It seems enough to merely mention the spectacle the burning ships afforded. Rarely has it happened that men of this day have seen a warship burn, but at Manila we saw a squadron on fire, and here off Santiago were two ships half a mile apart blazing fiercely, while a third was but a narrow span farther away. And when to the flame-splashed clouds of smoke arising from the three was added the volcanic blast of the exploding magazine on the Oquendo -who can adequately describe the scene? And there were heavy explosions of ammunition on all the three stranded Spaniards. I think the destruction of the Maine was then, at last, avenged man-fashion. The following table, from the Army and Navy Journal, is believed to be a fair estimate of the number of guns engaged on each side : To determine the quantity of metal thrown, take the time allowed from fire to fire for the thirteen-inch gun as a unit; then in that length of time the weight of metal from each thirteeninch gun would be 1,100 pounds; from four guns, 4,400 pounds. The allowed time from fire to fire for the thirteen-inch is 320 seconds, and for the twelve-inch it is 300 seconds; hence the weight of metal thrown by the twelve-inch in 320 seconds is 3,613 pounds. These quantities for other calibres are found similarly. Hence we have for the American guns : Total weight thrown in 320 seconds, 35,839 pounds. 1,584 7,520 384 720 The In determining this quantity for the Spanish guns, the same time allowances are used. weights of projectiles are for common shell; the time unit is 300 seconds, being the interval from fire to fire of the United States twelve inch gun. II-inch.... 3,516 | 4.7-inch rapid-fire guns. 1,440 3,150 6-inch rapid-fire guns 3,750 | 6-pounders 5.5-in. rapid-fire guns 10,277 12-pounders.... ... 1-pounders and R. F. G. 900 Total weight thrown in 300 seconds, 24,133 pounds. 300 |