The times., 1901-05-12

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Woods, Minerals, and Fertile
Ffeids-Water for CattIe-Harbor,
Adapted TO Construction of Docks
The filing of suit in the Supreme Court
of New York by Carl Fischer Hansen. an
attorney of that city against a newspa-
per published in New York City, to re-
cover 100000 claimed as damages for libel
recalls the circumstances of the visit OF
Capt w. V. Christmas Dirknick- Holm
feid TO this country in the spring of 1890
and his efforts to negotiate a sale of
Danish West Indian Islands to this Gov
ernment
According to reports published at the
time Captain Christmas wanted the
United States to pay So, 500, 600 for the ISL
ands. To assist him in making arrange
ments for the purchase of the islands by
the United States Captain Christmas, il is
said, engaged Richard p Evans, an attor-
ney of this city, to aid him in having
Congress pass the necessary appropria-
| tion. For his services Mr.. Evans was to
! receive fee of $4,000
Carl Fischer Hansen, mentioned above
as the plaintiff in the suit for damages
II is stated. was surety for the payment
of the fee to Mr.. Evans when the sale of
| the Danish islands was accomplished
| In speaking Of the suit for damages filed
| by Hansen against the New York paper
J Mr.. Evans said that he has no connection
with IL and does not regard it as of much
| Importance. The contract between him
SELF Captain Christmas, and Hansen, he
stated, is a perfectly legitimate one. and
all the stories about a lobby which was to
copper most of the purchase price
! which it was expected would have been
paid for the Danish West Indian Islands
are purely imaginative In this connec-
| tion Mr.. Evans said that fee of $4,000
was paid to attorneys for services in the
| Alaskan purchase.
The Danish West Indian Islands con-
/ sist of group of three, the largest of
! which is st. John, or ST. Jan, and is sit
uated few miles east of st. Thomas.
In speaking of the Island of st. John and
| its natural resources Mr.. Evans said
Its area is about twenty-five square
| miles, about 20e0 acres less than the area
OF st. Thomas. St. John is fertile. and has
ample supply of water, which is not the
case in the Isle of st. Thomas. A part of
the island (St. john is covered with woods
which produce a very valuable timber like
| mahogany, and the island is also rich in
minerals especially in iron. On the east
coast of the island is situated large har-
Dor, one of the best in the West Indies
being larger, deeper ard cleaner than
that of st. Thomas. and easier to defend
The Island OF ST. John is mountainous,
| but the mountains are not high, the most
elevated point being about 200 feet above
the level of the sea. and their steepness
does not prevent the cultivation of the
soil. The coast is an uninterrupted sue
cession of bays, which are very deep, Civ
ing easy access to steamers. The sur
roundings of the bays are fertile low
lands highly adapted for the cultivation
of every kind of tropical fruits.
"In earlier times the island was covered
with sugar, coffee, cotton, and tobacco
plantations; the export was, considering
the size of the island. remarkably great
and the quality of the tobacco and coffee
excellent. Now the greatest part of the
plantations are abandoned and the popu-
latlon is diminished by two-thirds.
Coral Bay Harbor is one of the best
natural harbors in the West Indies. 1t
consists of several adjoining bays-Coral
Bay. Princess Bay, Hurricane Hole, and
other harbors. The harbor is commanded
by the so-called Battery Hill, eonical
peninsular hill, where are found ruins Of
old Notifications. Now the harbor is
never used. its existence and value are
nearly forgotten Compared TO the har-
Dor of st. Thomas Coral Bay is larger,
deeper, cleaner. and better protected. At
several places the largest steamers exist
ing will be able to go close to shore. At
the east side Of the harbor a quay 1000
feet long might be constructed cheapiy
and without any difficulty. at which the
largest modern men-of-war and trade
ships might coal
Several places are exceedingly well
adapted for the construction of docks
The harbor is large enough TO contain
the entire American feet and its peculiar
shape and situation makes it easy to pro-
tect by constructing batteries on each side
of the barbor entrance and on Buck ISL
and. which commands the entrance.
Under the American flag the harbor
might be the most important naval sta
tion toward the east, real Gibraltar in
the West Indian waters. Besides it would
be an excellent coaIing station for steam
ers going from Europe to the West Indies
or from the United States TO South Amer |
lea
In case of construction of a Mica
ragua Canal, the harbor of ST John would |
have the best imaginable situation for |
steamers, east or westward bound. call |
ing for orders OF to coal A particular |
circumstance increases the value OF the |
st. John Harbor, that il has never been |
touched by a hurricane. AS long as the |
island has been known, it has never been |
stated that any ship in Coral Bay has |
been damaged by a hurricane, while at |
the same time neighboring islands have |
been devasted and a great number OF |
ships wrecked.
About 10000 acres of the surface of the |
island are covered with old sugar fields, |
not having been worked in a space of |
twenty to fifty years. This soil gave in |
the olden time excellent crops of sugar !
cane, and must now be of almost the same !
fertility as virgin soil. The only place |
Reef Bay where Mr.. March. the pro- |
prietor, has made yearly, for the last |
twenty years, crop of good quality with |
out ever having had to manure the field. |
of the three Danish West Indian ISL |
ands, St. John produces the largest and |
the best fruits, such as bananas, lines, |
lemons, pineapples, guavas, and oranges. |
land is adapted for the cultivation of |
fruits, and from here viii be the best |
chances for export, steamers running /
around the island being able to load in |
every bay.
Different to most other West Indian /
islands, St John has still preserved ex- |
tenSiVe forests, mostly consisting OF fine |
trunks of hard timber much used for all |
sorts of furniture. The wood is hard and |
easy to polish. like mahogany, colored |
very much like tortoise she'll Nearly all |
quays. piers and bridges In st. Thomas |
and neighboring islands are constructed |
on timber from st. John. because this |
resists the influence of the salt water and |
insects for hundreds Of years.
In fact, the value of the forests on st. |
John cannot be put down to less than |
several hundred thousand dollars. Bay
leaf trees are spread in great numbers all |
over the island, the foliage of which are