The principal islands of the Danish West Indies are St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. They are surrounded by small islands and cays.
St. Thomas is the most important island of this group, because of its fine harbor which is practically land-locked. The island is 12 miles long, from east to west, and varies from one to three miles in width. Its population is nearly 13,000, nearly all in the one town of the island, Charlotte Amalie. This town is situated in the middle of the island on the southern slope of the high ridge running through the center of the island, and looks upon the harbor of St. Thomas.
The harbor is in latitude 18° 20' N. and 64° 56' W. It has a narrow entrance, about 300 yards at its narrowest point, and opens out into a circular basin that is about three-quarters of a mile in diameter, with a mud and soft clay bottom and an average depth of more than five fathoms. Many improvements to the harbor and the approaches to the harbor have just been completed.
The government of the Danish West Indies announced the opening on August 1, 1916, of the new lighthouse on the northeastern part of Buck Island, which lies about one and one-half miles south of St. Thomas, in latitude 18° 16' 48" N., and 64° 53' 36" W. It has a height of 39 meters and is visible about 171 nautical miles. Its illuminative power is for 23 miles and it gives three flashes every 20 seconds.
Early in the year the West Indian Company, Limited, announced the completion of its new harbor works, the depth of water in the harbor and in the basin dredged in Long Bay having been increased to 31 feet. New quays and wharves were constructed, totalling 3200 feet in length. The West Indian Company was organized under the laws of Denmark on October 16, 1912, with a capital of $1,680,000. The original project would have required $7,000,000 for the complete reclamation of Long Bay, not then available for the anchorage of seagoing vessels. This is shown on the accompanying chart by the total area, hatched and in solid black.
It was contemplated reclaiming a large area of land along the shore. This was necessary on account of the "fills being so close by. A projecting pier 2000 feet long was to have been constructed, forming a double basin. There was to have been a drydock 800 feet in length and a breakwater extending out to and beyond Prince Rupert's Rock, for protection from the south in case of rough weather. Included in the project was the erection of machine shops, oil tanks, warehouses and electric light plants.
Not being able, however, to get the total sum necessary from Danish investors, work involving about $2,000,000 was started in May, 1913. The reclaimed land is shown on the chart in solid black, with the single basin, varying from 400 to 500 feet in width and of a depth of 31 feet, alongside. The photographs show clearly the new works. There is accommodation for 180,000 tons of coal. Two electric cranes are provided, covering an area 1200 X 241 feet, each capable of delivering 150 tons an hour. The coal is weighed automatically on officially adjusted weighing machines.
The main pier is 2100 feet long with a bridge extension of 264 feet for use as an oil pier. There are two oil tanks 110 feet in diameter and 30 feet high, holding 8000 tons each. The pumping station can handle 300 tons of fuel oil an hour.
One warehouse, 450 X 52 feet, has been constructed, with room for another. It has a height of 24 feet to the eaves, is made of corrugated sheet iron, with a lower roof of asbestos sheets and a concrete floor.
Fresh water is obtained by the company by means of three wells; while seven more are being put down. It can be delivered to vessels at the rate of 50 tons an hour. A filter station and a reservoir to hold woo tons is to be erected later on, and when there is sufficient demand a second reservoir of 2000 tons is to be constructed.
A power house, erected upon the land reclaimed from the swamp, houses two Burmeister and Wain-Diesel motors of 300 horsepower each and supplies power to the electric cranes, lighting for the dock, etc., and in addition supplies current for lighting the City. Gas was previously used.
The company has a small machine shop and provides iron and wooden lighters and water barges.
The East Asiatic Company has a coal depot on the western shore of the harbor, with 31 feet of water alongside. This company is a very successful Danish steamship company with branches in Bangkok, Singapore, Shanghai, Vladivostok, San Francisco and Valparaiso. All of this company's ships going through the Panama Canal stop at St. Thomas.
The St. Thomas Dock, Engineering and Coaling Company Operates a floating dock that is 250 feet long, 70 feet wide and capable of taking vessels up to 3000 tons; greatest draft 20 feet, length of keel 300 feet. Its wharf is on the western shore of the harbor, formerly belonging to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. There is a depth of 31 feet alongside. The company operates an excellent machine shop, with facilities for casting iron and brass.
The Hamburg-American Line received 177 German steamers at its wharves in 1913 and was doing an increasing business. It did a large transshipment business and gave employment to large numbers of natives. The dock front measures 300 feet with 30-foot water alongside. Three large warehouses, capable of taking a steamer's whole cargo, are a part of the equipment. Rain-water is mainly used in St. Thomas and the Hamburg-American Line has a large space above the coaling wharves for collecting it and conducting it to the tanks. Large letters—H. A. L.—are shown across this space. Large quantities of coal were sold from these wharves.
The office of the Hamburg-American Line in Charlotte Amalie is of a modern and efficient type of construction. It is built of concrete, with provision for catching rain-water, and with tanks and cisterns.
The Creques Marine Slip and Coal Yard operates a marine slip capable of taking vessels of 400 tons. It measures 156 feet by 30 feet. There is a pier zoo feet in length with a depth of 31 feet of water alongside.
A duty of 6 per cent ad valorem is levied on all imports and none on exports. The port and harbor charges have been nominal.
It was on the western end of St. Croix that the Monongahela was thrown by a tidal wave in 1867. A working party from the New York yard arrived there in January, 1868, and with the crew succeeded in launching her in June, 1868. The method is described in an early edition of Luce's Seamanship.