Evening star., 1898-08-27
ATTRACTIVE WAKE ISLAND.
The Notable Possession Over Which
Gen. Greene Raised Old Glory.
From, tho Nev- yorlr T;,nes

nc NotaDie EOSSeSS1On over -" men
Gen. Greene Raised Old Glory.
From the New York Times.
1t has been recorded that Gen Greene,
with strong landing party and few Off
GERS, went ashore on Wake Island on the
Fourth of July, took an observation, made
map, planted record of possession, and
raised the flag of the United States. We
are informed that he found no trace of in
habitants, that none have been there for
sixty years and that the island has long
been lost. 1t is hinted that, sailing on a
parallel and not on great circle, he must
nave had reason for going there. His
trfangulatton, map and observation of posi-
ton Will certainly be of scientific interest.
W axe Island is supposed to be the Des-
lerta, that Is, the desert" and La Mira,
take care of the charts of the Spanish
galleon taken by Anson in 1743. 1t was
discovered in 1886 by the Prince William
Henry, and Is found on the chart that ac-
companies Perouse's voyages, published in
liSi 1t is often seen and reported as a
reef or an island under various names,
Wake, Week, Halcyon Helsion and Wilson
oelng the most frequent. 1t is not to be
confounded with Weeks Island or with an
other Wake Island on the western coast of
patagonia. The mean of the positions re-
ported is 19 degrees 10 minutes north, 1866
degrees 80 minutes east.
wake Island is nearly or quite awash in
heaVy gales; very low and steep to sea-
Ward; from nine to twenty miles in cir
@ G@uhierence, according to wind and tide.
Inc larger portion of it is a lagoon. The
vegetation is very scanty and there Is no
tresh water. The only food to be found
consists of few birds and plenty of fish.
1vt1iaaa Wahe Island l has been examined by
wilkes of the United States exploring ex-
ped1tion, by English of the United States
navy, by Sproule of the Maria, by Cargill,
by Wood, by the missionary ship Morning
Star and by many others: and thirt--two
years ago 1t ha h1-o -bo
can tell you all about it to their sorrow
The Bremen bark Libelle, bound from
San Francisco to Hong Kong, with passen-
gers and treasure, having touched at Homo
iulu was cast away on Wake Island on the
night of March 4, 1866. The passengers and
crew remained aboard during the night, the
sea breaking fearfully over the wreck; and
on the following day they landed with diff
Guilty through the breakers. For three
weeks, amid terrible privations they
searched in vain for water and were at
last obliged to take to the boats. But the
breakers We're still encircling the island and
they were several days in getting away.
They reached the Ladrones in Nav and
We're entertained by the governor who sent
schooner under the guidance of the mas
ter OF the lost vessel, to procure the treas
ure left on Wake Island. They were two
days In finding 1t, the marks erected on the
spot having all been thrown down and
washed away by the sea. Anchoring 110
yards from shore, the Ladrone schooner
bottom outside, with thirty-five fathoms
line, showing that Wake Island rises alb
ruptly out of a deep sea.
Wake Island was described by Captain
Sproule in 1S4S as a very dangerous spot
lying Immediately in the track of vessels
from Peru, Central America and the Sand
wich Islands, and in a part of the ocean
where vessels are generally running fast
before the wind. 'At 5 pm he says, 1.-The
lookout on the foretopgallant yard low
land on the starboard bow. I went aloft
and saw from the topsail yard a very low
island, rather higher in the center than at
the ends, and covered with low bushes. 1t
was dark before We approached it suffi-
cienty near to make observations, but I
am confident it would not be seen more
than five miles off deck by daylight and in
a dark night never in time to avoid it,
The famous Wilkes expedition westward
from San Francisco to New York hove to
off Wake Island on the night of December
", 1871, and in the morning after breakfast
q number of boats were sent ashore to
make survey. They reported a coral ISL
and not more than eight feet high, and ap-
parently at times submerged. The fish in
the lagoon included some fine mullet. The
birds We're few In number and very tame
and Mr.. Peale found here the short-tailed
albatross and procured an egg from its
nest There were low shrubs upon the
island, but no fresh water, and neither
ing reef was very small. "Our visit to
Wake Island gave us an opportunity of
adding to our collections in natural history
By o'clock all the boats had returned and
we filled away and proceeded on our course
to the westward"