The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-27
Governors Island.

The War Department and Gen. MILES
are united in opposition to the bill intro
duced by Congressman BRADLEY for turn.
ing over Governors Island to the city of
New York for use as a public park.
Their ground Is that the island Is too
valuable to the Government to be given
up. Not. indeed, that it is or ever can be
a factor in the actuall line of defence against
the attack of an enemy's ships. Old Fort
Columbus, of course, could be very quickly
knocked to pieces; but the real point is
that a fleet which should pass the outer
line at Sandy Hook and the inner line at
the Narrows, would already have New
York at its mercy. Yet Governors Island,
although too near the city to be valuable
as a site for a fertilization against attack
from the sea, has other uses.
Not only is 1t we'll situated centrally, be-
tween the Sound and the Sandy Hook en-.
frances to the harbor, but it has a peculiar
value in its proximity to the. vast amount
of Government property In New York and
Brooklyn. This is the point specially
dwelt upon by Gen. MILES, whose letter to
the House Military Committee says that
"the United States Government has now
WlIulu range u bONcTuOT 3 1SldHu Pl46,-
900, 600 of gold and silver. and this island
is the choicest and only available spot
where troops can be regularly stationed to
give the requisite protection to this treas.
ure n other property in and around New
York CITY," Thus, while the Government
r~efrains, according to custom, from posting
troops directly in New York, Governors
Island gives it the best possible means of
providing for protection to it's property in
time of sudden peril.
We may also point out that 1t Is only
within a few years that Governors Island
has been turned into an infantry post, Com.
panies B, D, and f of the Thirteenth In.
fantry being assigned to it. When this
was done, some objections were raised on
the ground that the arsenal and. the head
quarters of the Department of the East
were there. But the Importance of having
troops 80 close at hand in case of a riot i'm
perlllinR Government property in the city
proved decisive.
1t is practically certain, therefore. that,
in view of the advice of the army authori.
ties, the House Military Committee will
not report Mr.. BRADLEY's bill favorably at
this session. And yet we should be far
from concluding that Governors Island
will never form a part of the admirable
park system of New York. The character
of Governors Island will always keep 1t
in mind as a park of peculiar beauty and
novel attraction. When New York harbor
becomes, as we think 1t will, a notable coast
artillery centre, with large aggregate
forces stationed at such forts as Hancock,
Slocum, Wadsworth, Hamilton and Schuy-
Ter, and when means of transportation are
increased, the question of Governors Isl.
and's transformation will recur. The pos
sibilities of David's Island as a cavalry or
infantry station, in conjunction with the
artillery, and with quick communication to
the mainland, will also come up.
Just now, too, the finances Of the con-
solidated city are not promising for Mr..
BRADLEY's plan. His bill authorizes the
Secretary of Wal "to agree with the said
city of New York upon the amount of COM
.pensation to be paid the United States for
said island and the buildings thereon
erected" No official estimates nave been
made, we believe. but possibly such esti-
mates might include quarters or com
mutation for house rem of army Off.
Gers In tho city, IL the department
headouartsR should be removed to tho