Show t A I I I OUR NAVAL INTERESTS EAST AND WEST I ij ZI Z Strategic Value l ft I 1 I Of Dry Tortugas Great Work to Be Accomplished at the I i It Gibraltar of America The Occur v I 1 pation of Fort Jefferson i to I ip fCopyrlghl 10S I II The concentration 01 tile AUanUo 1 I 1 qudroa < tile mot formidable fleet as 1 v lelnbled In troilcal waters by the Unit I I ed Slates since the cill I uar at the L Dry Tortueas within 80 mile of Cuba t ii 1 1k and 110 of Havana has dran special 1 a i lL w I I attention tn thlit unique corner 01 our I 21 ouatry hkh from a strategic point IIJ i Jf view la I today the Gibraltar of Amer Ca The Dry Turtugas Is a group of ten slets or hen from the I hoI word ho-I aye forming a part of Monroe coua 1I I i t > lla at the extremity or the Ij I q Florida keys 110 miles Pouthmest of It t Cape Bable and 70 miles nest of Key re I lVet t The population I li generally In Ie 1 left alto the highest number year Ago Ia I I lelng about HO Then li an extensive 10 I Iuller or sunken reefs and shoals and Itue teen c ti the lei above Wlltor are thus call oll I 11I 11 Jj I dry They have B length northeast 0 no oulhwet of len miles and a rn u oldRho ellweat 11p II af Inthely at six Their es I I Itt I actillo mh1ch Is In the gulf of t it Mexico Is latitude 21037 north and Ion lludi 13 meet or a The Islets which are ol coral roma sts tion are low and barren except here F I It partly covered with mangraye and f final cedar bushes ce On Both for let 11 I len key Is Feel Jeffersm whleh In I 1870 d at a garrison of PS men but ever On el y ellow fever a few years ago carried N many victims I nearly t twitylinia tU I catin g a battery of artillery I the p ac e has boon left under the charge 01 on M I i li rdnante Rorge 0 tit mj I Allighthouseaknown rl as Ih Tolug1l8 4 Harbor light Is I on thl 1le Inside tl h fort and Iogeheod Iy lIhthoue at go 11 Ili sestern edge of the group 1 IG2 set aboe the sea a nd Ir ble I Iio 11 F44 lIautieal mile There are three on P radces to the 10 rlr nomd tile no ill I I ij tot 2 utlet and outht than t t 11 I I o 11 I t 0 I I I t = I At 1 N I r I 1 A l i t L ii 1 ht Il L I t 9 t 1 A 1 9 it I I I ij 4 ii i I I I t i 1 4 I I I I I it i I I If I f I jjz 0 t dfo iZ1ZA4i i larvfx i t 1 JII F I I f 11 I I I 1 I I Ol L i I I 11 El r f 11I 11 I I j II I 1 i 171 fr f j I LLftr1d 1 = r 1 DHY TOHTUGAS AND VICINITY iela Durlnt the chll wr the tot wa ud o Ionol toUoa lor Confwlcr Ifig 1rCU0nh fld oT111 Prisoner And jii isrj Ijtughlin Arnold Ar-nold 8pinRlr > and Dr Mud who were round Miilty b > a mllltnry commIts Ion of Participation In the nsslnatlon of Lincoln were connived there The fit died there Spnglor served out his term ef Imprisonment unit the other two wr pardoned by 1ldeat Johnson Spnnlor worked about Dalthnor ana an-a drunken carpenter till his death In the early seventies and Dr Mud1 Is newed his homo practice In At Marys county MJ unlll his decease a few years ago A c6uln or his family to I one or the peat Ropubllcon Congressmen mn rom that tate hlone under sentence or court martial were often confined there The Tortuga group consists principally or Long Dub Vast Middle DId Sand and Loggerhead key or millet ki I 11 t X1 I A H gvkt 12 I f 71 P L Ill i r W Y4 E k itt Of i i i t M lei 4 W I A I 6 11 It l s 0 I I 160 10 I 1 1 I p I I > 1 T 1 grsl U Iv 0 0 i i I 11 I I I ifI I 1 I ifI I j 0 I p I I I 413 0 lu I J 1 L i c I I 41 I f k cn 1 ca tn t14 4 LJ1 11 I I i 01 V Ite R 1 A 9 I iz 0 I Z a I i I a4 1 17 5 4 F II tit n I i 1 4 t wq W y A I 4 U Z ALI I I Z ig A 71 r I t i INTElllon OF FonT JCFFCIISOl DRY TonTuaAS ct In I the largest and Loggerhead 1M longest and In almost the exact center of which Is I Garden or Bush 13 aervit i la extent Th main entrance I In front the cast Irom a distance nothing Is I neen but a long line or rollers uhich break on a coral reef eeer1 miles In extent The ship channel hoe enters between Cat And lIuh keys po on Send rail Mlddlo keys then almost doubles on Itself running hy hol I I hlch at extreme low title ae almost be The channel Is In some places hardly a hlp s length In width anl largo cruisers would havo dlfficnlly In I entering even If It mere possible for them to do so The channel Is I deep of a rich blue color In strong contrast to the reef It turns gracefully around Garlen key pawing between It and long kc then Past filed key thus comilellng the circuit and affording an outlet to the southwest and northwest V y loggerhead key YF f I Fort Jeflerium is there for a corn I batik I In I the I center t of ft great lagoon trolected Iy I coral reefs and surround l el by I n compl to miniature Intbor inning ns It Ini lllrtotly from the sen It nh I oks like a Hotting castle The mand I I I in hlch the fort stands ti Is so shallow I I that by dlgrlng a foot or two an where I I alt water call le reached aid during heay storms It has Ion so that one oull dual about on a raft within the ort Nevertl elc s tho nrale ground In the center nAA covered with glass and lltlle Ian ns of Ttermndn grn s it evil en In various lards Tho path i fro m the sally Port wlere there Ij a d ran bridge an < llo tho officers quartern ns fringed with tall locoa alms I and Iut 1 tonlVood whllw In various tarts if th key ocoanut ierew and l tlourlahiillthiir I lots deep In the salt water The cots tag cot-s of inme if the tinkers wei 10 rod with 1 vines that nsentlng an al Iraclte appearance and fully justify Inc the name uf Garden key I Coh cetnote on Fort Jefferson was ever a < tern During tho I ehlI mai when It uis a Union ill is sit as a hue I of operall against the Confel crave states arid 2000 men hall 10 bo furnished with matr the sut pi gav out and a condc uns kept run nln 1 daily and night to supply the de Mild The oil fort shows Die wear anti ten 01 time and weather Guns which mere necr filed are dismantled tho roofs or Wations hao bren blown aay by hurricanes unit the useless run car IJgeo stand title ghosts cracking In the oun It is I a Picture or desolation nllll decay Unclo Sm h1l8 Wen clmlnally I ngllgnl I r this post which holds the the 1 oyto Iho gull commanding entirely t e roorIfteerricapprovich and tvhlch canto can-to i usxl as a base for Ilot operations against Cuba It Is I valuable as a coal III g station and seit of supplies during a war The place of latoeo has been nothinG snore the It a quanUno vita lien and the marine hospital service has had Its dlilnfectlng plant there Th liar department hoover is In resume hogo 01 U and n nw bMlth station will probably b etabllhed on PKmlng key Those men who wcro Injuied In tho Maine explosion who were In the hospital at Havana where > ellow fever always exists were < detained at Dry Toitutas before being sent to Key Unst Hut century ago these Islands were Iho homo or maritime romance and the scene of piratical butehcrles lorlda out p I rthailod from Spain by the United Ftntes In 1819 for j 000 OHO The Tor top had then been rot 00 years or more the e90t 01 uecaneers tho scourge of those seas and tho adv loathe bility 01 building 0 fort on some one or the keys was at oiet taken Into con I sldcratlon with the primary object of 1venUn n foreign poner rom oelxlag harbor Pu near Elie colt whOrit I na ar tl I val station could le established rather hall rom any gent dotno value to I W r i I I W ti P I I Z = 7 C 4 I I I 11 Z 5 tz Zme = 7M I = i 7 i lv Z iza 7iili I M Lir is I W jk j = = r 9 1 I I I 1 I iii to to 1 7 11 1 I 0 0 I Z In it I a if I 1 11 I 7 iL A v ZrTr 4 I r4 1 I I I 01 if 12 I A 1 i 12 4 c A N i jimPter I Zr q = Mgar P1 K tim = rIir goiv4tL IZGk zm 7 = I 724 11 l Z5m z = mza c e Ei = L7 11 1Z FORT jcrrrnsov the country There was nothing done however until the administration or resident I oik ISIS 9 when In 1847 ihlle Jefferson Davis was secretary of or nork WM begun on the rot after ad named JelTeruon Million of money note expended on its construe lien but It Wa never completely Oa Ished 1 All the building material as well as the supplies for tile laborers had 1 to be taken to Garden key by ses The fort Is I hexagonal In shape and at each i angle Is I II bastion The curtain alls have a double tier or caema and the whole work If fully armed mould have mounted about too of the old time guns The anchorage harbor to the northwest of Garden key Is I I by 1i miles In area with a depth of from 3 Ii to 7V4 fathoms of water and excellent excel-lent holding ground Many relics of piratical days have been found there In the form of ships Irons both Ion and brIoul unit many coIn of all countries of both silver and gold Today It Is I valuable as an Ideal naval station |