BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-01
Our -NeVGt Isles.
Statistics Of Territory Acquir
ed From Denmark.
Chief Value of Little West Indian
Group Is as S3ategic Base Xxx
eellent Harbors at st Thomas anc
StJohn-Export Trade Of St Croiz

s.The Danish West IndieSD is the title o
monograph By the treasury bureau Of sta
tistics which will appear as g part of the
forthcoming issue OF the monthly snmm ary
of commerce and finance. 1t describes the
islands included in the recently ratified
treaty Of the United States and Denmark
by which the islands Of st Thomas, st John
and st Croix are to be transferred to the
United States. These islands lie off the
eastern coast of Porto Rico and are, In facI
a mere extension of the marine elevation ol
| which Cuba, Jama'oa, Hsyti, and Porto
Rico are the principal representatives, while
they sslo form a connecting link between the
greater and the lesser Antilles. St Tho
mas, the best knwon of The group, lies thirty
eight miles due neast of the norsheasser ex
tremity of Porto REQ; st. John lies twelve
miles east of st. Thomas, while st. Oroix
| lies about fifty niles sou'h of st John and
st Thomas and sixty miles southeast of the
scu. u.heastern point of Porto Rico. Two
small islands already belonging 10 the
United States Vnques. and Culebra- :
which We're obtained through the cession Of
and this newly added group.
The islands are small, with compsra-
lively small producing capacity, their chiel
importance being by reason Of their hsr.
boTs and their value as strategic ss well
az general commercial standpoint. ST.
Croix, the largest of them, is about twenty
miles long and ircm one TO FIVE miles vide,
with an area Of about eighty squars m les
and population of ablu 10000. 1t is
also the most produ tive Of the islands,
IA considerable area being devoted TO the
production CT sugar cane and tropical
fruits, and agriculture being the oceupa
ton Of large proportion of the population.
There are two towns on the islsnd-F Fred
cksted,S with population OF 300, and
EUhristiansted, with population Of 5 800.
The latter ID the chief karbor of the islat
which, however, is ekoked with mud, and
is of less importance than the harbors OF
either of the other islands. st. John, the
SMALLEST OF the islaEds, has an area Of about
twenty ene square miles, population Of
only about 600, aud comparatively small
cultlvatable area, It's chief value being in its.
possibilities for hArbor purposes. Ths
natural harbor Of Coral Bay is described as
one OF tho best protected ma uraI hatbors in
tho West Iudses st, Thomas, aehich lies
nearest to Porto kico, is by far the most
imporlans in its preseat availability for
harbor purposes, the harbor Of CHARLOTTE
AmsIia having lie for more ttsn century
recognized as ons Of the best, if not the best
natural harbors in the entire West Indian
group. With passages thr ugh which it Isl
easily reached, good depth OF water and
excellent pro ecii7n from the hurricanes to-
l0bich that gion is subject, i has long
been regarded as an extremely valuable
harbor. When Desmlk, in the early part
Of the nineteenth century, made it 3 free
port, it became the distributing pint Of 81 81
c3mmerce OF the entire West Indian grous.
AS constqusrce nearly the entire popula-
fion Of the island is clustered around the
port Of Charlotte Amalia, fully 10000 oil
the II 900 population living in that city.
Tas introduction Of steam aud electricity
within the last few years have reduced
erestly The importance cf St Taomss 81 s
point ior the distribution Of commerce, eiues
no wall II islsrdi 10 tbe group sra visited
ty regularly plliag aieamshipf. Tie imppI-
t11tt 81 ne tHftcI. toHt7tf. 11 4 supply