The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-11-03
OUR NEN Stronghold
Culebra Island in the Virgin
Passage to be Strongly
Fortified.
ONCE HOME OF PIRATES
Is Only Seven Miles Long and Has
an Ideal Harbor With a Long,
Narrow Entrance.

United States VIII Now Rival England
in Controlling the Caribbean Sea- Points
About the Island
The Navy Department Is preparing
TO establish powe..u. ...v.. -.....>..
In the West Indies, and has selected
the little island of Culebra (Koi-la-
bra), or Passage Island. At first 1t
was thought that navy yard or some
sort of station would be located on our
new possession, Porto Rico, but
close examination has shown that
there are no really suitable places on
its coast for even a safe anchorage for
our vessels.
The water In the harbor of San
Juan, Porto Rico, is shailow and not
deep enough for a battle=hip. The
north coast Of the island is also exposed
to the prevailing high winds, so that 1t
would be almost impossible to secure
safe harbor there, and as the bot
tom is mostly coral the thought Of
digging canal sufficiently deep for
our heavy draught warships was aban-
doned.
For years 1t has been the desire OF
the United States to build a butt-ess
on one of the islands that could de-
fend our extremee southern coast and
in case Of war act as base of supplies.
Samana Bay and Mole st. Nicolas
have both at different times been
sought for, but without success. AS
soon, however, as the island of Porto
Rico and its dependencies were cap
tured, point In the Virgin Passage
was one of the first things the Navy
Department looked for, and Captain
Chester, OF the Cincinnati, was ordered
to make a survey and report to the
department, not alone as a place
adaptable for a naval station, but in
regard to Its value as strategic stand
point.
Captain Chester's report was in due
tine handed to the department, and
1t shows Culebra to be one of the most
important of the many bits Of land
that dot the south Atlantic and Csrib-
bean Seas.
The island is only seven miles long,
but lies directly in the Virgin Passage,
| with the east coast Of the island of
Porto Rico to the west, and with st.
Thomas to the eastward, guards the
passage.
In his report, Captain Chester writes
that Culebra has an ideal harbor, with
a long, narrow entrance which is we'll
protected by reef which faces the
channel for a width of one hundred
yards. The harbor possesses Gepth
of twenty-nine feet which is more
than sufficient for the largest ship in
our navy.
The island of Culebra is said at pres
ent to have 700 inhabitants, all negroes
and is one of the oldest isllnds in
the Virgin group. 1t was controlled
by the governor of Porto Rico, but the
army consisted of but two soldiers.
No harbor duties were collected, and
the natives were required to shi all
their goods to Porto Rico.
To the average West Indian of to-
day the island is scarcely known but
seventy-five years ago its name alone
was a terror to commerce, from the
i Gulf to the Spanish Main. In the har-
bor In which Old Glory will float over
our battleships, Congress willing,
there foated the skull and crossbones
| of the most daring crews Of pirates
that ever swept the Caribbean Sea.
Then, as now, its commanding position
was perfectly we'll known to the ven-
turesome Corsairs. and hundreds OF
richly ladened merchant vesseis, COM
ing and returning from Europe, have
been boarded. looted and scuttled
while attempting to slip through lie
Virgin Passage.
Thomas then, showing that Culebra
had a Captain Kidd possessed of more
fabulous wealth than the Captain Kidd
of the North, is told to the present day.
II tells of an old Scotch ship builder
Marshall by name, who was accosted
in his yard by strange youth, well
dressed and we'll educated, who said
he loved the shipbuilding trade, and
wanted work. Marshall employed him
in his office, and after time became
very fond of him. After the lad had
been with him for year, he went to
his house one evening and told the old
Sctotchman that he was the son OF
Boulanger, the pirate; that his mother
lived In Italy, where he was educated
and that when he was full grown boy
he was told that his father was dead
The mother, who had previously beer
we'll supplied with money, was re-
duced to taking in washing, but final
ly moved to Constantinople. where she
was employed by rich Turk.
One aay an old sailor made his ap-
pearance. aud. after conversation
with his mother, left sealed package
to bo delivered to the son when nc
reached his eighteenth year.
This occurred a few month"; before
he came to st. Thomas and saw Mr.
Marshall. The letter contained naut.
icaliy correct desQfiptien OF an islam,
in the Caribbean 6sa and an elaborp
guide as to where Captain Boularg
has buried his treasure.
"You have yacht" said the la
go with me-you and ! alone-ai
you shall share my fortune"
Marshall promised. but that night h
told the story to his wife. Both tn
old people believed the story OF tn.
yeath, but Mrs. Marshall said 1t wa,