The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-08
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: NHAI:: 4 SAILOR BOY SAW. :


The following was written by Frank
S. Wilson, sailor on the United States
steamship Alliance, while on a. three
years cruise from Mare Island navy
yard, San Francisco, ito, fhe Brooklyn
navy yard: 4esy
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, South
America have recently made a
voyage through Smyth's and Magellan
straits. On the trip from Cal
lao, Peru. to Montevideo. We
were struck by a squau off
the coast Of Chile, which was so Sc
we're we had to heave to, and for three
days we lay rolling and pitching with
nothing but the storm sails set. We
had our starbOard pivot point stove In
and lost our foretopsail and maintop-
gallant yards. The water was waist
deep on the spar deck from the waves
breaking over u.s. The matches were
battened down so no water could get
below. On the fourth day the storm
abated, and we got up steam and got
under way to avoid being caught in
more rough weather. The captain de-
cided to go through Smyth's straits.
These straits, although discovered
years ago, have only been used by
very few steamers, those having plenty
Of time, and, like ourselves, wishing TO
avoid rough weather. 1t would be i'm
possible for a sailing vessel to go
through them.
We headed in toward the coast for
the Gulf of Penas. On the second
morning we sighted land, and in the
afternoon we were ploughing through
the quiet waters of the Gulf Of Penas,
among numerous small islands, head
ing toward an apparently solid wall of
rock, which formed the coast, and rose
some three or four hundred feet high,
~ 80 io1
mountain peaks covered with snow.
AS we drew nearer we made out what
seemed to be a crack in the wall,
which extended from top to bottom,
and grew larger as we approached it,
until 1t widened into a passage large
enough to admit the ship. We steamed
through and found ourselves in the
snug little harbor, called on the chart
Port Otway. On three, sides of US
arose lofty mountains with snow-cov-
cred tops. On the fourth side of our
little harbor arose a high cliff that
shut out the view Of the gulf, and
through which, after entering the har-
Dor, we could see no outlet. We were
completely land-locked with the excep-
ton of a little strip Of sandy beach on
one side of the harbor. The noun
tains arose from the waters edge.
Their sides were covered with green
trees, many of them covered with
flowers and berries, some pine and
f1r trees. Down the side of one noun
tain came tun1bling stream of spark
ling water, forming many little water
falls, and at last running over the
bright strip of sandy beach into the
deep black waters of the bay. On the
beach a large post had been driven
and letter box nailed to it, and three
sign boards.
We lowered a boat and rowed ashore
and found the boards bore the names
of three ships that had anchored there
before One was a Chilean, one a
German and the third the U. s. 8.
Boston. We nailed our ships name up
with the rest and returned aboard ship.
The sun dropped behind the hills. and
1t soon grew dark, and we Slung our
hammocks and turned IN. The next
morning, bright and early. we got up
anchor and steamed out through the
pass we had entered the day before.
We steamed down along the coast,
picking our way between numerous
islands About noon we entered an
other narrow pass. between two noun
tafns CThis pass is known as Messler
channel) The channel has an average
width of two cable lengths (about 24o
feet) for about ten miles, when 1t opens
out into a wide bay dotted with little
green islands.
The water was smooth as glass ana
Of a reddish tint. The mountains rose
abruptly from the waters edge on all
sides of this beautiful bay-great lofty
mountains with their SUBMITS capped
with snow. which was continually
forming around the top, and melting
around the timber line from the heat
of the sun. The melted snow came
tumbling down the mountain SIDES IN
numerous little rivulets, which formed
numerous little cascades and water
falls as they came tumbi1ng down over
the moss covered rocks to find their
way to the pretty bay below. we
steamed across the bay, heading
straight for a large rugged mountain.
We could see no outlet until We had
nearly reached the base Of the noun
tain, when we saw a marrow passage
to the left Down this passage we
steamed, on each side of us the steep
walls Of canyon that would r1Val the
Grand Canyon Of Colorado. AS we de-
scended the canyon it grew wider and
others opened up to the right and leIt
These other channels became SO nu-
merous that without chart 1T Would
have been impossible to find the way,
in fact, it seemed like great city W1tn
streets and avenues branching on IN
every direction from the main thor
oughfare. Our navigator stood on the
bridge with chart and compass before
him and gave his orders to the men
at the wheel without hesitating.
We kept our course down this MAN
street, or channel, turning now to the
right or left till nearly shutdown, When
we emerged into another 1sland-ootteo
BAY. known as Island harbor. Here we
anchored for the night between TWO
small islands in 80 fathoms OF water
Csc feet. When the sun rose IN the
morning and looked at us between two
mountain peaks we had the anchor up
and were steaming down the bay. Ar
irving ait the end Of the bay, we
turned down another channel, when,
in time, opened into another bay, winch
we crossed only to enter another cnan-
mel. The scenery was much like that
Of the day before. Late In the after
noon we entered a small harbor which
opened off the main channel. This har-
Dor was marked on the chart as Grey
harbor. The trees on three sides or
the harbor were dead which gave the
bank a grayish appearance, which
probably gave the harbor its name
On the right bank to a large dead
tree were nailed boards with the names
Of the vessels that had anchored mere
before U.S. We lowered a. boat ana some
Of the boys went ashore and put our
ships name with the rest. early the
next morning we steamed out OF Grey
harbor, and across the bay for the
entrance Of the English Narrows, the
narrowest pass in the straits We
headed straight for the entrance Of the
narrows. Two more seaIrien were sent
l. /, Ill nd mo-