The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-10
AUSTRIAN CORVETTE FAsANA.

rumor obtained some confirmation from the
fact that soon after Orth's ship left Auck-
land tile English Colonial Secretary re-
ceiyed dispatches from the Emperor of Aus
tria making anxious inquiries about the
whereabouts of Orth. The latter's ship,
which set sail for Venezuelan port. was
never again heard Of and the only report
since received on the subject is The uncon-
frmed story from Valparaiso.
The Fasana was last heard from at Punta
Arenas, Chilean port in the Strait of
Magellan. The place is located about one
third of the distance from the Atlantic 10
the Pacific. on the shores of the strait 1t
was formerly penal colony and lies ON a
long spit which stretches out into the strait,
and Is called by English naylgators Sandy
Point. There used 10 be military guard
at the station. but this was withdrawn dur
ing the ar with Peru, and all the prisoners
who would consent TO enter the army got
ticket Of leave. The matter which makes
Punta Arenas specially interesting in the
present connection is the possibility, not to
say probability that Ortiz has been traced
there, Ter II IS q popular error that all ships
passing the strait touch at the port Ii is
about 1000 miles from the southernmost
town on the west coast of South America
to the first port on the eastern coast and as
the voyage occupies al least fifteen days it
sometimes happens that vessels put in
and members OF the crew desert The
two or three hundred houses shelter
OF 500 or 1000 persons, representing all sorts
and conditions OF men, from the primitive
Indian tyDe to the pure Caucasian-con-
victs, traders, fugitives. wrecked seamen,
deserters from all the navies ia the world,
Chinese. negroes. Poles, Italians. Hawaiian
islanders. wandering Jews and human drift
wood OF every tongue and Cline scarcely
one OF whom would be willing TO tell why
he came there or would stay if he could get
away. 1t is said that In Punta Arenas an
iDtgrnrafpr k.an in he
modern world can be found; but, although
the place belongs 10 Chile. English is most
generally spoken. Punta Arenas Is in the
latitude of Greenland in the southern hem
ispheTe, and has a climate to correspond.
Ii Is, in fact, the Southernmost town in the
world.
The acting Consul of thu Austrian Gov
eminent in this city since Mr.. Hook aofier's
death is Adolph Rossnthal, Con -Gener al
of the German Empire. Mr.. Essential
stated yesterday TO CALL reporter that he
had no information of the Fassna's mo We
ments, but from other sources Il was
learned that the vessel was under orders to
proceed TO San Francisco without delay,
after stay of eleven days in Valparaiso to
obtain supplies. The impression is that the
Fasana will be here early in the ensuing
month.
The Fasana is an old-style wooden cor
vette OF 1910 tons displacement, carrying
four guns. She belongs to the Same class
as the Donau. saba, DandoIo. Erzherzog,
Friedrich, Holgoland, ZriDyi. Frundsberg
aud Aurora. Austria has no foreign pos
sessions either IN the Atlantic or the Pacific,
therefore her flag is rarely seen on either
ocean, and her navy, which contains only
one frst-ciass ironclad and twelve other
arnored vessels, besides wooden frgates
aud corveites, is chiefly employed in guard
ing the eountry's interests at home. The
entire navy consists If 100 vessels, of which
thirteen are ironclads, thirteen cruisers and
filty-seven rorpedo-boats, with an aggregate
armament OF 3iS guns and 347 machine
guns.
The most powerful vessel in the Austrian
| navy Is the Tegethoff, built at Trieste in
| 1873 This vessel has fourteen inches Of
| armOr aud carries 11-inch krupp guns.