The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-01-31
FLEET LEAVES RIO.
Bob Evans and His Sixteen Battleshipa
Given Grand Farewell Biowoat BY
Enthusiastic Rraziiians.


Enthusiastic Rrazilians.
Amidst the booming Of guns and the
cheers OF thousands on the accompany
ing pleasure crafts. the American war
ships sailed from Rio Janeiro, Brazil,
Wednesday afternoon. bound for Pun
ia Arenas. on the Magellan straits. Ten
days will bring the fleet almost midway
IN its 14,OOO-mile cruise to San Fran.
cisco, and the ships and the men car
ried with them from Rio the. Godspeed
and good wishes Of the whole Bra
lillian nation. Not an untoward incl
dent had marked the visit Of the Amer
leans. They were feasted and feted
both officers and men, during their So.
iourl. and half the population turned
out from early in the morning to give
them a fitting farewell. The quays,
the public buildings and the hills were
crowded. with thousands watching the.
warships until they had disappeared
through the mouth Of the bay into the
open sea-.
It was about 3 o'clock when the
American feet began to move, passing
out in single and in inverse order ac-
cording to divisions, the Alabama lead
ing. Three divisions Of the Brazilian
navy followed, composed Of three bat
tleships, seven cruisers and six de-
stroyers. In addition many steamers
circled about, having on board thou
sands of SPECTATORS from shore. Hun,
dreds OF launches and small craft from
the sporting clubs, all gafly decorated,
were there also.
Thus sixteen battleships entered On
the third stage Of their voyage to the
Pacific In this run OF 1920 knots,
which will terminate February 1, Ii aE.,
cording to the schedule, at Punta Are.
mas, the most southern port iii the
world, the ships will traverse the haz-
sardous narrows at the eastern entrance.
to the Straits .OG Magellan. III
Since Ferdinand Magellan, the great
Portuguese navigator, with squadrons
of discovery ships, ]. fitted out by
Charles ", king Of Spain, discovered in
1920 and passed through the strait
named after him. no greater attention
has been directed towards this famous
interoceanic waterway by any event
than by the coming passage Of it by
the feet Of American battleships Ma
gellan straits have total length Of
$40 miles and a width varying from
twenty miles toO' hardly two miles and a
half.
In going through the strait, Admiral
Evans feet will have the best time Of
the year for the purpose, the'midsum-
mer Of the southern hemisphere.
There are few distractions IN Magel-
Ian straits from rocks and islands. The
strait lies entirely within Chilean ter
ritory, but it is "a free waterway, and
IS considered neutral sterritory. (,
AS compared to the Cape Horn route,
the strait has anaadyantage of some
what more than one hundred miles.
Steam vessels seldom take the Cape
Horn route.
The passage Of Magellan strait Is in
most respects comparatively safe for
steam vessels, though there are few
dangers. The main difficulty Is that
there is too great a depth Of water, in.
places it reaches over 5000 feet, TO per.
NIT OF anchorage. The strait is well
lighted, however, by numerous light
houses.
Steamships Of the commercial lines
navigate the strait by night, but two
parts they always pass in daylight
These are the Narrows at the eastern
part OF the strait and Crooked beach.