Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-22
THE EVENING STAR MONDAY, JANUARY o. 1eoe-2o PAGES

was one OF his most influential advocates
az court. The first news of the discovery
that reached Spain came in letter sent
to Santangel by messenger from Columbus
upon his arrival at Lisbon, and the publica-
ton of that letter In pamphlet form con-
veyed to the world its first knowledge OF
the western hemisphere. There are now
in existence several copies of this. the most
important and precious example of all the
literature relating to America. 1t was pub
iished in Barcelona in April, 1893, and con-
paper printed in Spanish black-face type
without the name of the publisher In
1901 copy was sold for 50. 100
The entire amount of cash advanced by
Santangel was about 5000. more or less.
according to the market value of the mare
vedi. the coin current of those days. The
value of his COIN was constantly fluc-
uattng, and 1t is impossible to ascertain
the supplies purchased for the fleet of
Columbus. But we know that he was
fully repaid for every penny he advanced
from the gold brought back by Columbus
from his plunder of the natives of the
new world
The Expedition.
Columbus had three ships, the Santa
Maria, the Pinta and the Nina The two
latter belonged to Martin Alonzo Pinzon
and Vicente Vanez Pinzon, his brother,
prominent citizens of the town of Moguer,
near Palos. Spain, where their descendants
stu reside and their ancestral residence
still stands with shield over the main
entrance bearing a coat-of-arms granted
them by Emperor Charles V as a recog-
milton of their service as explorers. They
were among the foremost sailors of their
time and commanded their ships on the
voyage with Columbus
The seaport of Palos, just north of Cadiz
spain, was selected as the place of depart
ure FOR Columbus because its inhabitants,
0P dic1n
with the Moors, had been condemned to
Keep at their own expense two caravas
with crews and arms at the service of
CASTLE and Leon for one year and ready for
sea on receipt of orders. Therefore the
sovereigns issued proclamation dated
May q. 1892, commanding the alcalde and
people of that town to furnish and fit out
Two caravels for the use of Columbus. On
the 18th of May, 1902. the proclamation
was read from the pulpit Of the Church of
81. George and within few days the
aicalde entered into contract with the
I1nzon brothers to furnish and command
tneir SHIPS for the voyage.
The third ship. and the largest. although
ohiy Sixty-three feet long and 100 tons bur-
Gen, was leased by the government of Spain
from It's owner. Juan de la Cosa who COM
haHded II on the voyage, and Is famous for
having made the first map of the new world
Ihat map is now In the Marine Museum at
Madrid The entire expedition consisted of
120 men-20 on the Nina. 30 on the Pinta
an Irishman from Galway named William
Harris. an Englishman named Arthur Lake
and Jew named Rodrigo Trana. 1t is a
curious fact, worthy the attention of the
superstitious, that the contract between Co.
lumbus and the soveregns was signed on
Friday; that he sailed on Friday discoy-
cred land on Friday. lost the Santa Maria
on Friday, started homeward with the two
smaller vessels on Friday and arrived at
PalOs on Friday
The Santa Maria was wrecked by a gale
on Christmas eve, 1892, off the present vii
lage of Petit Anse. about three miles from
Cape Hatien, and Columbus built a fort
out of the wreckage, which he called Nav
dad, because 1t was started on Christmas
day This fort was burned and the gar
rison massacred by the Indians in 1893, be-
fore they could be rescued by Columbus on
his second voyage.
After the return of the expedition to
Spain Juan de la CoSa. owner of the Santa
Maria, made a claim against the Spanish
government for the loss of his vessel, and
was finally compelled to appeal to the
courts. The lawsuit lasted for several
years. The evidence of the witnesses is all
preserved in the archives of the council of
the Indies at Seville, which finally paid
him the equivalent of about So, 900 in our
currency The plans for the care of car
avel Santa Maria, which was built for the
Chicago exposition and was brought across
the Atlantic by Captain Concas, now min
lister of marine at Madrid, were made from
descriptions of the original given in the tes-
timony of the witnesses In that suit