Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-01-07
STRAITS OF LIE MARIE.
A Little Known Geographical Rival to the
straits of Magellan.


First Mate Thorndike, of the Brit
Ish ship Mashona, had a little talk
with reporter yesterday, and in the
course Of the conversation inclden-
tally referred to the fact that he was
ON the Merionethshire when that
vessel made the quickest passage on
record to San Francisco from the
United Kingdom. The trip was made
four years ago, and the time was
ninety six days.
"And now" said Mate Thorndike,
II am going to ask you a question.
How many schoolmarms in Califor-
mia know for a fact that there are
two ways of coming to San Francisco
from New York or Europe by way
of South America without rounding
the Horn7 Ask them. / would al
most wager everything / possess on
the proposition that without prepara-
ton they would tell you that the
only way to avoid the Horn is by go
ing through the Straits of Magellan.
"Now am not teaching geogra-
ply, but every sailor knows of the
Straits of LIE Maire, but how many
presumably well informed people in
San Francisco or in London for that
matter, know that there is another
short cut through the South Ameri-
can continentl
THE Merionethshire did not come
through the Straits of LIE Marie when.
she made her ninety-six days pas
sage, but sailing ships have passed
through those straits and if all the
conditions were favorable the trip
might be thus shortened nearly seven
days, so that theoretically modern
sailing ship might reach this port in
eighty days or even less. But sail
ing ships very rarely indeed come
through these straits. Time is not
SO much an object as it was in the
days of the fifties, and in addition
the vessel that undertook it would
forfeit her insurance. No insured
sailing vessel ever comes through the
Straits of LIE Maire. / have sailed
through those straits once, and would
not care to do it again.
''The Straits of Magellan and the
Straits of LIE Marie represent two al
ternatives as against rounding the
Horn. Neither of them is at any
time beset or blocked by ice. The
ice foes travel from west to east
around the Horn, many degrees to
the south of the Straits of LIE Marie,
which lie between the southern end
of Terra del Fuego and Staten island.
By going through the Straits of LIE
Maire a ship can save 1000 miles,
but you will readily understand that,
as the northern summer is the ant
arctic winter, no vessel would ever
attempt the passage in June, July or
August.
The Magellan passage is only pos
sible for steamboats, anyhow. The
reason is that sailing vessel must
lind an anchorage on the way
through, and there are five of these
anchorages, But none of these can
be made, because the current is very
strong, especially at full moon, and
because there is no wind. On the
average the Magellan straits are not
more than four miles wide in the
thirty miles of their length, and
often the width is only one mile.
THE Straits of LIE Marie are five
degrees farther south. They are
about thirty miles through and as
many miles across, but the trouble is |
that when you get to the Pacific side |
there Is current dead against YOU
ana northwest gales setting you dead |
ON a rockbound coast
Just take up a good map of the
south.of South America and have a |
talk with an old seaman, said Mate |
Thorndike as he bade the reno,.ter |
goodby, 1t is part of the world .
that is going TO become interesting
very soon, and the events of the last
TWO years are going to lead up to
others that may make KNOWLEDGE
H.