New-York tribune., 1908-02-01
COURSE FLEET WILL TAhE
Trip of the Oregon Through Strait
of MageIldH.

Al tho nations Of the world are watching with
growing interest the progress OF America INC
less squadron of warships, Connlailoeo DS
Admiral Robley D Evans which has entered 'le
Maoa1Ian Strait There dangerous rocks apounu
and swift currents sweep with merclless energy
through the narrow passages that the shlpS VII
have to negotiate after leaving Punta AFeiiaS oi
Wednesday. ,-..-
OREGON nassed at the outbreak of the Spanish
American War, when she made her reCoiu o'e
ing run from the Pacific to the AtIantlc' coFeIi7
the fourteen thousand miles from San Francisco 10
Kew West in sixty-eght days, under secret o'uels
from the Navv Department Captain Charles Ed
gar Clarke. her commander watching every oPPo1
tunity to gain time. sent his ship through the
strait at full speed. which at that time was teell
and one-half knots, that he was aoIe u
covar the distance from Point Tamar TO Punta
Arenas in daylight. The oregon left san FRANCISCO
on March 19 1895 She arrived at Callao on AprH
and at Punta Arenas on April Il. lying there 1our
days to coal ship. She arrived at Rio on Apri ~
and at Key West on May 70
Cape Virgin which the fleet passed yesterday on
its way to Punta Arenas SANDY Point is the point
on the north side of the eastern entrance 10 tle
strait. Cape Pillar marks its western eh'rahc ,iu
Cape Froward, the most southern point OF tHe
rnainIan nd of the American Continent, lies midway
between cape Virgin. and Cape Pillar. the DIS
tance by this route from the Atlantic TO the Pachc
Ocean is 80 miles.
On account of the many difficulties encountered
in the navigation of strait it is used only by
full powered steamers sailing vessels being oonged
to go around Cape Horn which is about two nun
dred and fifty miles south of Cape Virgin II LOOK
the last man-of-var that sailed west through tIie
strait efghty-three days to the distance Ihat
snip was the Decatur. Captain Isaac > SterreIt'
and she went through in the early % s
The ChiIian government has established falrly
good chain of lights on both sides of the channel
so that with the admiralty charts and the eNer-
else of the usual precautions. the navigators OF the
American warshps and auxiiareS. the nautlcaL
sharps say should have little trouble IN making
the passage safely. At the eastern end the strait
is about twenty-five miles wide and approximately
forty fathOms deep.
Outside the various narrOws the tide runs from
three to six knots, but in the narrows 1t runs
from five to eight knots, which is considerably
faster than in Hell Gate, and there Is no SLACK
water The first narrows are ten miles long, two
miles wide and forty fathoms deep. The second
narrows are twelve miles long and from four to SIX
miles wide. The ships passed through these on
their way to Punta Arenas.
After the ships pass Cape FrOwdrd they are
almost sure to have rainy and thick weather, ana
except for the kelp which grows on every rock
the pilots say navigation would be more danger
GUS BY keeping clear of the kelp the ship may
be kept clear of the rocks
At Cane Crosstide, the western pOin: Of Carlos
Island the tides from the Atlantic those from
the Pacific and the eddes strong. From there
to Cape Pillar the tide is not strong, but it
often changes its direction Port Churruca is the
only harbor between Cape Froward ard cape Pill
lar but at this time of the year the fleet should
have no trouble about reaching the open by
daylight for on February 5 in the latitude # the
strait the sun rises at 4:H and it does
until 744 ard there is an hour of twilight the
bargain.