The sun., 1908-03-26

NfS Nabble where the Tides heet, Du'
steady Hands Curb Them Back 10 the
course -- The Wlnywaw - Island Post
Omcs and cape Pillar, where No Ship
wrecked seaman Ever Escaped
On BOARD u. s. S. LOUISIANA,
L. S. BATTLE FLEET,
AT SEA, Feb. 49,
Nban word was cabled from Chile just
before Admiral Evanss fleet swept in and
out ol Valparaiso harbor on February II
the world received its first definite news
THAT the feet had passed through the Strait
If Magellan safely There was probably
= feeling ~ great relief in Washington,
Admiration for the successful performance
ur great feat Of seamanship was probably
expressed generally throughout tho world.
The passage accomplished, il was easy TO
say that all along every one who had any
sense knew that II would come out all right
and not for one moment had there been
any real cause for anxiety. OF course, Of
course!
Nevertheless all the world knows there
was great anxiety and even dread lest
something serious might happen In navi-
gazing this most treacherous and dangerous
rassage in the world. Even the foreign
press said that II would be a supreme test
Of American seamanship to take feet Of
sixteen battleships, to say nothing OF the
auSiliaries. through those waters.
It Is comparatively easy to take one or
two ships through the straits Two or
three hundred shippers perform that task
with success every year Time and again
have our warships, singly and in groups Of
two or three, gone through with ease. But
here were sixteen monster ships that had
10 20 through In single file and within about
Ind Yards Of one another, with no place 20
anchor and without the possibility Of stop
ring. buifeted by swift tides and currents
in danger of running into the sheer cliffs
Of mountains or Of striking hidden rocks in
log or possibly snow. II any serious mis-
han had occurred there was nothing 10 do
bit 70 right on. You couldn't lay to in these
waters. II fog hid the way you must keep,
on and trust to picking up headlands here
and there, and you must maintain your
sustained speed OF ten knots. because each
vessel would then know where it's imme-
date predecessor or follower ought to be.
Certainly il was a difficult performance.
ons iraught with great danger and grave
responsibility. The chief point is, however.
that the feet got through without the
iRhtest mishap. It was done as easily as
entering the harbor Of New York. There
was not the slightest manifestation Of
undue concern by any Of the officers Of the
feet but il cannot be denied that every
one was keyed up to his best and all were
glad when the roll Of the Pacific was felt
When II was over all hands looked at one
bnother and said, in the French expression,
1T is 10 laugh
THTNos THAT DIDN'T AND DID HAPPEN.
But YOU want TO know all about il? Is
there an impatient call for details Of this
much heralded trip Of dread, breathless
demand to know how many close calls
and narrow escapes there were from hitting
Lunken rocks. gliding against precipices,
sUaping the paint from the ships sides,
doddng willywaws? You want 10 learn
h0w many men we're nearly swept from
the decks by overhanging cliffs and limbs
of trees, how often icebergs ohoked the
narrow places, how many times the
trescherous Fuegan Indians, 'the lowest
form Of humanity on EARTH lit their fires
20 signals that there would be fine plunder
and good eating Of humans when one or
more Of these ships went on the rocks
whether It was true that the officers and
crews went without sleep or food until all
dangers were passed?
Well IL you guessed any or all Of those
things you must guess again. None Of 'em
happened. OF course the winds blew
hercely at times, but they do that every day
in the year In the Magellans, OF course
the tide rips caught the ships az certain
critical places and twisted and turned them
somewhat OF course the rain fell occa-
sionally and now and then shut out from
view a most beautiful glacier or snow
field Just when you wanted to see 1t most,
" course the clouds obsoured the noun
tain tops from time to time. OF course the
currents and tides swept through the vari-
ous reaches like mill races OF course a
vllIiwaw or two came out and smote us,
and Of course there was fog
But Il you want TO know how easily the
passage was made let It be said that the
last thirty miles Of II was in a mist that
Ihickened into dense fog, obscuring tho
land on both sides completely for hours
and only now and then lifting for a mo-
ment'srsvelation Of some rock or headland.
} eS the American feet not only went
through the dangerous passages, but II
actually sailed through miles and miles
Of fog in doing 30, and II was done in as
smart a fashion as II the ships we're on
Tho high seas and not In the most fearsome
strait in the world, intervals and speed be-
lng kept perfectly. After all. even II the
men on the feet pretended 10 make light
81 Il the performance was fine piece OF
navigation Admiral Evans has just rea-
son To be proud Of ii and so have the Ameri-
can people. II couldn't have been done
better.
here was reason for dread Hadn't
" Tho tmid folk spoken Of the terrible risks
I'm he nm; Hadn't the superstitious lifted
? their voioes and pointed out that in the
Aty.two wrecks that had occurred in the
N..'n m say, the last twenty years, exactly
'''0'Y.si1 had been Of vessels beginning
"'H 'ho letter &? Didn't we have the Con-
r'"'clt 10 lead us? And worse than that
Na'n' II the chilean cruiser CbaoabUco
"a'eh bad been sent to-Punta ARENAS aS-A