A FRIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE. 327 Mechanically each man works on at his post. A shock, slight but perceptible, runs through the ship. We have been struck, a great shot has plowed its way through the vessel. Bleeding men are hurried to the hospital; the dead are cast aside to make room for the living. A shell strikes the armor and explodes, doing little damage; another follows and enters the ship; men fall with a startled cry, then lie silent; others writhe in terrible agony. The men at the light, unprotected guns are ordered to desert them; the men behind the armor are safe enough as yet-bruised and blackened, but safe. All the unprotected armor of the ship has been blown to pieces now; the wreckage of the top-hammer is slowly blocking the guns; fire begins to break out here and there; the water is pouring in through large rents in the hull. Deep down in the ship are the heroes who only know that the battle is raging by the roar of the guns. Suddenly the electric lights go out; a shot has disabled the dynamo, and ill-smelling oil lamps alone pierce the fearful darkness. It becomes suffocating and the men gasp for air; inferno can be no worse. They know the funnels have been shot away, but the torrid, fetid atmosphere must be endured the best it can. Even in the heat of battle we notice now a slacking in the speed of our vessel. A feeling of anxiety seizes us, and the begrimed features about us seem to increase the uncertainty. How long have we been fighting? Only an hour. The Horrors of The devastation grows more appalling; we are not answering the enemy gun for gun now. The ammunition supply is growing dangerously small. What, a great monster like this only able to carry ammunition for two hours of battle? Question treads on question in the mind; doubt piles on doubt. How long have we been fighting now? Only thirty minutes longer. Why, we are scarce moving now. This is fearful; we feel that it cannot last much longer; we begin to wish it was all over; only discipline keeps us in our places. Why don't we do something-anything to end this terrible suspense ? The smoke begins to clear away. Ah, there she is, that terable instrument of destruction. She is going to ram us, sink us as we lie helpless in the trough of the sea! How big she is, how grim and forbidding. Are we to stay here and drown like rats in a trap? "Steady, men, steady," reverberates through the ship; the word of command alone holds those trained to obey. Strange, almost nude, begrimed, hardly human figures rush out of the ship's depths, take a frightened glance at the giant now scarce two hundred yards away, then leap into the waves in a vain endeavor to save themselves. + Why do I stay here? Only discipline keeps me here, a discipline that cannot last a minute longer; the minute that means my life. No, I will go down with the ship; a sailor's grave will be mine. I would rather die like a hero than a coward. There she is now. Why doesn't she strike us? She can't miss us now. What was that? Are we sinking? A great shock runs through the ship; she is lifted on top of a wave, and, tossing wildly, goes down, down, down. Why don't we sink? The air clears. Is this death? Am I drowning? Is it a dream? Where is that grim, foreboding spectre? I can't see her. Gigantic and all powerful, she has disappeared entirely; there only remains a handful of men struggling for life on the waves. What's that you say? ing that life is indeed dear voice of the junior officer. sly old sea-dog." Torpedo? A deep-drawn sigh of relief; a feelcreeps over you. Numbed you hear the jubilant "The old man was just laying for her; he's a And somehow you vaguely feel that a great naval battle has been fought and won. 330 THE PEACE TREATY. THE PEACE TREATY. Full Text of the Agreement which Concluded Our War with Spain. T HE Spanish-American war was practically terminated by the surrender of General Toral's forces at Santiago de Cuba on June 17 (1898), but the terms of final adjustment of all disputes were referred to commissioners, appointed by the respective governments of the United States and Spain, which held their sessions in Paris, where their labors were completed on December 10; and on the fourth day of January following the peace treaty, as agreed upon, was submitted to President McKinley and by him referred immediately to the Senate for action, and ratified by that body on February 6. The full text of this important instrument is as follows: The United States of America and Her Majesty the Queen Regent of Spain, in the name of her august son, Don Alfonso XIII., desiring to end the state of war now existing between the two countries, have for that purpose appointed as plenipotentiaries: The President of the United States William R. Day, Cushman K. Davis, William P. Frye, George Gray, and Whitelaw Reid, citizens of the United States; And Her Majesty the Queen Regent of Spain Don Eugenio Montero Rios, President of the Senate; Don Buenaventura de Abarzuza, Senator of the Kingdom and ex-Minister of the Crown; Don Jose de Garnica, Deputy to the Cortes and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; Don Wenceslad Ramirez de Villa Urrutia, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Brussels, and Don Rafael Cerero, General of Division. Who, having assembled in Paris and having exchanged their full powers, which were found to be in due and proper form, have, after discussion of the matters before them, agreed upon the following articles: ARTICLE I. Spain relinquishes all claim of sovereignty over and title to Cuba. And as the island is, upon its evacuation by Spain, to be occupied by Relinquishment the United States, the United States will, so long as such occupation of Cuba. shall last, assume, and discharge the obligations that may, under international law, result from the fact of its occupation for the protection of life and property. ARTICLE II. Spain cedes to the United States the island of Porto Rico and other islands now under Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and the island of Guam in the Marianas or Ladrones. ARTICLE III. Spain cedes to the United States the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands and comprehending the islands lying within the following line : A line running from west to east along or near the twentieth parallel of north latitude and through the middle of the navigable channel of Bachi, from the one hundred and eighteenth (118th) to the one hundred and twenty-seventh (127th) degree meridian of longitude east of Greenwich; thence along the one hundred and twenty-seventh (127th) degree of longitude east of Greenwich, to the parallel of four degrees and forty-five minutes (4°45′) north latitude to its intersection with the meridian of longitude one hundred and nineteen degrees and thirty-five minutes (119°35′) east of Greenwich; thence along the meridian of longitude one hundred and nineteen degrees and thirty-five minutes (119°35′) east of Greenwich to the parallel of latitude seven degrees and forty minutes (7°40′) north; thence along the parallel of latitude seven degrees and forty minutes (7°40′) north to its intersection with the one hundred and sixteenth (116th) degree meridian of longitude east of Greenwich; thence by a direct line to the intersection of the tenth (10th) degree parallel of north latitude with the one hundred and eighteenth (118th) degree meridian of longitude east of Greenwich, and thence along the one hundred and eighteenth (118th) degree meridian of longitude east of Greenwich to the point of beginning. The United States will pay to Spain the sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) within three months after the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty. ARTICLE IV. The United States will, for the term of ten years from the date of exchange of ratifications of the present treaty, admit Spanish ships and merchandise to the ports of the Philippine Islands on the same terms as ships and merchandise of the United States. A Payment of $20,000,000. ARTICLE V. The United States will, upon the signature of the present treaty, send back to Spain, at its own cost, the Spanish soldiers taken as prisoners of war on the capture of Manila by the American forces. The arms of the soldiers in question shall be restored to them. Spain will, upon the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, proceed to evacuate the Philippines, as well as the Island of Guam, on terms similar to those agreed upon by the commissioners appointed to arrange for the evacuation of Porto Rico and other islands in the West Indies under the Proctocol of August 12, 1898, which is to continue in force till its provisions are completely executed. The time within which the evacuation of the Philippine Islands and Guam shall be completed, shall be fixed by the two governments. Stands of colors, uucaptured war vessels, small arms, guns of all calibres, with their arms and accessories, powder, ammunition, live stock and materials and supplies of all kinds belonging to the land and naval forces of Spain in the Philippines and Guam, remain the property of Spain. Pieces of heavy ordnance, exclusive of field artillery, in the fortifications and coast What Spain May defences, shall remain in their emplacements for the term of six months, Retain. to be reckoned from the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty, and the United States may, in the meantime, purchase such material from Spain if a satisfactory agreement between the two governments on the subject shall be reached. ARTICLE VI. Spain will, upon the signature of the present treaty, release all prisoners of war and persons detained or imprisoned for political offences in contiection with the insurrection in Cuba and the Philippines and the war with the United States. Reciprocally, the United States will release all prisoners made prisoners of war by the American forces, and will undertake to obtain the release of all Spanish prisoners in the hands" of the insurgents in Cuba and the Philippines. The Government of the United States will, at its own cost, return to Spain and the Government of Spain will, at its own cost, return to the United States, Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines, according to the situation of their respective homes, prisoners released or caused to be released by thenı, respectively under this article. ARTICLE VII. The United States and Spain mutually relinquish all claims for indemnity, national and individual, of every kind, of either government, or of its citizens or subjects against the other government, that may have arisen since the beginning of the late insurrection in Cuba and prior to the exchange of ratifications of the present treaty, including all claims for indemnity for the cost of the war. |