The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1892-11-10
FAMED SANTA MARIA.
COLUMBUS FLAGSHIP COMPARED
WITH MODERN SAILING VESSELS.

The Wonder to the Mariner of Today Is
How the Navigator Crossed the Ocean
in His Little Caravel-A Facsimile for
the Worlds Fair.
Spain is now in the midst of a series
of fetes in commemoration of the dis
covery of America which will last till
late in October. On the Sd of August,
date of the sailing of Columbus from
Palos, the jubilation began, and Of all
the sights the exact reproduction of the
flagship Of Columbus, the Santa Maria,
excited most amazement. Among the
sailors in the vast gathering there was a
loud chorus of establishment and unbe-
lief. Almost unanimously they de-
clared that such ship had not done the
thing-it was impossible.
It is indeed hard to believe that the
little caravel of 240 tons at the outside
could have made such a voyage, and
when one compares it with the large
sailing vessels of today he may well be
incredulous. With the achievements
of steam and practical science we are
tolerably familiar, but the fact then
Though sailing vessels antedate written
history, the progress therein since 1892
is as great as in anything else) comes to
one as great surprise. Compare the
little Santa Maria with, for instance,
the magnificent Shenandoah, the Ameri-
can four masted bark and queen of all
sailing vessels, which few months ago
~
with 5000 tons of wheat on board.
Consider first the big sailer. The
Shenandoah, commanded by Captain
Murphy, was one Of the five which left
the Bay Of San Francisco last year on
the famous race around the Horn. They
sailed at high tide, Of necessity, as they
drew twenty-seven feet of water. The
weight of wheat aboard, 5000 tons, was
the greatest cargo of the kind ever
placed in a vessel and equivalent te
1866, 733 bushels, or the crop of an aver
age agricultural county. An adequate
description Of the Shenandoah would
fill a column. bailer as she is, she
"makes sail by steam," as sailors say
that is, the sails are pulled into place
by little donkey engine, and of al
glorious sights to the seaman's eye there
is none more glorious than to see he1
swell from bare poles to full rig Of
snowy sails in less than five minutes.
The Santa Maria might have beer
placed on the deck of the Shenandoah
without adding perceptibly to hel
weight of cargo. She was decked yes
sci, and while the Spanish historians dc
not deal in exact measurements they are
so minute in details of her capacity that
her size is known. Captain Gustavus
w. Fox, after very careful calculation
declares that her length was 1858 feet
over all and 81 feet along her keel,
with 90 feet beam and 1917 feet in depth
Her crew consisted of fifty seamen, and
in the list are found the names of one
Englishman and one Irishman. 1t is
really pity that this list is not certain
ly authentic; it would be interesting tc
know the name of the first Irish emf
grant to America. This historic vessel
was wrecked on Christmas eve, 1892, or
the coast of Hispaniola, calamity due
to the gross carelessness of the sailing
master.
Small as she was, her consorts, the
Pinta and the Nina, were considerably
smaller, being mere banks, called cara
wells, without decks, unless the high
Prov and stern may be so called. In the