The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-22
KEY WEST AS A WAR POINT
VALUABLE CHIEFLY FOR A
COALING STATION.
War Fever Dying Out-Meaning of
the Operations Now Going On
There and at Dry Tortugas.

Key West, Fla, March 15.-(Corre-
spondence of the Associated Press y
Without much apparent reason the
war excitement here seems gradually
dying out. The natives of the island
are growing accustomed to the sight
of moving armed and armored ships
and the cry of riot in Havana has
been relegated to the wolf category.
The outward and visible signs of pre-
paration for conflict are still present,
but the furore which their novelty
created has died away. although the
natives are stirred every now and
again by some wild rumor.
Situated as Key West is, on the very
edge OF the United States and cheek
by towl with Havana, il is small
wonder that there is great interest as
to what would happen if war should
ensue between Spain and the United
States. An officer permanently To-
Gated here, in summing up the uses or
this island in case of war, said:
las far as I can see Key West would
be almost utterly useless to the United
States in case of war. 1t guards no
inlet and no outlet. The recently re-
ceived consignments of JorpedoeS and
the two new sand batteries viii make
il a fairly good place from a defensive
point OF view, but unless it is pro-
tected by the feet there is little to
prevent such a ship as the ViZcaya
Smelling it and remaining out of harm
way. AS a cOaling station, Key West
is practically inutile, because the har-
Dor is not deep enough to permit the
entrance of any of our big ships Old
Fort TAYLOR, the bag red brick relic
of the civil war, occupies a projection
of the island, but it is, of course, prac-
tically disma-tled.
AT Dry Tortugas the same cOndi-
tons prevail. There is Fort Jefferson,
which is over mile in circumference
and it without a garrison and out OF
date II would be impossible to main
tain a garrison at that fort. AS har-
strategic purposes I fail to see its
availability"
Rear Admiral Sicard has frequently
said to this correspondent that he re
GREETED the inability to get the big
ships into Key West harbor. and be-
sides coaling them at Tortugas with
far less trouble. he could not have
them at his call within moments no
tice The only two big ships here, the
New York and Iowa, are obliged to
stay six or seven miles out from land
Dry Tortugas, where the Indiana,
Texas and Massachusetts lie, is over
60 miles from Key West. These state
ments naturally suggest the idea that
the concentration of such a large fleet
around Dry TOrtugas and Key West
is doubtful policy With natural eau
tion Admiral Sicard failed to state the
fact that the government is making
strenuous efforts to prepare Key West
for emergencies, and is employing
every resource to fit this island for the
only strategic position it could rightly
fll-that of a coaling station.
Extensive dredging operations are
to be undertaken without delay. K.
Simmons and N. Cahill. president and
respectively of a New
York City dredging company. arrived
here some little time ago to hasten
the completion of contracts which their
company has to furnish sand for for
here and to deepen the har-
Dor. Their contract for the fertifica-
tons now in the course of erection at
Of sand. They are required to COM
plete the work in three months. Mr..
Cahill said today:
We should have begun work some
time ago had il not been for delay in
shipment of important material. Our
to dredge the harbOr calls for
a depth Of 80 feet. opposite the govern
ment dock. this depth to extend $50
feet. We expect to commence work
~ iN4AAAA q Nv 0ei+Ss anu lllliSu
dredging within ten days. Our lightest
viii then be able to coal
at the docks here
This is significant Taken in con-
junction with the fact that the govern
nent is considering the ACCESSIBILITY of
erecting coal sheds on it's wharves. so
,oal can be discharged and laden
through chutes. it satisfactorily shows
that although Key West may be of I
little service AZ DrPSpnf no unaaS r,ra Z
S being spared to bring it to a point /
where it viii become available as a
coal station and invuIneTs Bile TO hos 4
tile attack.