Iron County register., 1892-11-10
The Cruise of the Caraveis.

Now that our little Spanisn-ouilt
show craft, the Pinta and Nina, have
about finished their career in the Old
World, the question of how to bring
them across the ocean comes up. Al
ter the second celebration in Huelva
harbor, they went to Cadiz, where they
now are, we believe, with the Newark
and Bennington, under Admiral Ben
hams command, awaiting orders. AS
is we'll known, they are to take part
together with Spain's Santa Maria' ID
the great international rendezvous and
review TO be held in the waters oil Nor
folk and New York next spring, ana
then to proceed, by way OF the 81. Law
renee, the Dominion canals, anu the
great lakes, to the Worlds FAIR IN
Chicago.
There are. of course, ways enough OF
getting the little vessels to the New
World. They can sail across, as their
famous prototypes did four centuries
400 or be towcd across by one of our
war vessels. Long ago it was proposed
that these three duplicates of the ships
of Columbus should start from Palos
and follow the great navigatOr's course
in his first voyage, touching at the
Canaries, and thence proceeding. as
his log indicates, to San Salvador.
This suggestion, first made, we believe,
by Castelar,. in 1888, was interesting.
and, as he formulated it, impressive.
He proposed that the start should be
made from Palos, on the Sd of August,
1892, to correspond with the departure
of Columbus: and that the little trio
should be accompanied by a splendid
squadron of escort, consisting OF YES
sells of Spain. Portugal, Italy. france,
England, and the United States. The
VOYAGE was, in fact, to be leading
feature of the international celebra-
ton.
But the chief significance OF the af-
fair would be marred by making such
a cruise so long after the anniversary
Not only was the departure from Palos
fully celebrated months ago. but the
discovery of San Salvador has been
doublv commemorated, both in the Old
World and the New, and both accord
ing to the Julian and the GregOrlan
calendar. 1t would be a bclated per-
formance, robbed of much OF its inter-
est. now that the world has thoroughly
performed its Columbus homage and Is
attending to other matters, for these
little craft merely to repeat In 1872
what was accomplished in 1892.
Besides, there might be trouble In
finding San Salvador; or, to put 1t more
clearly. the little fleet might find too
MANY San Salvadors. Our own naval
officers alone have, ut different epochs'
identified no fewer than three OF the
Bahamas as the island on which Column
b,,s Ianded- and which the natives call
Cd Guanahani. 1t was Capt "A. ,.
Mackenzie of our navy who fixed upon
Cat Island as the landfall of Columbus
for Washington Irving. But although
the great authority of Humboldt sus-
tanned this conjecture, it has been aoan-
doned by most recent geographers anc
historians. 1t was Capt q. V. FOX
who settled on Samana or Atwood's
Kew as the landing place, many years
later. Finally, we have still more re-
Gently Lieut.. j. b. Murdoch as prom
inent advocate of Walting's Island.
which. on the whole, seems to have the
greatest weight of modern authority In
its favor. To which of these three
views the officers in charge OF the flnta
and Nina would adhere it is difficult TO
surmise; and perhaps if the Santa
Maria should again be flagship, 1t might
be rather Spanish than an American
view that would prevail. 1t has, in
deed, been proposed that Spanish
souadron shall escort these sailing YES
sells, IL the cruise Is Ihaue' A' any
rate there would be no lack OF alleged
San Salvadors. since the three other
islands, Mariguana, Acklin and the
Grand Turk, the honors have also been
claimed.
Accordingly, the simplest plan OF
bringing over the vessels, and the one
least likely to entail disputes and dis
cussions, as we'll as the shortest and
cheapest. would be to have our two
craft come straight to the port OF New
York.
Still, if the Navy Department has
funds enough to indulge in this form oi
rediscoverinp America, or if Spain has
set her heart on it, we shall all give
the little fleet our best wishes, caution