New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-31
THE VALUE OF KEY WEST.
erp .rrc1c IMPORTANCE SAID TO BE
QUIETLY AS A coALING STATION

49, orrrcs:r.s VIEW OF THE OCCUPATION OF III"
-o,-,.c,s EFFORTS TO PREPARE FOR AN
,,,,r,cv>cy-THE pEErpNING OF THE
u,pnoR AND PLANS FOR DEFENcE'
49,, n-Wi,hout much apparent
o,.or tho war excicmen; here seems 10 U,
- an, The natives OF the little itiahu ~
on,ng accustomed TO the sisht OF Ho'i"s ~
oruod and armored ships ana inc cry :" ~
r1,yono has been relegated 10 the wol' c''ehI
crowds that n week ago were 10 Ut io'''" "
ramshackle wharf where boa's 'ioh' i'''a
oraa ro may he seen at the Brisa. looking lazy
"'oo.. 80 :, ~ si,,,ry idly where welcome breezcs
a., 49,. o,n trees Even tho Cubans. as they SIP
,,., ,c,,dent. in the evenings. exhibit an AIR OF
i,ss,trdc contrasting strangely with th''r "e""u
debating and exaltaton OF rev weeks ago ~
shor, the abnormal has become the normal Inc
otward and visible signs Of preparation for conflict
re- still present, but the Juror whch thcr ho'e"9
created has died away, although the people arc
s,irrcd evcry now and again by some Wild rumor'
which invariably proves false
Situated as Kew West IL on the very edge or tne
United States and cheek by jowl with Havana IL
is small wonder that there IL nucn speculation 'S
10 what would happen to the isiand snonid war WIN
sp,in ensur The correspondent OF the Associated
pro,s has talked with many naval officers on this
s,,hiec, which though Of chief importance to local
residents Is OF considerable interest TO tho country
at large An officer. who Is permanently located
here in summing up the uses OF TINS Island IN case
OF war. said
AS far rs can sec Key West s at present
almost utterly useless to the United States in case
Of war II guards no inlet and outlet The
recent shipment Of torpedoes and the two new
sand batteries will make 1t fairly good place
from a defensive point OF view but, unless 1t X
protected by tn fleet there Is little to prevent
srch n ship as the Vizcaya stcllinS it and remain
uIf,ao Il.
West is practically a noncntity. There Is no coal
supplv here and the harbor is not deep enough 70
permit Of the entrance Of any Of our big ships
our splendid old Fort Taylor. a big red brick mon
unont of the Cv!l War. on n projection OF the
island is Of course practically dsmantled and
consigned to the glorious relics
AT Dry TortuGas the same conditions prevail.
There Fort jefferson. which is over mile in cir
c-imf,rcncc Is without garrison and out Of date.
II would DO impossible TO maintain garrison at
that fort As n harbor Tortugas Is all right. but
for strategic purposes fall to sec It's available
ity II the coating contracts for the fleet had not
made Tortugas the point Of delivery. the coalins
OF the ships would probably have been done at Key
West entirely This would be far more convenient.
even though It would Of necessity have been by
lighters whose work is dependent TO great ex-
tent upon the fairness Of the weather"
Rear Admiral Slcard has several times said to
this correspondent that he regretted his inability
to get the big ships into Key West Harbor. and
besides coaling them with far less trouble he
could have them at his call within a few mo-
ments' notice The only two big ships here tho
flagship New-York and the Iowa. are obliged TO lie
six or seven miles out from land. Dry Tortugas,
where the Indiana. the Texas and the Massa-
chusetts lie Is over sixty miles from Key West
These statements naturally suggest the idea that
the concentration of such a large feet around
Dry Tortugas and Key West is doubtful policy.
With a caution that Is only natural. Admiral ST.
Is ma king strenuous efforts to prepare Key West
for emergencies. and Is employing every resource
TO fit this island for the only strategic position II
could rightly fill. THAI OF Il coang station IL
learned to-day that extensive DREDGING opera
tions arc to be undeItaksn withou; delay s
supcrIntendent resi- respectivcly Of New York city
dredging company. arrived here some little time
ago 10 hasten personally the completion OF con-
for fortihcations here. and TO deepen the harbor.
Their contract for the forttcations. now in tho
course OF erection At Key West. calls for three
hundred and fifty THOUSAND cubic yards OF sand.
Tho capacity Of thersarparatus. which will shortly
be put TO work Is ono thousand two hundred cubic
yards day. They are required 70 complete the
work in hrse G months from the ba mf Of bsn
Work come time Sso Mad it not been for delay in
shipment Of important machinery our contract
feet opposite the Government dock this depth to
extend three hundred and fifty feet We expect to
begin in few days and should finish dredging
be able to lie at the dock and coal
This Is most significant. Taken in conjunction
with the fact that the Government is considering
the advisa billy Of erecting large coal shed on
Its wharf. that coal can be discharged and
laden through chutes. it satisfactorily shows that
although Key West may be OF little service at
point when It will be available coaling sta
ton and invulncrable TO hostile attack.