Chapter XVII: Valparaiso

HOTELS. Royal, A. P., 12 to 25 _pesos_; Grand, A. P., 10-15
_pesos_; Palace, about the same or a trifle less; Colon, 6 to 12
_pesos_. All higher in summer.

Money. The Chilian _peso_, paper, varies in value from 20 to 30
cents or more; recently it was 22 cents.

_Chief Points of Interest._ The Monument and the Government
Palace near the landing; the business streets; Plaza Victoria
and the church facing it; the Av. Brazil with the British
Monument; the Naval School; the English and the Spanish American
Cemeteries on the heights, these with the Naval School reached
by ascensors; and the suburb Viña del Mar.

=Valparaiso=, Vale of Paradise, the largest and busiest port on the
Pacific south of San Francisco, like many others along this coast,
has no real harbor. The spacious semi-circular roadstead lies open
to the wintry northers which occasionally bring terrific storms. On
such occasions, ships at anchor in the bay to escape the fury of the
waves often steam for the open sea, lest they be driven ashore or be
overwhelmed in the deep, as has several times happened to ocean
steamers. In the summer there is no danger, and after the completion
of the breakwater designed to protect the bay from the savage force
of the tempestuous sea, it will be safe at any time. The great depth
of the water a short distance from shore renders the construction
difficult, but satisfactory plans at length were devised and in
October, 1912, work was begun on the port improvements which besides
the breakwater 945 feet long will include additional docks. Those in
existence are sadly inadequate for the vast commercial movement at
this port.

While from a business point of view the harbor at present is poor,
from the deck of a steamer or from the hills above the town, there
is a busy and beautiful scene. Scattered over the waters are
hundreds of vessels of various shapes and of every size, some from
the farthest corners of the globe, showing flags of many nations
(probably none of the United States), others mere lighters or
rowboats to transport freight or passengers from ship to shore.
Around the bay, a few rods back from the water, rise in a
semi-circle steep hills or cliffs to a height of 1000 feet or more.
Farther back, more lofty ridges are seen, and it is said that on a
clear day in the far distance may be descried, in the sharp toothed
ridge which forms the backbone of the continent, the snow-flecked
peak of Aconcagua.

On the narrow strip of shore between the sea and the hills, varying
in width from two blocks to half a mile, is the substantial business
section of the city; while climbing up the slopes and crowning the
hilltops is most of the residence portion, both the fine dwellings
of the prosperous and the humble homes of the poor.

The arriving steamers are as usual beset by a throng of boatmen, and
wary must be the tourist who is not exorbitantly fleeced, unless he
has a friend on board to guide, or one from the city to greet him.
As the Chilian _peso_, of somewhat variable value, is generally
worth less than a quarter of a dollar, the tariff price is not so
high as it sounds; one _peso_ for each person or considerable piece
of baggage is a suitable fee, though much more is likely to be
demanded.

VALPARAISO HARBOR
]

MONUMENT TO ARTURO PRAT, PLAZA INDEPENDENCIA
]

At the landing, arrangements may be made for the transport of the
heavy baggage by cart, while you go with hand baggage to the hotel
in a carriage; or a tram car may serve you. The hotels, the Royal,
Palace, and Grand, are all within half a mile of the landing. The
Royal Hotel, 65 Esmeralda street, which is sometimes full to
overflowing, will be found amply satisfactory. The American
proprietors, Mr. and Miss Kehle, have made it more like a hotel in
the United States than are any others that I have seen on the West
Coast. Located on one of the principal business streets, it affords
excellent meals in several large dining-rooms; and handsomely
furnished chambers, with modern equipment including red satin puffs
for the beds in addition to fine blankets. The price is from 12 to
15 _pesos_ and up according to the room. The Grand Hotel is said to
afford similar accommodations at about the same prices. The Palace,
a little cheaper, is well situated on the Plaza de los Bomberos, and
others less pretentious, as the Colon, 87 Esmeralda, are called
clean and good.

In Valparaiso, a city of nearly 200,000, it seems to be the fashion
for the residents to reply, when asked what there is to see, “O,
nothing at all.” This is by no means true, though at least twice as
much time should be devoted to Santiago. First there is the large
square near the landing on which is the handsome Casa del Gobierno.
In the center of the plaza is a fine monument, _The Country to the
Heroes of the 21st of May_, and at one corner near the docks is the
railway station to Santiago. The air seems crisp and the city more
European than any previously seen.

The business streets have many handsome buildings two or three
stories high, a few even more, looking fresh and clean, since the
greater part of this district was laid low by the terrible
earthquake of 1906. A twelve-month of unusual shrinkage, of
adjustment of the earth’s surface, and of consequent calamity was
practically coincident with this year. In April 1906 occurred the
catastrophe at San Francisco, August 16, the practical destruction
of Valparaiso, and in January, 1907, the disaster at Kingston. Some
buildings in Valparaiso withstood the shocks, but with the ’quakes
and the resulting fires little of the lower part of the city
remained undamaged. The upper town was to a great extent uninjured
and the shipping in the bay received no harm. Few traces of the
calamity are now left, as like San Francisco the town was soon
rebuilt in a superior manner. While slight earthquakes are frequent
they are not fearsome, as heavy shocks are usually half a century
apart. Besides earthquakes, Valparaiso has experienced other
calamities. Founded in 1536, in its earlier days it was three times
captured and sacked by pirates; in 1858, it was destroyed by fire;
in 1866, bombarded by a Spanish fleet; and in 1890 it suffered
considerable injury from the Balmaceda revolution. It is to be hoped
that after all these vicissitudes it may enjoy a peaceful existence.
A stroll along the principal streets to the office of the American
consul, Mr. Alfred Winslow, to the banking house of W. R. Grace, and
to gaze at the handsome shop windows is the pastime of an hour or
two. Between the hills and the water it is impossible to lose one’s
way. The double-decked tram cars are an imposing sight, and rather
curious objects are the women conductors. Having heard of these
before arriving, I was expecting to see some trim young women, with
possibly a coquettish eye turning at times upon some of the
gentlemen patrons, as occasionally happens in some of our cheap
restaurants; but no! Staid indeed are the women conductors in
Valparaiso and Santiago, and far from handsome. Plainly dressed in a
sort of blue uniform with white aprons, they are obviously of the
so-called laboring class, of rather stolid appearance, perhaps the
mothers of families, and closely intent upon their duties. It
appears that during the war of ’79–’81, so many young men joined the
army that women were drafted into this service. Performing it in a
satisfactory manner they continued to be so employed though not to
the total exclusion of men. They mount to the upper story to collect
fares and in Santiago swing along the sides of the open cars quite
in man fashion, though necessarily hampered by their voluminous
skirts. Manifestly competent for the labor, less difficult than
other duties like scrubbing floors, supposed to lie more within
their sphere, it would seem that bifurcated garments, even
knickerbockers, would enable them to perform either service more
easily. If men and women were to exchange garments for a hundred
years it is conceivable that the idea as to which is the weaker sex
might be changed also.

A few car rides may be taken to advantage, the greater if sitting
above; but among the natives of the upper class this is taboo, as
the price is only half of that below; the fares being five and ten
_centavos_ respectively. A gentleman in Santiago remarked to me that
although he preferred riding outside it would never do except in the
evening, when he could not be recognized from the street or from the
upper windows of houses in passing.

Not far from the Royal Hotel is the _Plaza Victoria_ on one side of
which is the Espiritu Santo Church, the most fashionable in the
city, though with an ordinary exterior. A flower market is passed on
the way, where beautiful roses and other flowers may be purchased in
quantities for a single _peso_. The general market as a matter of
course is worth seeing, especially in the season of fruits, as Chile
rivals California in the excellence and variety of these, and
surpasses it in cheapness. The fruits of the Temperate Zone,
cherries, peaches, apples, pears, and grapes, luscious in quality
and, _they say_, unrivaled in any part of the world, in their summer
and fall, tempt the tourist on every hand.

It is important to ascend the hills in two or three different
places, both for the view going up and for what is to be seen at the
top. The ascensors are similar to those of Cincinnati, one being
carried up by cable as another is coming down; but the inclines
seemed steeper and one appeared rather rickety. There _have_ been
fatal accidents. However,—I went as do others. Near the top of one
of the inclines which is but a short distance from the Hotel Royal
is a _cemetery_ where chapel-like tombs and pretty head stones and
monuments are closely packed together among shaded walks on the very
edge of the precipitous bluff. One has here a magnificent view of
the city below fringing the semi-circular shore, of the blue waters,
alive with ships, and of the surrounding hills. Through cañons here
and there separating the various hills and bluffs, a few carriage
roads wind steeply upward and more footpaths, by which some
pedestrians climb; but most persons will prefer to save time and
strength by taking their chances in an ascensor. Perched on these
steep inclines are houses of the poor, while at the top are many
fine villas occupied by native and foreign residents. Close to the
Chilian cemetery on the bluff is the _English burial ground_
surrounded by a high wall. In a far corner of this enclosure is a
small _marble tomb_ on a concrete foundation with a marble cross
above, the whole about five feet high, in which Americans will have
a special interest. The inscription reads:

“In memory of the officers and seamen slain on board the United
States frigate _Essex_ in this harbor in an engagement with H. R.
Majesty’s frigate _Phoebe_ and brig _Cherub_, February 28, 1814.” A
list of 52 names follows and the statement that it was erected by
officers of four ships of the United States Navy.

This ship, the _Essex_, commanded by Capt. David Porter, after
inflicting much damage on British property, capturing 360 seamen and
100 cannon, was surprised in this harbor by two British ships.
Though disabled by a squall she made a splendid fight until more
than three-fifths of the crew were killed or wounded, and the ship
was on fire in several places, when she struck her colors. A more
conspicuous monument for the gallant dead might seem appropriate.

By another ascensor, a trip should be made to the _Naval School_,
which crowns a splendid height nearer the outer edge of the harbor.
A fine large building, well equipped in the best modern English
fashion, stands back of a pretty garden. There are good class rooms,
laboratories, machine shops with guns mounted as on board ship, and
all essentials for a thorough and practical course of study. In the
rear patios are athletic fields with bathing facilities. The cadets
are generally from the best families, and the program of study is
based on that of English schools; the fleet is organized on the
British model, and the ships are constructed in British shipyards.
There is, further, a training ship for sailors, where if unable to
read and write they receive instruction, as do soldiers in a
corresponding institution in Santiago.

On the fine broad Avenue Brazil is a handsome arch with the British
Lion above, presented to the city by the British colony here, at the
Centennial in 1910.

AVENIDA BRAZIL, WITH BRITISH MONUMENT
]

RESIDENCE VIÑA DEL MAR
]

=Viña del Mar.= An excursion should by all means be made to this
suburb; to Miramar if time allows. The former may be reached by tram
or train in half an hour or so. It is pleasant to go by one and
return by the other. The tracks, nearly parallel, pass several
pretty suburbs and give several glimpses of the sea beyond the
harbor before reaching the destination. Viña del Mar is not only a
suburb of Valparaiso whither many Englishmen and others go in the
afternoon for sports, and where many business men of Valparaiso have
homes, but it is also a fashionable summer resort for the wealthy
residents of Santiago and other parts of Chile. It is a charming
place with a pretty railway station near a large and attractive
plaza. Many carriages stand near, in one of which for a few _pesos_
a pleasant drive may be taken around the town and out to the
hippodrome or race track, a mile or more outside the city. Within
the track enclosure, a pretty spot surrounded by green hills, the
foreigners have laid out a golf course, grounds for cricket, and for
football. The place is thus visited, especially on Sundays, by many,
not only for the races, to which the Chilians are as devoted as the
Argentines, but for athletics of various kinds. The Chilian horses
seem very large after those of Peru, and trotting is their
specialty. Some of them do this so well that their gentle trot is as
easy as the lope or canter of most other animals.

A pretty and commodious clubhouse faces the Plaza, and near by are
many charming villas of attractive architecture surrounded by
luxuriant vegetation of tropical and temperate climes, beautiful
flower beds, trees, and shrubbery. Half a mile from the center of
the town is a fine beach bordered by jutting rock promontories.
Large bathing establishments, cafés for ices and tea, and splendid
villas with well laid out grounds recall our own shore resorts. A
good pedestrian may be tempted to climb over the steep enclosing
hill and descend on the other side to the electric car track for his
return to the city. The _Grand Hotel_ with beautiful grounds is the
leading hostelry of the place.

=Miramar= is a small but popular bathing resort in the opposite
direction from Valparaiso, reached by electric cars; but the bathing
is here more dangerous, as not far from shore the bottom drops
suddenly to a great depth.

From Valparaiso to Santiago by rail is a ride of 3½ or 4 hours by
express trains and about two more by accommodation. The price of
tickets for the express is 12.80 _pesos_, 4 extra for seat in
Pullman; 8.50 _pesos_ by slower train. It is a pleasant ride, for a
few miles near the shore, passing Viña del Mar, then east through
the Coast Range to the Central Plain, at Llai-Llai leaving the
Andine Railway to turn southward to Santiago.

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