The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
WASTED AR0USDKEYW WEST
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT AND
NO BENEFIT SECURED.
Notifications THAT Are NoNN Ob-oirte ana Aban-
don"d -Mohcrn improvements That Will
Make the Existing Strucinrrs or soiDc Value.

From the Chirroo Record.
The people Of Key West have little reason to
complain OF any neglect on tho part o. the pater-
nal national Government. IF tho citizens of the
plncch had worked as hard US has the Uuitei States
Government to improve the island it would he an
Immensely p,clsuntcr place OF residence. Ever,
since that day sovonty-tivo years ago when
Liout. NJ. G.. Perry. commanding tho United
states schooner shark, took formal possession OF
The isl md. with infreluont interruptions the ma
tional Government has been hurying money in the
sands Ut Its beaches moro lavish!y than ever di3
the pirates Of old. \ succession Of obsolete fo;i.-
~iications. virtually ab tnduncl but with some re-
cent promise of renovation, marks tho places
where the Treasure VS. expended. Other Gov
eminent works with the functions o p acc havo
shared tho Congressional appropriations From
the dccp-watcr harbor ut the northwestern ond
of the island for four miles the west and south
beaches are lined with Government property.
Oflnte years certain parts Of this tra font, Ln'
occupied, have fallon into private ownership,
But the defcnccs arc continuous for the entire
face OF the island looking southwark across tho
Gulf stream to Cuba.
1t vast 1874 and 1915 that the picturesque
barracks still occupied were crccic cd In the bar
racks yard. facing the northeast leach, and the
troo 8 stationed there wore augmented. This
WIS the preliminary in starting The pre-: entlouS
Qualifications OF the south and west beaches.
Liberal Congressional appropriations were made
IL tUDllnl'u u ' var III lit lnlcTCSU VI gun
defence, and during the term Of service OF JET
fersop, Davis as secretory Of War everything
possible was done 10 complete the fort that had
been under construction to- ten yAnrs.
Fort Ttyior was beTnnin 1913. It stands still
closing a triangular parade ground Of two or
three acres Of grassy lawn. and until two
months ago absolutely desolate, except for tho
pr Scncc OF an ordnance sergeant acting rs II
custodian. The fort is built on an island 1000
feet off shore from the island of Key West itself
cnuseway under which shallow tidcwater flows.
The LAND side of the fort is the base of the tri:
leads to thc : ny port. The sides Of the ,rirnsio
ing directly at their base, over ugly rorks that
forbid an approach, Before the intersection
! po"iiI''' sqnarelS SStw is%SS her, makes ak u the geo.
m%ctrical figure blunted instead OF perfect,
cas en""tSs'i and 'ne i bsrte sH%p' The oiiee riFFI and n
soldiers quarters, tho cisterns, the a@minisira-
5iYG Il office, ,ho w, the e, m ,nS Iind sand and w The ,pTi iSs s arc
ward space is used entirely for the mounting OF
guns. Scores of mounted cannon frown over tho
brow and through the ports OF the oil fortress.
and other sloies ;ic '.nm"nrtod. The furnace,
where the solid shot were to be heated rcd, is
stored with ammunition Of patterns thirty and
forty years old. No flag ron, . from the 8 NJ and
Al. the work that had been done on the fort
was washed away and ohlitcrated by the famous
pairei as promptly as possible. and work was
continued steadily, while several millions of dol
I Wni Mef the s'' se"es sa oD" eonSenPion "H wa sq de!iberas.
ing on Dec. T., 1860, Capt. John NJ. Brannan,
occupying the barracks on the other side Of the
island, evacuated those quarters, made an early
morning march. and took possess, on of tho un-
MN, but other troops came soon to garrison tho
fertilization. and the island was held by the
Union troops throughout the W.T..
In lsi5; the same year that saw the new bar
racks and the leg; ming Of Fort T@ylSr' the
occupied, End il still! stands to give aid othe
sailors who need lis care, Ami. a grove Of CO.
sea and the fort ON one side. great verandas,
may ~hammOcFs, and thick store walls. we'll
s snresau 20 s nS1P NJ m GHS;' Be- ,' fom n9f't th ,na t hes Key esS-
Yves; Marine Hospital; For two, years. with
P piisn ,cu pt sRe su rtms ann ike COCKS II w sha a T IS@h it .e Se.
The War Department had had its turn and now
the navy was to be cared for. In 1856 q naval
storehouse was begun: The following spring it
was res6y TO be- rooted. when the appropriation
ton it remained until the outbreak OF the civil
war. when the national Government took
finished. This important station had hecn left
without n ton of coal. The steamer Atlantic.
ems. came here. found no coal, and had TO steam
to Hnvana at half speed TO replenish her bunk
nrs. Work was hHstened on the naval ware
house and it was stocked with munitions Tor the
war. Not far distant a machine shop and foun-
Fort Taylor US put in shape for use. SO faE
as Its condition would allow. nd lahorers were
I ImplOye 20 bring 1t nearer COinpletlOn.
Key West was not sutfi :iently p Protected. The
Washington A ministration saw four miles OF
the south beach unto ii led against possible At
lacS from Con 'edcrate or Spanish enemies. An
! o. her approximation was m de and two martello
towers were begun in 1861. A raj road was
lovers and Fort Tsyior.' HTninire"s Of men
were employed and brick and cement masonry
form OF fertilization that ch"onologically sue.
cccicd tho familiar round tower O. the Irish
TO project the entire south beach, their lines
of fire intersecting one nno,her ana Also
those Of The guns from Fort T ylor, They
tack, from the water side, for they stand
at the beach; two miles apHrt. and face ths
sharp stones. They are designed to slaughter
with ~neatness and despatch ny enemy who may
mn in and on he inner citadel. but there Il
nothing whichever 10 prevent q force IRON ianh
field pieces. and hnmmrring the tower 70 bits.
Not q single gun in thr tower could command
difference. however. for 9,f'er several years q
work the towers were alb 'ndonen. Nnnnlshed
and no gun eve was mounted in the cmhrasures
Their function now is important. One is The
city slaughter house. the other Is a genuinely
pic;1rssGuH Ga rHi"; ana luT who viii en no so "a,
and climb over ami arounG it,
fa a iH Mns m m,S SarG Or IN r ,ha c 'fip srTen sHes. IL IL
1873 two sand batteries we're constr lrted on
the backbone 20 cher side Of Fort Tsyl3r-
never ..nishc!. and are now half dismantled.
, This Is n m'lan holy catalogue OF waotet
! , Tort and money. Millions o dollars have bee.
spenl on these fortiica'ions. now abandoned
obsolete In the extreme. yet sound In thei
, masonry ms the day hey were built. Even nov
, work is beginning on the, renovation o. For
l Taylor, and II is understood that some $500. 90
will be spent there within the next three venri
, Modern dis ,npSarirs guns are to 10 mounted nni tsdr !,
l and then things will he at least modern. TIL
: engineers are at work in a row. OF houses ar
J offices near the fort, and admission TO the plao
. has been refused of late. II is u lege thu on
! reason for this Is that two Spanish rent cms
0 were ioultd Photographic and driving plano y
. the interior OF the fort three months ago.
= The works of peace tell a brighter tale. tn
I Custom House and Post Onicc of Key West 10
i beautiful building, costing 100000. II adloin
! the navn storehonse and the Government whar
-. II fine modern structure, at which one may a
j w Us sec tho vcss Is OF he white squadron Cos
ing. The coal docks, where 10000 tons ars =
I WAYS on hand, hold the nest part of the wa, +,
a front, p%rotectct by n sca wall almost equsl I
l. TINT OF Lincoln Park. though scarcely as loni
Q Then comcs the beautiful home Of the command
y an; Of the port. and, in geographical succession
u tho machine shOn and fOun'rV, the engineerln