St. Landry democrat., 1884-10-18
An Island Fortress.

As Uhe visitor to this port, Dy steamer
or bv sailing vessel, enters the famous
Golden Gate and realizes the extent and
beauty of San Francisco, the most
prominent object which meets his gaze
IS the island of Alcatraz, that seems to
stand as lonely sentinel, thoroughly
armed with batteries and redoubts, pre-
pared to dispute his passage unless
properly certified. This natural FORTH
fcation impresses the latest conner with
as much force in this respect as it did
she first of the Spanish navigators, who
saw in If an advantageous point from
which to float the flag of his sovereign
and compel alien nations to render
proper homage. It is a striking fact
that the very points now occupied by
the various Notifications of "Uncle
Samuel if not actually used by the
Spanish authorities before the conquest,
vet they were reserved from the grants
so freely granted in those primitive
days, and in one case-the Preside
was actually used as a military post as
early as 1885. Before this time a COM
munication had been addressed to the
military Governor of Sonora, whose
Jurisdiction extended over this State,
by General Mariana G. Vallejo, his
deputy, who gave a sketch of the har
Dor and of the facilities for defense
against invasion BY armed vessels. This
report made special mention Of ''Alca-
traces" or Pelican Island, which
was recommended to the care of
the home government for the purpose
of military reservation. Besides the
Preside, the bluffs opposite the en-
last of all the whole of Angel Island was
marked out by General Vallejo as well
adapted for military garisons. The Is
land of Alcatraz, thus early selected bya
competerI soldier, was always regarded
with Jealous care by the mother coun-
try, and among all the grants of land
recorded in favor of its loyal subjects its
name never appears. The only attempt
made to include it was in the second
fraudulent paper presented by the IA
nous or infamous Jose 7. Limantour,
dated February "a, 1843, which claimed
two square leagues west of Yerba
Buena, and included in this grant were
Alcatraz and Goat Islands. The last
0AA1ACo IS4SEAd UIoO W1Ol4A VIC
boundary of a grant to Juan Castro,
dated 1888, but it was rejected on good
grounds. LIZ 1888 A. M. Oslo laid claim
to the whole of Angel Island, but as he
never occupied it the United States
Land Commission rejected it. The
grounds at present included in the Pre-
sidio Reservation were claimed by
Benito Diaz and Prudenzio Santillan,
under grants applied for in 1848, but
these met the same fate with the others
at the Land Commission. With the
capture of California by the United
States its Army and Navy Departments
followed in the footsteps of the Mexican
Government. and these natural points
for fortIfcation were carefully per-
fected, and as soon as possible steps
taken to fit them for emergencies. As
early as 1852 Alcatraz was occupied by
a company of soldiers, and under the
charge of experienced officers of the
Engineer Department work was COM
menced to make this rampant impreg-
nable. From that date work has not
ceased, until now the whole appear
ance of the work is so changed that
those who were fortunate enough to see
it in its original shape cannot recognize
il. But the island is more than fort
ress. It is a prison, where many a
criminal has, on entering its lonely
walls, literally left hope behind. TO
this place were brought, during the
civil war, many uncompromising adj
herents of the lost cause and pirates of
the Chapman schooner, captured on the
eve of sailing on their free lance voy-
age. Here, also, came the remnant of
che Modocs to end their days, and to-
day there are many captives wearing
out their lives in servitude not much
removed from the guano workers on
the lonely islands of the South Pacific.
.Sdn francisco AltG.