Valparaiso

Valparaiso ('Vale of Paradise'), the second city of Chili, and next to San Francisco the principal American port on the Pacific, is situated on the bay of the same name, 115 miles by rail WNW. of Santiago, and 881 W. of Buenos Ayres by the Trans-Andine Railway. The bay is horseshoe shaped, open towards the north, and in winter a dangerous anchorage. The city is built chiefly upon a gently sloping plain at the head of the bay, which is, however, cut up by many ridges of hills that terminate in bluffs near the water's edge, and that are often so steep as to require staircases to pass from one part to another. Its long streets of busy shops and handsome private buildings, with several imposing churches, trams, gas, and here and there the electric light, suggest much more a European than a South American city. The old town, El Puerto, contains the vast customs warehouses, huge elevators, the mole and harbour, wharves, the exchange, post-office, and municipal palace, with a bronze statue of Lord Cochrane in the plaza in front; above it rises the Cerro Alegre, with a Protestant church and the pretty houses of some of the foreign merchants. In the eastern portion of the city, where the houses are mostly of one story, are the theatre and railway station. Batteries crown the heights and also guard the harbour. Valparaiso's imports exceed £5,000,000 and its exports £2,000,000. It suffered from earthquakes in 1822 and 1851; was bombarded by a Spanish fleet on 31st March 1866, when much property was destroyed; and after a great three days' battle near by, August 21-23, during the civil war of 1891, fell to the insurgents on August 27, when looting and incendiarism cost the city nearly $2,000,000. Pop. (1900) 143,050.