunteers were quickly enlisted, out of the much larger number that wished to serve.

%569.  War with Spain.%—­The Battle of Manila.—­While one fleet which had long been gathering at Key West went off and blockaded Havana and other parts of the coast of Cuba, another, under Commodore George Dewey, sailed from Hong-kong to attack the Spanish fleet at the Philippine Islands.  Dewey found it in the Bay of Manila, where, on May 1, 1898, he fought and won the most brilliant naval battle in the world’s history.  Passing the forts at the entrance, he entered the bay, and, without the loss of a man or a ship, he destroyed the entire Spanish fleet of ten vessels, killed and wounded over 600 men, and captured the arsenal at Cavite (cah-ve-ta’) and the forts at the entrance to the bay.  The city of Manila was then blockaded by Dewey’s fleet, and General Merritt with 20,000 troops was sent across the Pacific to take possession of the Philippines, which had long been Spain’s most important possession in the East.  For his great victory Dewey received the thanks of Congress and was promoted to be Rear-Admiral, and later was given for life the full rank of Admiral.

[Illustration:  Admiral Dewey]

[Illustration Rear-Admiral Sampson]

%570.  The Destruction of Cervera’s Fleet—­Capture of Santiago.%—­Meantime a second Spanish fleet, under Admiral Cervera, sailed from the Cape Verde Islands.  Acting Rear-Admiral Sampson, with ships which had been blockading Havana, and Commodore Schley, with a Flying Squadron, went in search of Cervera, and after a long hunt he was found in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba (sahn-te-ah’go da coo’bah), which was promptly blockaded by the ships of both squadrons, with Sampson in command.  The narrow entrance to the harbor was so well defended by forts and submarine mines that a direct attack on Cervera was impossible.  In an attempt to complete the blockade, Naval Constructor R. P. Hobson and a volunteer crew of seven men took the collier Merrimac to the harbor entrance, and, amid a rain of shot and shell, sank her in the channel (June 3).  The gallant little band escaped with life, but were made prisoners of war, and in time were exchanged.