The biggest ecological disaster in the history of the United States gave a track. The oil tanker who in 1989 spilled the sea more than 40 Millions of liters of crude oil in the waters of the Gulf of Alaska had a Spanish surname: «Exxon Valdez». Very deserved, because in Puerto Valdez the 1.200 Kilometers of transalaska pipeline pipeline, which supplies these giants of the seas. But, What does a place name in Spanish in the distant great north? Is not the only one. Just take a look at the maps to realize that a handful survive in Alaska, the northernmost in our language, Testimony of the forgotten presence of Spanish navigators and explorers.
Alaska I, At the end of the 18th century, Swan song of the Spanish exploration of America. The ephemeral occupation of this hostile territory - 1493 in the Inter Road Caetera of Alejandro VI, that arbitrated the Spanish and Portuguese expansion in the New World - is one of the most unknown pages of our history. A name Decuela above all: The Leridano Salvador Fidalgo (born in Seo de Urgel in 1756), who was the one, in June 1790, Baptized Puerto Valdez and Cordova above the 60th northern parallel.
Alaska I, At the end of the 18th century, Swan song of the Spanish exploration of America
New Spain's viceroyalty extended its domains from Mexico to the south of the current United States. In the last quarter of the 18th century, A diminishing Spain began to look to the great north acaderate by British and Russian expansionism. Commissioner by viceroy Juan Antonio Bucareli, The Mallorcan Juan Pérez opened the way in 1774, reaching the southern limits of the current Alaska, Discovering the port of San Lorenzo –rebautized four years later as Nootka by Captain James Cook– and Vancouver Island, that believed part of the continent, In what is today the British Columbia.
Winery and block, on two trips in 1775 and 1779, He reached the 58th northern latitude, by shoring the claims of Spanish sovereignty over the northern coasts of the old continent. But it was the Sevillian Esteban José Martínez who, By order of the viceroy of New Spain, He took possession of Nutka (Nootka) In the name of the crown, founding the fort of San Miguel, where the Spanish flag waved until April 1795, A year after Carlos IV gave in to England and ordered the definitive Spanish withdrawal from Alaska.
A diminishing Spain began to look to the great north acaderate by British and Russian expansionism
Nutka passed, in August 1791, The Italian navigator Alejandro Malaspina, On his famous exploration trip around the world at the service of the Spanish crown. "You can imagine," he wrote, "what a sensation would make us see the national flag in an immediate high to the southern tip". ". That is when Fidalgo enters the scene. The 3 February 1790 Suca del Puerto de San Blas - base of the Spanish expeditions to the northwestern Pacific by the work and grace of the visitor of New Spain José de Gálvez - a fleet with three vessels commanded by the ship lieutenant Francisco de Elisa with the objective of making the "scrupulous recognition of Prince Guillermo and La Rivera de Cook" to verify whether in those domains "the Russians have established".
Nobleman, who was in command of the "San Carlos" pouchebote, wrote a newspaper of the expedition, only written testimony of the mission, which is preserved in the Naval Museum of Madrid. The flotilla sighted the 24 March the northern coast of the port of Nutka that, After overcoming a stroke, He reached "having not found a vessel in the port or seen in navigation".
Reinforced La Bocana with an artillery battery, Fidalgo continued the journey until landing on the coast of Prince Guillermo islands 24 May. Of the Russians still had no trace. After exploring the coast, the 3 June took possession of the territory on behalf of the Spanish crown and baptized the Ensenada as Bay de Córdova (the 60º of Latitude North) In tribute to Luis de Córdova, Captain General of the Navy. Four days later, He did the same in the Ensenada de Menendes.
Fidalgo took possession of the territory on behalf of the Spanish crown the 3 June 1790
Today, Puerto Cordova It still survives in the maps as one of the most northern Spanish place names in the world. Fidalgo continued to the north "eager to recognize its limits" and took possession of the coast and leaving a trail of Spanish place names that have already been lost in the ports of Gravina (Captain General of the Navy), Mazarredo (By José de Mazardo, Navy Lieutenant) and Revilla Gigedo (In honor of the Viceroy of New Spain that ordered the expedition).
Little to egocentrism (Although in his diary he almost always uses the first person), He formed to give his name to "a snow volcano" located at sea level that said goodbye "with a loud noise, Like thunder, Snow pieces of the size of a boat ». But, however, Four years later George Vancouver sailed through those same waters and renamed Puerto Mazardo as Puerto Fidalgo, name that still subsists in recognition of the merits of the Leridan sailor.
Valdez's name is still, Baptized by Fidalgo, In a population of Alaska
The place name also survives Puerto Valdez, also baptized by Fidalgo the 15 June 1790 (In recognition of Marina Antonio Valdés), and whose municipality the oil disaster oil adopted the last name. The old city of Valdez was razed by an earthquake in 1964 And the current municipality rose six kilometers west, On the north coast of the bay. Averall 490 Kilometers of Anchorange, Valdez prospered in the heat of oil in the decade of 70, When the pipeline was built.
Alicia Sornosa, The first Spanish woman to go around the world in Moto, He arrived in Valdez in August of 2011. «We asked about the Spanish legacy and we were interested in knowing if there was something of our presence there, But we saw nothing that reminded us of the Spanish inheritance », explains. «From the old town of Valdez, That was destroyed, Only some docks of the dock remain », account. Sornosa, however, Yes honored Spanish memory in Alaska in their 76.000 kilometers around the world in his BMW. Baptized his motorcycle as "discovered", One of the corvettes with which he arrived at these Malaspina coasts. «I did not arrive, Well, with the motorcycle it was difficult and you had to go by helicopter or by boat », Explain the adventurer.
"We saw nothing that reminded us of the Spanish inheritance", Remember the Spanish adventurer Alicia Sornosa, that was in Valdez in 2011
Concluded days later the exploration in Prince Guillermo, Fidalgo returned south, where he finally warned the presence of Russian whaling detachments in La Rivera de Cook. Armed with rifles and guns resisted as the rush of the natives could, that a few days before their arrival they had killed three Russians. Fidalgo found out that they belonged to a company in St. Petersburg established in Alaska for three years. May at the end of August they were dedicated to ottering fishing, Marine wolves and whales. And the rest of the year they used it hunting bears and deer for skins trade.
Fidalgo ran into 15 August with another Russian detachment with 200 sailors on Codia Island (Kodiak Island), settled there 1785. «Achieved all the news related to the Russians as the most essential point of my commission», They set up to the port of Nutka, But a strong temporal prevented them from docking there and continued to Monterrey first and to the port of San Blas, after, where the 13 November, nine months after the start of the expedition. Nine months in which the intrepid sailor sowed the western coast of Alaska of Spanish place names.
Spain definitely resigned from its possessions in Alaska in 1794, Four years after Fidalgo's trip
His efforts, however, They would be sterile, Well, when his trip had not yet completed, on October 1790, Spain signed the first of the Nutka conventions, that in January 1794 culminated with the renunciation of the territory in favor of England and, ultimately, to the dream of the battered empire to maintain the Spanish dominance of the west coast of America from Alaska to the Tierra de Fuego.
This report was published in the newspaper La Razón 16 March 2015
