Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1892 — MAGELLAN STRAITS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAGELLAN STRAITS.

Whe«» Our Nary and Chill’* Stood • Chance ot Meeting. There seemed at one tfme every probability that the navy of the United States would meet that of Chili in deadly conflict at the Straits of Magellan, and that disma', dangerous channel at once became of interest, and though the war cloud passed a description of the channel makes good reading. The first accounts concerning it were given by Fernando Magellan, - the Spaniard, who discovered Patagonia and its fireeaters, and Terra del Fuego and its horrors, and whose craft first sailed upon the waters of the straits in 1520. The Straits of Magellan separate the southern extreratty of the American continent from' the islands of Terra del Fuego. They are located about 400 miles north of Cape Horn,

and are about 300 miles long and from one mile to thirty wide. The eastern entrance is twenty miles wide and for many miles the width remains the same, but about 150 miles from the entrance the channel becomes so narrow that two vessels would find it a difficult matter to pass each other. This is one of the reasons why it is so little used by large sailing vessels, few of which ever attempt the passage. Violent gusts of wind also Sweep through the channel and make navigation not only difficult but dangerous. Storms of hail, rain and snow come in from the Pacific, and when they are met by storms sweeping in from the Atlantic, there is a clash of the elements which means destruction to the vessel that is caught in the straits. But despite the dangers attending a passage rriany steamers go through the channel, and there is a regular line of steamers between England and Valparaiso which uses it as a part of its route. The straits are neutral waters, being open to all countries. There are several good harbors along the straits, but the only settlement is Sandy Point, a penal Colony founded by the Chilian Government, which has a population of about 2,000.

NARROWEST PART OF MAGELLAN STRAITS.