Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-05-31
THE DRY TORTUGAS.
a ONCE NOTED PRISON OFF
THE FLORIDA COAST.
Tho LarGcst Stone Fort in tho
World, Built Partly OF Coral
Rook-Its 1nmatos-Somo
Attempts ut Escape.

The recent hurricane which swept tho
Gulf OF Mexico from end to end created,
1t Is said, sad havoc among tho keys OF
the iortugas group, utterly wiping somo
out of existence and so changing others
that they are hardly recognized by those
who know them well. Tho gallo has
brought to public notice Fort Jefferson,
which stands upon the famous Dry Tor
tugas, about which so much was said
during tho war. It Glanced that tho
writer was at this island in 1859, and
with scientist engaged in making
study OF tho growth of tho reef and tho
thor little-known fauna, and remained
until near tho close of tho Civil War, thus
oeing spectator of many interesting
features OF life in what was during tho
war the largest and most dreaded prison
of the United States.
Tho idea of building n vast series OF
Notifications here originated In the for.
ties. In 1S47 work was begun. and when
Sumter was fired upon it vas still untin-
ished--a massive piece of masonry, prob.
ably tho largest brick or stono fors in
the world. 1t was about forty feet high.
mounted for three tiors of guns, with
six faces and as many bastions, and in
tended to mount 500 or moro guns. At
this timo it presented formidable ap.
pearance and was, OF course, considered
imprcgnablc.
The exterior, or rather tho visible Dor.
ton OF tho fort, was of brick, and 60.
ries of elegant arches and handsome
masonry was the result; but ths walling,
tho interior portion, was made of mate
rial likely to resist even ono of tho largo
shots of to-day to some extent This
was concrete, madc from dcnd coral rock
brought in by slaves from tho outer rcof,
which after being mixed with mortar,
was used ms filling, making most
tenacious mass. This dead coral rock
was brought over by tho scow load and
deposited on tho beach. Some years ago
saw an article by young naturalist,
renarking upon tho presence hero OF
such mass of TO MS being singular.
1t would have been singular had It not
been that 1t was all placed there by
human hands. The fort was about half
mile around, walking around tho son.
will which surrounded it. almost conf
plctely covering the sandy key-only
few buildings such rs u store tho slave
quarters, hospital and mess hall stand
ing outside. Tho only opening was n
sally port, entered by drawbridgc o or
tho moat.
The writer WAS there just pre- ions to
The war. The fort was near completion,
but withontn gun, and after the COM
menccmcnt Of hostilitics could ha,c bean
taken ut amy time by the Confederate
cruisers. At this time IL WINS known ~
Garden Key, and was by no ricans go
dcsOlatc rs has been described. Tho
thirteen acres within the fort were MAIN
y CO cred with Bermuda grass, whiio n
strong cl:nging grass occupied other
spaces. There were groups of graceful
cocoa palms, and tho walk to tho ouar-
tors, which were tho finest in the conn
try, was though grove of live oak and
buttonwood trees. Tho finest bananas
In over eaten grew here, and many of
the houses were bedcckcd with vines
and plants brought from the East. vet
how uncertain would seem their tenure
can be realized from the fact that under
ordinary circumstances cane thrust in
TO the sand anywhere would find salt
water, and during the gnlc have seen the
wafer rise to depth Of twelve inches
within the FORT in short, If the fort Ind
not been built here, tho key in all prob
ability would have disappeared and re-
formed again several times in the past
twenty years, MS did several others of tho
group. / well remember nftor war had
boon announced and before guns had been
received, tho constant stato of excite.
ment and suspense under which tho
little garrison laborcd. At any day n
handful of meL could have taken the
largest fort of its kind in tho United
States, rs 1 think the only armament
consisted of two shotguns.
One morning heavy firing was heard
to the southeast, and every one who
could climbed the bnstians and eagerly
viewed the landscape over. For several
days, of and on, this firing was heard.
and finally u vessel came in and reported
that Spanish fleet was prncticing in
the stream and testing its guns. Soon
after this company Of regulars arrived,
and by degrees the now old fashioned
guns were mounted and thu place came
to be considered I'M impregnab!c fortress.
1t would then have been Difficult! for
vessel to have gained tho harbor without
being well bo:nbarded; but Mt present a
vessel could lie of shore and reduce tho
great work to powder, dust and broken
brick in short order.
Why Grand Key camo to DO called
Dry Tortugas it would BIO difficult to
tell, rs it is essentially wet In all its sur
roundings. In times past it was oon-
verified into prison, and tho name touk
on new and unreal tcrrors. Several
thousand prisoners were confined here
at one tne-descrters, bounty jumpers,
murderers and the general riilrnff OF the
war. Here some OF the men implicated
in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
were confned-Dr Mudd, Spang!er and
several others. 1t was an interesting
study of human nature to sec these
prisoners, ranging from boys of eighteen
10 men of sixty, guilty or accused of
crimes of all kinds. When they wero
landed and accounted for, they were
mustered on parade and their trades
taken, and as near rs possible they were
put to work, the carpenters in the
carpenter-sh aud SO on. But there
we-c hundreds who were never EN-
ployed, and as all were fairly fed, their
fate cannot be considered hard ono.
Attempts ct escape were of frequent
occurrence, not on account of cruel
A~4l