Page:America Fallen!.djvu/172

160 ." At 7:40: "Received two shells, raking starboard battery." At 7:45: "Shell in boiler-room and two funnels gone. Speed 15 knots." At 7:55: "Steering gear gone—after turret disabled—heavy casualties—am shot to pieces—going down by stern, colors flying—sorry cannot give details battleship fleet—our position is lat.!"

A wireless call was sent for our destroyers to rejoin the fleet at full speed, and the speed of the fleet was raised to 17 knots.

And then we saw them—on the starboard bow. First the masts, with the flutter of the battle-flags discernible; then the smokestacks, the turrets, the hulls, and, yes! the five battle-cruisers, which only a brief hour before had sent the Washington with her gallant company to the bottom.

And then, up over the horizon, silhouetted sharply against the eastern sky,