The _Brooklyn_, _Iowa_ and _Oregon_, some two and a half miles distant, crowded on all steam and headed for the harbor.

The first Spanish cruiser to show itself was the _Infanta Maria Teresa_, followed by the _Vizcaya_, the _Almirante Oquendo_ and the _Cristobal Colon_, with the torpedo boats _Pluton_ and _Furor_ bringing up the rear.

The _Infanta Maria Teresa_, leading the procession, was the flagship of Admiral Cervera.

He sent a shell toward the American vessels, but, in accordance with the rule, it went wide of the mark.

The _Texas_ opened with her big guns and her companions quickly joined in the thunderous chorus.
No sooner were the Spanish ships clear of the harbor than they turned westward and strained every nerve to escape, firing at their pursuers, who were equally determined to overtake or destroy them.