The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-09

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is the largest, and Loggerhead the long
est, the latter bearing the light, SO wei
known to all mariners who cross the Gulf.
The entire group is q coral reef, in almost
the centre of which is Garden Key,
thirteen acres i'll extent, which was select
ed as the site of the most southern fort in
this country.
Before the invention of long range guns
the island was well adapted for the pur.
pose, as 1t was the center of most be-
wilderiDg reef reached by narrow and
circuitous channel. The main entrance
is from the east. From distance moth
ing is seen but q long line of rollers,
which break on coral reef several miles
in extent. Ihe ship channel enters here
between Fast and Bush Keys, passes Sand
and Middle Keys, then almost doubles on
itself, running by shoals which at ex-
treme low tide are almost bare. The
channel Is in soii1e places hardly d ships
length in width, and the large cruisers
would have difficulty in going in, if in
deed it was possible. This channel is
deep and rich blue, in marked contrast
to the reef. 1t turns gracefully around
Garden Key, passing between 1t and Long
Key, then passing Bird Key, SO complet-
ing the circuit, and affordlng an outlet
to the southwest and northwest by Log
gerhead Key.
1t will be seen. then, that Fort Jefferson
is coral bank, in the center of great
lagoon, protected by coral reefs. and sur
rounded by complete miniature hsrbor.
1t was begun In 1S47, and was built main
ly by slave labor employed by the govern
nent through the slave owners in Key
West the skilled masons being white men
from the North. The work is elaborate
in every way, and how many millions
were expended on it's walls 1t would be
difficult to state The different faces and
parapets are arranged for 500 guns, many
of which--old Coiumbiads Of the pattern
of 1S60-are mounted, the others lying
dismantled within the walls.
The fort rises directly from the water.
all the available land being in the inter
ior and is surrounded by moat, with
the exception of one acre of made land for
wharves and ooalyards. Within the fort
are fine brick offices and mems quarters,
tall buildings adapted TO the climate,
which is intensely hot. At the present
time small corporaPs guard Of few
men constitutes the entire garrison, the
officer in charge being the surgeon Of the
quarantine station.
Tortugaa is literally the key of the
Gulf, and valuable as q coaling station
and seat of.supplies during war. LIZ could
be brought up to q state OF comparative
defence by filling in the moat with coral
rock, taken from the reef, and bags of
sand from the adjacent islands, thus
forming around the walls graded bank
of sand and stone, many feet thick, SINH
lar to the bank which constitutes the de-
fence at Fort Wadsworth. Thus equipped,
with an impenetrable sand or concrete
bulwark, and supplied with disappearing
guns, the old fort could again take it's
place among the great fortresses of the
world.
The writer visited Fort Jefferson first
in 1859, when it was about half complet-
ed 1t had no garrison. but an army OF
masons, cardenters, and laborers, and the
while apparently opposed to
the slave system, was lavishly pouring
money into the Golfers Of the Key West
slave owners. Then came the war, and
the writer we'll remembers the arrival OF
the first troops, for he, with the late Gen.
Meigs, stood on the parapet and watched
them disembark and march in.
1t was expected that the fort would be
seized at once when Sumter was fired on,
md it is singular that the Confederates
did not visit the spot, as they could have
taken the fort with a dozen men, as there
was not gun mounted, and property
valued at millions of dollars was at their
mercy During this anxious time, before
the troops which had been sent for arrived
a steamer hove in sight one day. coming
directly for the channel. A barge was
sent out with the health officer, with the
understanding that if it was a Confeder-
ate cruiser he was to make certain sig
nal. An exciting moment it was, all be-
lieVing that the vessel was Confederate,
particularly as 1t did not stop, but moved
directly on, passing the health officer and
steaIning into the harbor, while those
within the fort proposed to CLOSE the draw
bridge and fight 1T out with shot guns.
AS the steamer came up to the wharf, and
the uniforms of the Uni ted States artil-
lery were seen, shout went up; Fort
Jefferson was saved.
Guns cana, presently; then vessels
loaded with shot and shell, and gradually
the fine fortress, which had been almost
a quarter of p century in building, as
sumed warlike appearance. Soon after
the arrival of the first troops, it was gar
risoned with q regiment of volunteers
and during the war several regiments
were stationed there, among them the
One Hundred and Tenth New York
Forty seventh Pennsylvania, Seventh
New Hampshire, and detachments of the
First, Second, Third. Fourth, and Fifth
United States Artillery, and "Billy Will
sons Zouayes." At one time there was
also negro regiment.
AS soon as the war was we'll under way
q great prison Tor bounty jumpers, DESERT
ers, ETC., became necessity. Fort Jeffer-
son was selected, and became the famous
Dry Tortugas, about which SO much was
written. At one time there were eight or
ten hundred prisoners within its walls,
and guard of over thousand soldiers,
making population of, perhaps, $500 on
4 sandbank of thirteen acres.
Some remarkable characters were con-
fined in Fort Jefferson, and the prison life
was, all reports to the contrary, not
severe There were SO many prisoners
that all could not be kept at work,
Jnough an attempt was made when they
arrived to segregate them into trades and
make them work, SO that they had almost
precisely the same life that the paid engi-
neer workmen had. AS in all prisons,
there were some instances of cruelty.
The writer saw men walking in the
tropical sun with knapsack loaded with
bricks; one man was once Iashed up by
the thumbs behind his back until the
surgeon interfered, and ordered him
down, on the ground of humanity. But
in these cases the prisoners had attacked
Or threatened officers and had utterly re-
fused to obey orders. Dry Tortugas was
invested with many horrors in the North
ern mind by prisoners; but it was not the
place it has been pictured
The sand on which the fort stands is SO
shallow that by digging foot or two
anywhere salt water can be reached; and
IL. l.