Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-03
Four Hundred Years Ago. August ,. Column
bus Sailed Into the Unknown.

Jus hhso tue
Today is the four hundredth anniversary of
the departure Of Columbus from the old SPAN
ish port of ralos on his voyage in search Of 4
western continent. On August 5. 1892, Column
bus after suffering innumerahlo petty vexa-
tons, hsrnssings and delays. at last attained
| the height Of his ambition. for on tha. day lie
hosted his sails 10 a fair breeze and in his flag
ship led the way out Of The port Of palos into
| the great unknown western ocean. One can
| hardly imagine the ecstacy the future great
! admiral must have felt when the little feet a,
last weighed anchor. and set Of with the avowed
/ object OF solving the problem that had taken
| possession of his mind years before ara to-
ward the solution Of which lie had toilc,l and
PRAYED and waited for nearly a ,core OF wears.
cordon Mt that his sublime tai III nisst iaeet with
Its reward in time.
! The mariners of Palos were then the most
enternrising of Spain. The town was orde, ed
to find him three ships. and these were coon
placed at bis disposal. while orders were seat
to Seville and the other ports Of Andalus;a to
| furnish stores and other articles requisite for
the voyage, free of duty. and at as low rates
as possible. But though the ships were snnr
ready, no crews could be found to undo =
such an insane voyage the new ...,..'
| projected, and every means. fair h..
TO be brought into use In order to 49, D., ,ile
necessary complement. some were induced 20
join by four months pay in advance and by a
| decree that volunteers should be free from ar
/ rest for two months after their return. An
/ indemnity offered TO AL criminals and broken
men who would serve on the expedition helped
to swell the ranks. and the l;st was filled up by
means of impressment, mostly of criminals "
the worst class, many of whom mad already
been condemaed TO death.
PERSONNEL OF THE FLEET.
1t was with such material as this that Column
| bus had to do the work which he had stakcd
life and fortune and reputation. In three
months the expedition was ready TO rail. IL was
composed OF the Santa Maria n decked vessel
| and two carayels. or unlocked boats the Pinia
and Nina. The Santa Maria was of ninety-foot
\ keel; II had four masts, of which two were
square rigged aud two fitted with hteen sails
| IL was decked from stem TO stern. having
| besides poop .woaiy-six feet in length. beneath
/ which was the armament of heavy guns with
small pieces forward. for throwing stones and
| grare. II was commanded by the admiral in
| person. and carried crew of fifty sesmen. Of
whom the muster roll mentions one English
man and one lrish;nau.
| The Pinta. under Martin Pinzon. carried
| thirty men, aud the Nina. under his brother
Vicente Ianez. had twentv-four. This latter
vessel afterward (ise9) the first to cross
| the line in the American Atlantic. Three other
pilots were attached TO the expedition. to-
gether with an inspector general of the feet, a
principal algunzil and a royal notary. There
were also a surgeon, physician, some few ad-
veaturers and ninety seamen-in all. 100 souls
who put their lives into the hand of the aaunt-
less admiral
The fleet had. beside its ninety sailors, a
physician and a surgeon: il carried provisions
| for Year. Columbus. Father Juan Perez and
the linzon brothers paid one-eighth of the ex-
pense of the expedition. Isabella, from the
treasury of CASTLE, advanced IL 900 forms as a
first instal4ment toward the rest. Columbus
by a contract he carried with him. was 10 be
admiral over all newly discovered lands. TO have
title of whatever valuables they could GET
disputes as TO LANDS. and, on advancing one
eighth OF the expense, he might obtain that pro-
portion OF the proceeds of subsequent ventures.
| IN THE CONFESSIONAL
| Before leaving Columbus. with most Of his
/ officers and crew, confessed to Juan Perez and
received the sacrament. There were stirring
| scenes that Friday morning in the town and
| harbor of falos, for many of the adventures
| belonged TO that place, and there were many
| tears shed by both men and women over the
! parting which most OF them regarded as
final one-wIth friends and relatives. But such
scenes could not be of long duration: the adj
| miral had been up at davbreak inspecting wind
4 ana tide; the former was favorable and must
rot be lost: :he tide would be at the best state
to carry them out of the Road of Saltez, near
Palos, at O'Clock and the admiral was a. re-
| lentless AS the ti6e. And 30. az O'Clock pre-
/ cisely. the flag ship weighed her anchor and
as she swung around. CALAMITY saluted the little
\ town and the royal ensign that fioated above it.
! 1t was Friday. August 3. 1892. when the tiny
| feet started westward. not once to be turned
homeward for more than three months. Twenty
years of patient struggle had borne fruit at
last. and Columbus knew that his fame and
| fortune were TO be made lost foi ever before
that year was ended. Yet the event attracted
SO little notice at the time even among tho sc
who from their splfnce and sif finn woull Ina
expected to have their attention most naturally
drawn TO II, that il Is hardly mentioned in any
OF the correspondence other writings of
that time. But when, on another Friday. some
seven months later. he sailed into the same port
he brought news that stirred tine whole civilized
world to its very foundation and changed The
whole history of Europe.
sToaY OF THE VOYAGE
On September 6 the fee: was at Canary Isles
slight accident to the Pinta being the only in
cident of the trip. Hearing of the approach of
Portuguese men-of-war, the vessels quickly
turned westward, not without many forebodings
Of disaster, however. on the part of the crew.
There was great alarm on the 18th when il was
discovered the magnetic needle pointed away
| from the pole. Columbus concocted a story to
meet the occasion. On the 10TH in the warm
belt of trade winds; on the 18th. i'm the Sara
| gossa, or seas of seq weed; no bottom at 200
fsthoms. Next day some incidents. The
greatest was a storm on the 23d, when the crew
could hardly be kept from mutiny On account
of their fears. On October l Columbus calcIl-
lated that the feet was EOS leagues from the
Azores. and predicted the ships would discover
land 1.-THE East Indies in forty fifty leagues.
On the It'll of the month the Nina thought il had
discovered Land, but it turned out to be n cloud.
The next three days the course was west
southwest 1t was during this time that the
plot to throw the officers overheard and return
was Matched out. but il was never manifested in
any violence. On the 11th the Pinta took in a
| rudely carved block and the Nina branch
with red berries. The course was changed 20
| the west. but after vespers Columbus doubled
the watch, offering a silken doublet to the man
who first sighted land IN addition 70 Isrbella's
prize Of 10000 maraveslas (Sl1c); Columbus
saw a light that night at 10 O'Clock, but his
officers did not verify his statement.
THE DISCOVERY.
Rodrigo Insna, a common sailor, discovered
land at am. Friday. October IL, l492, q sig
nal gun ON the Pinta marking the event.
Columbus was awarded the prize. however. At
| dawn they came in full sight and at sunrise
| lowered boats. Columbus was the first TO step
ashore. All kissed the ground and thanked God
/ He claimed the land in the name of the crown
Of CASTLE. II was one OF the Bahamas; he called
| il San Salvador; authorities think it was Wat
| ling Island. Later Columbus sailed south ward
! to look for gold rlines. discovering others Of
I the Bahama greup and Haiti On January 4,
1888, he sailed for spain, reaching Palos on