Santiago

san-te-a'go, the capital of Chile. To distinguish it from Santiago, a mining and cathedral city of Cuba, it is called frequently Santiago de Chile. It occupies an inland position, in a fertile plain at the foot of the Andes, about 2,000 feet above the sea. Valparaiso, ninety miles distant, is the seaport. The city was founded in 1541. The climate is delightful. The region is fertile. Frost occurs occasionally. Snow is unknown. The region is celebrated for grapes, figs, melons, and other fruit. The scenery, especially in the direction of the Andes, is magnificent beyond description. The city has suffered severely at times from earthquakes, yet it possesses many handsome public buildings. A central square is adorned with a fine fountain. On the west side stands the cathedral. Among the public institutions clustered at Santiago are a university, a normal school, a cathedral, a military school, a cathedral, a military school, an art school, a music school, a national library, and a mint. In 1863 a Jesuit church was destroyed by fire during services. Two thousand of the congregation, chiefly woman, perished in the flames. A railroad connects the city with its port. The exports are chiefly gold, silver, lead, and fruit. The population, which is increasing, was in 1909 about 380,000. The dominant social element is Spanish.