The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-16
DUTCH RIVAL TO WASHINGTON
DE GRAAFF THE MAN WHO BEAT
CORVALLIS, THEY SAY.

And Thereby Won independence for This
Country--Legend Cherished In Dutch
West Indian Island Too Small Aim st
to Appear ON Map-Hero 70 the Story.
PoRr ORANGE, ST. EusrATrus. Dutch West
Indies, July Mime blank cartridges.
whose smoke foated lazily away in tropical
breeze, nine jets OF fire, nine harmless re-
ports from the saluting battery OF Fort
Orange, st. Eustatius, caused CORVALLIS
to surrender at Yorktown and lost an empire
to Great Britain.
This ia rather large statement when one
considers that history places the credit
elsewhere, yet the loyal inhabitants OF this
island believe 1t and there are facts to bear
them out.
st. Eustatius Is 80 small that its location
is perhaps best described by giving It's
bearings from the American island OF
Porto Rico, which was captured from
Spain in 1893 II you will mako dot on
your map, after first studying the scale OF
miles in the corner. $50 miles southeast OF
the southerly extremity OF Porto Rico you
will strike near enough to st. Eustatius for
accuracy. You may not find 1t beneath your
pencil point, as it Is hardly important enough
to appear on anything short OF mariners
chart,
Sleepy, forgotten, ignored, st. Eustatius
has played very big part in the worlds
history. Its trade has vanished and all that
remains to 1t Ia the memory Of stirring
past and a profound consciousness OF the
debt owed to it by the United States.
Above Its little fort the tricolor Of Hol-
land futters lazily in the breeze. Nina
ture cannon OF pattern obsolete many
years ago point seward over it's ramparts;
green and brown lizards scurry about
on the conioal heaps Of toy cannon balls
which await a call to action that they are
far too puny to answer.
Along the beach the dismantled remains
Of many stone buildings give an air OF
decay to the place which the tumble
down appearance OF the town itself con-
firms. few white families lord 1t over
several hundred lazy negroes and await
the weekly arrival Of the mail packet as
the only excitement OF monotonous
existence.
This Is st. Eustatlus of to-day. This,
together with it's volcanic hills. it's ruined
estates and its memories, is all that Is left.
1t was different one hundred and thirty
years ago. Business fiourished here then,
and the roadstead was crowded with
shipping. In those old days every one
was busy.
The streets OF Port Orange were alive
with sailors. who spoke strange tongues
and spent money recklessly. The stone
buildings, now in ruins, were then burst
ing with merchandise. The merchants lived
like princes and entertained one another
with lavish hospitality.
st. Eustatius owed its former impo rtance
to its geographical location and to the fact
that it belonged to Holland, a neutral nation
in the wars which Great Britain was fight
ing.
Situated nearer the American continent
than Europe it proved an ideal spot where
the oolonists could trade their produce,
largely tobacco, for war munitions. Many
a British and Hessian soldier was shot
down with powder and lead carried to st.
Eustatius in Dutch bottoms and thence
in Continental vessels to Washington's
armies
1t is not to be imagined, either, that the
oolonists were alone in availing them
selves Of the advantages st. Eustatius
offered. France and Spain were fighting
Great Britain presently, and the island
for them also proved an ideal spot where
warike supplies could be obtained.
The Dutch have long had the reputation
of being good at a bargain, and they GER
tainly took full advantage of the demand
for powder and guns. Great ships loaded
down with guns and cannon with gum
powder and bullets. sailed out OF Amster-
dam for st. Eustatius
Holland being a neutral nation and the
cargoes being consigned to Dutch colony
Great Britain could not interfere and the
Dutch merchants were kept busy indeed.
The cargoes being unloaded, the ships sailed
homeward filled with tobacco which had
been grown on the plantations of Virginia
and which presently was transformed into
clouds of smoke by the worthy Dutch bur-
CHEERS, a sort of incense to the shrine Of trade.
But to bark back to our story.
One fine day in December, Ito, the
Andrea Doria. a cruiser commissioned by
the Continental Congress came sailing into
the roadstead Of Port Orange. threaded its
way through the crowded shipping dropped
anchor and saluted the Dutch flag flying
over the fort with eleven guns. Then the
eyes Of the spectators were turned to where
the little cannon were peering down from
tIlo IulnpdTts W CtilCIl tIle llTSt udsIl Vi HT6
preceding the answering salute.
Little did the awaiting throng realize
that the fate Of a nation awaited on the
action Of the islands head, the worthy Gov.
De GRAFT He, good Dutchman that he
was, was in quandary.
To refuse to reply to the salute meant
to give offense to the islands best customer.
To order the gunners in the fort to answer
the Andrea Doria's courtesy meant the
virtual recognition by Holland of the United
Colonies as an independent nation.
Had Gov. De Graaff lived in these days
he might have called up his home Govern
ment by cable and asked instructions, but
in l778 the cable was unthought OF. The
responsibility could not be shifted from
his shoulders and, uncertain what to do,
he made com promise.
Minutes dragged slowly by and the ex-
pectation OF the crowded roadstead grew to
impotence, when finally there came flash
of fire. roar and a burst OF smoke from
Port Oranges battery. One, two, three,