The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-05-19
Town and Harbor Of Charlotte Amalle.

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington, ID. CO
The Virgin islands, bought by the
United States from Denmark In 1917,
to which American marines recently
started to fly from Washington are
interesting and worthy of considera-
ton not only because Of their eventful
history but also because they have
figured In many diplomatic negotia-
tons and because of their strategic
Importance TO the United States in
relation TO the Panama canal.
That this group of about fifty
islands, only three of which are big
enough to have maine on any but
photographic charts and local maps,
and the biggest of which one could
walk around in nine hours seems i'm
pOrtant to our government may be
judged by the price ii paid for them.
We gave less than two cents an acre
for Alaska, less than three cents an
acre for California, Nevada, Colorado
and Utah, less than II cents an acre
for Florida, and under % cents an
acre for the Philippines. Even for
the Canal Zone we paid but 1888
per acre. Yet the $25.00O,OOO for the
group we paid Denmark figures out
more than S295 per acre for her hold
ings.
Authorities have disagreed as to
the area of the islands. Even as TO
the three main islands-St. Thomas,
st. John and st. Croix-there is no
agreement upon the question of area.
In order to get definite statement
as to their size, panimeter measure
ments of them were made on hydro
graphic charts in the offices of the
National Geographic society, and they
show that st. Thomas is 1925 square
miles in area, st. Croix S4.25 square
miles. and st. John 1897 square miles,
making total of 1921 square miles
for the three islands. Some authorities
give the area as 1873 square miles and
others as 142 square miles.
Finest of Harbors.
From the standpoint of the United
States, ST. Thomas is the most i'm
portant of the group of islands. This
Importance arises from the fact that
the harbor on the south side of the
island on whose borders the town of
Charlotte Amalie is located, is one
OF the finest i'm all tropical America.
From the days of the buccaneers its
strategic advantage has been realized,
for when the Spanish Main was the
happy hunting ground of the gentle
men of the Black Flag this harbor
was their headquarters.
The harbor is completely sheltered.
outside is a roadstead partly pro-
tected by an outlying island, which
provides anchorage for a great number
of ships. At its mouth the harbor
is 900 feet wide, and one passes
through this narrow neck into a
beautiful basin, three-quarters of "a
mile in diameter, whose waters are
seldom disturbed however much the
sea beyond may rage. A trade wind
blows during the whole year, with the
exception of the hurricane months
August, September and October-when
It becomes irregular and sometimes
ceases TO :. blow altogether The
greatest heat is experienced in August,
September and October; but even then
IL rarely rises above 81 degrees
Fahrenheit while at times 1t falls as
low as GA degrees.
On three sides of the harbor the
mountains and their outlying foot
hills rise sharply from the water,
leaving but a very narrow beach; so
that the major portion of the town
had to find room for expansion by
climbing up the side Of the mountain.
Just outside OF and above the town
are the two old towers. commonly
known as Bluebeard's Castle and
Blackbeard's Castle Legend has II
that here these daring old buccaneers
had their headquarters and played
their romantic roles as "the hornets
Of the Spanish Main;' hut history
disputes legend, for 1t says that they
were built by the Danish government
as n measure of defense In 1859.
Views From the Heights.
BY climbing the mountain to ANA
pole. within easy walking distance Of
Charlotte Amalie, one can, on clear
day, get view Of Porto Rico. St.
Croix, and Bequies. A little farther on
one reaches heights where views, un-
surpassed In all the Caribbean region,
may he had Of Porto Rico to the west
and the Lesser Antilles to the south
The West Indian-Panama Telegraph
company has a cable office at Charlotte
Amalie, and II was from this place
that the world got so much of Its
news during the Spanlsh-American
war, as we'll as during the Martinique
disaster.