The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-18
GUANTANAMO BAY.

And its DeiirablIlty As Permanent Naval
Bass-some oEits Points Of van'AEr.
Correspondence OF the Associated Press.
ON BOARD THE UNITED STATES
CRUISER BROOKLYN. GUANTANA-
no BAY.August 1.-THE dreary length
of time that Uncle Sans quaker col
ored" war feet has spent in this bay.
awaiting the outcome OF the peace ne
eohnuons. has given everybody, and
especially officers who chafe under the
lnactIon, time to reflect upon more
peaceful things than shooting the en-
emy's vessels into steel fragments. The
officers OF the North Atlantic squadron
are becoming enthusiastic over the de-
STABILITY OF the United States holding
this bag as q permanent naval bRse. II
Is generally agreed that on our own
southern coast and In all the West In
dies there Is not an anchorage that can
compare with this one. Here Is a bay
with soft bottom, in which an anchor
finds a good hold, thus preventing
chains fouling. There Is q splendid. en-
trance fully mile broad, between the
hills that protect Il, and with the dam
gerous West indian reef minimized as
to Its destructive tendencies by being
located only on one side. to the west
The hills at the entrance are high
enough FOR all purposes, such as the
placing OF light houses and the erection
OF earthwork Notifications With lights
at the entrance there would be no dan
ger IN entering the harbor at night and
indeed without such a guide, the big
trans-A Atlantic liners came In safely the
other night. The entrance could easily
be mined for protection and at short
notice.
Once inside the harbor. It's splendid
facilities are Immediately visible. 1t is
broad expanse OF water OF great
depth aud extending north into the is
land for six miles. OF course the eX-
IRENE depth OF forty-two feet-does not
prevail over the entire length OF the
harbor, but at this writing there are at
least twenty large vessels anchored In
the deep and well sheltered portion OF
the bay and as many more could find
good anchorage.
The survey made by Captain Sumner.
Of the cruiser Columbia, which was
stopped in 1895, by the Spanish govern
ment. shows that there is about two
and a half square miles OF anchorage OF
a depth OF forty-five feet or whereabouts
aud far enough inside 60 be protected
from any wind that may blow. Then
there is about two square miles of an
choragesEor vessels drawing twenty
four feet or less. In other words. the
great battleships Iowa, Texas, Indiana,
oregon and Massachusetts and the
cruisers New York and Brooklyn could
be anchored in the first place, while the
entire remainder OF the American navy
could rest further up the bay. Torpedo
boats and small gunboats and converted
yachts could move In any portion OF the
immense bay.
There are good land points on small
bays, where dry docks could be COM
structed and where coaling facilities
could be established. Fresh water is
obtnlnable at two places, the south OF
the Guantanamo river, n mile from the
entrance and the mouth of the Cay
names river six miles Up the bay.
The remarkably llealthe character OF
the place. considering the general SUI
perstitions about the unhealthlness Of
the whole island, is demonstrated in
the entire absence OF sickness among
the marines stationed there. With pro-
per sanitary precautions there need be
no fear OF sickness and It is evident
that sickness among the resident pOpu-
lation in the cities near here Is due to
the lack OF sanitary precautions and the
hlthlness Of the habits OF the natives.