Evening star., 1898-03-05
OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
Why the Navy Department Desires the Dry
Tortugas.
II Occupied Another Quarantine Stu
tion Must Be Immediately
Secured

The proposed transfer or Dry Tortugas,
which is now regarded as the most import
ant quarantine station off our southern
coast, to the War Department, would ne ces-
state the immediate selection of another
location for a station off the coast of
Florida The quarantine season against
ports infected with yellow fever and other
infectious diseases begins April /, SO that If
the War Department decides to resume
control over Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefrer-
son. which is located there no time will be
lost by the marine hospital officials in
fitting out another station. Already. some
correspondence has been had with officials
Of the service on the Florida coast and
several of the Florida keys have been sus-
gested as suitable places to which the sta
ton might be transferred. Among them
are Fleming Key, which Surgeon Murray
at one time considered superior to Dry Tor
tugas as location for a quarantine sta
ton: Mullet Key, whera,the state Of FIori-
da now maintains Station, and Bahia
Honda, which is east ofsKey West.
Fine Location.
Owing to the admirable location OF Dry
Tcrtugas. which is directly in track of all
vessels bound to the United States from
the West Indies, the north coast of South
America and Central America and the per-
feet character of the quarantine station
1t will be given up with great regret by the
marine hospital service, If the War De-
partment insists uron taking possession.
The annual reports show that in 1895
hfty-one vessels were disinfected at the
station and in 1895 slxty-one vessels, The
figures for last year, when the number was
much greater, are not vet available. Yel-
low fever patients are not treated at Tor
tugas station, but at Bird Key. six miles
away. Those who were injured in the
vr-1n n arn fv,< I. L. a.
at Havana, where yellow fever always ex-
lists, were detained at this station before
being taken to Key West.
The advantages claimed for Dry Tortu-
gas as point for quarantine station are
claimed for 1t as a strategic point for a
base for fleet operating against Cuba 1t
vas used during the civil war as a base of
operations against the confederate states
report by Surgeon Murray two years
ago contains some valuable information re-
garding the location. the harbor and the
condition of old Fort Jefferson The group
OF Keys. or islets, Of which Gorden Key
upon which the station is located, is the
center, cover an area of eleven square
miles. Gorden Key consists of ten acres
On 1t are the old fort, Tortugas harbor
nght, having range of thirt cen miles, and
the quarantine station. The anchorage TO
the northwest of Gortien Key has a usable
area of by ~ miles with from I to II
fathoms of water and excellent holding
ground .
Into this anchorage are thre. channels
ana surgeon Murray sayssthat with lit
tie care any vessel in the world now built
or to be constructed can enter without a
pilot. 70 :"
The fort is surroundeds by a foot moat
made by brick and concrete breakwat.r
1'here are two openings in the breakwa1er
through which the tide Gibbs ana flows
Ihe breakwater prevents th. force of the
waves in bad weather from throwing rater
through the lower casemates and the fort
The Protection
The inclosed area is about nine acres and
Is occupied by officers quarters, soldiers
quarters, the light keepers residence, ord
nance sergeants' quarters and unfinished
powder magazines.
Surgeon Murray's report would seem to
indicate that the fort is in bad state of
repair. He says the classmates on the lower
row contain mounted guns or war ma
terial. The upper classmates were used
for years as quarters for army officers and
soldiers, prisoners Of war and others, and
Surgeon Murray says they are cool, easily
ventilated and difficult OF infection. The
channel into the inner harbor goes entire
ly around the northeast, east and south
sides Of the fort and Is narrow and tortu-
Gus. In places it is less than 800 feet wide.
The depth is four fathoms by selection,
but there Is a fifteen-foot bead near the
north entrance which Is a menace to all
vessels of that draft. The short turns or
the channel give trouble in handling ves-
sells more than $50 feet In length. and it is
scarcely possible to move 3O0-foot vessel
without touching somewhere. The coal
shed at the wharf only has a capacity Of
$50 tons. The source of water is from
rain only. but is abundant If properly con-
served, the rainfall being about thirty
inches. 1t is retained in seven cisterns.