The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-22

/
Washington, Feb. et.
ss-T~nE DANISH West Indies" is the title
of monograph by the treasury bu.
i rrau Of statistics which will appear
as a part OF the forthcoming Issue Of
the Monthly summary cf Commerce and Finance.
II describes the islands included in the recently
ratified treaty Of the United Stutcs and Denmark.
| by which the islands of st. Thomas. ST. John ard
ST. troiN arc to he transferred TO the United
states. Those islands, it shows, lie of the east.
ern coast of Porto Rico and are in fact a mere
| extension of the marine elevation OF which Cuba.
Jamaica, Haiti and Porto Rico arc the prin.
cipa representatives; while they also form con
meeting link between the Greater and the Lesser
Antilles. St. Thomas, the best known of the
group, lies rs miles due cnst of the northeastern
| extremity of Porto Rico; St John lies 12 miles
east OF st. Thomas; while 81. Croix lies about so
miles south of st. John and st. Thomas, and go
miles southeast Of the southeastern point Of
Porto Rico. Two small islands already belong
ing TO the United States, vicques and Cuebra,
which were obtained through the ccssion oi
Porto Rico lie directly between Porto Rico
| and the newly added group
The islands are small with comparatively
small producing capacity, their chief importance
being by reason of their harbors which they Of
Ter and their value as strategic as well as gen
cral commercial standpoint ST. Crox, the larg.
est of them. is about 20 miles long and from ore
to five miles wide, with an area of about so
square miles and a population of about 90 600.
III is also the most productive of the islands, a
| considerable area being devoted to the produce
ton of sugar and tropical fruits, and agriculture
pcing the occupation OF a large proportion Of
the population There are two towns on the ISL
and, Frcdikstcd, with population OF 300, ard
Chrstiansted, with Il population of $500. The
latter is located upon the chief harbcr of the
Island, which however, is chokcd with mud and
OF less Importance than the harbors of either Of
lIlc othcr islands. st. john the smallest OF tic
Islands, has an area OF but about 81 square miles,
and population OF only about / 900, and a com.
paratively small culiyablc area. its chief value
being in its possibilities for harbor purposes, the
natural harbor of Coral bay being described as
one OF the best protected natural hnrbors in the
West Indies, but at present little used St.
THOMAS. which lies nearest to Porto Rico, is by
far the most important in its present availability
FOR farbor purposes, the harbor of Charlotte
Anlaa having been for more than n century rec
ogniZed us one of the best. il not the best rat
ura harbor in the entire West Indian group, and
having been during all that time a central point
as harbor for refuge and point of exchange
for merchandise and a coaing station for vessels
from all parts of the world. With passa -cs
through which it is easily reached, a good dcp:h
on water ami excellent protection from the hur.
rlcancs to which that region is subject IL las
long been regarded as an extremely valuable
harbor' and when Denmark in the carly part of
the nineteenth century made it a free port it
became the distributing point for the commerce
OF the entire West Indian group As con;a-
quence nearly the entire population OF the island
is clustered around the port of Charlotte Amala.
iuly lo'o~ OF the l2,5GO population living in this
city, and less than 1000 being engaged in agricul-
turc.
The Introduction of steam and electricity with.