Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-07-14

| letters from tlelI son.. William ID,
who is just out of the naval academy
and now an ensign on The battleship
Oregon Writing from the straits of
| Magellan under date OF April 90,
young Leahy says:
I'VE left this morning the most
! southern city of the world PlInta
Arenas, and are headed north for
Rio de Janiero. Our trip down to the
straits was very pleasant until the
last two days when we ran into one
of the regular cold southern storms
that are found here during all parts
of the year. | was up on the bridge
deck for an hour during the heaviest
part of the storm and it was fine to
! watch the big ship fight her way
through the raging sea. Great rocks,
water half mile to leeward of us
and just seen through the storm, was
the high rocky shore. The great
white-topped waves rushed one after
another at the ship, like sea spirits
angry with the big white intruder
The ship stood their attacks bravely
riding the small waves and diving
through the bigger ones. Several times
| saw wave come ON deck, covering
the forecastle with fifteen feet of
blue water which would rush against
the forward turret and break into
spray that was thrown from one end
OF the ship to the other The good ship
rolled hanItilIy =
attack of the biggest waves, and per-
haps she shivered little, but every
time the bow came up foaming with
white water while the monster en-
gines kept up their steady throb.
throb, never changing whether the
ship was on top OF or under a wave.
1t is lots Of fun to watch a ship battle
with the angry sea, and l like to
hear the wind whistle as it picks the
white spray from the racing waves.
On account of the heavy sea the en-
trance to the straits was difficult but
we made it all right and came to
anchor in a little sheltered cove The
next day We got under way at day
break and made a record run to Punta
Arenas. The scenery in the straits
simply cannot be described. In places
the water Is not more than a mile
wide and the brown and black rocks
come straight up out of the water
almost like stone walls. Many of the
creylces between the hills contain
glaciers which, when the sun shines
on them, sparkle with purple, blue
and white light. Some of the gla-
ciers run back into the hills as far as
can be seen with the eye. Little
waterfalls run over nearly every preci-
pice and from a distance they look
like little silver bands running along
the dark rock. The land on the
south side of the channel is called
Terra del Fuego, or, In English, land
of fire. | don't know whore 1t gets
its name. 1t is inhabited by
stunted race OF Indians who some few
years ago used to be cannibals. They
now steal sheep from surrounding
ranches and they say mutton is bet
ter than white man. They also get
some spoil from ships that go on the
rocks. They have not learned to use
firearms yet, but have bows. and ar
rows tipped with glass heads. The
other side of the channel is Patagonia
The Indians there are fine set of
men physically, though they are just
as savage as the Fugians. The only
one saw looked much like our red
brothers Of the Chippewa family
We took on 500 tons of coal at
Punta Arenas. paying four times the
regular price, and then got out TAX
Ing with us the T. S. S. Marietta which
was to guard us in the straits, but
which arrived one day late. We ex-
pected to see some Spanish ships
down here, but none have appeared
yet We don't know whether war is
declared or not, but we are ready
anyway. We run at night with no
lights showing, and in the day time
we are ready for anything"
At Rio
Rio de Jan.ero, April 30.-We ar
rived here this evening and are al
ready getting on coal preparatory to
moving as soon as our Geographic
orders arrive from Washington. We
learned tonight that war has been de-
clared and there is of course much
speculation as to what they are going
to do with US. The United States
has purchased a ship here and we
think they will send her north with
us. l may be detailed to go on her. |
hope not as this ship is the one j
want to go TO war on. We will prob
ably not get ashore here as there is
a strong Spanish element that might
make trouble for us II they got q
chance. A Spanish torpedo boat has
been waiting for us near this port
for a week. We missed it coming in, |