The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-12

it is seen that each stands upon its own
little islet of sand and these three sand
keys are all That remain OF the Dry Tor
tugas. generation ago there were sew
erai other islands in the group, but the
gulf stream has washed them away. The
sharp eye OF the navigator, however, sees
that only the sandy tops have disappeared,
leaving the dangerous formation close to
the surface. With its double row of ragged
portfolios, It's six great bastions, each
large enough to be a fort I'm itself. and Its
broad, granite-wa-ied moat. Fort Jeffer-
son looks far more imposing than the
modern fort Of earthworks.
Cost of the FortiReation.
Congress made the first appropriation Of
$4,000 for the construction OF the fort in
1874, and the work was begun in 1886.
Garden Key, upon which IL stands, was not
as large as the fort that was designed, and
several neighboring islets OF sand werc
taken up by the sh;pioad and deposited
upon It's beach to give solidiy to the foun-
dation OF granite blocks that reaches far
down into the coral. For fifteen years the
work dragged slowly on. and at the out
break of the war the fort was still incom-
plete and hardly defensib.e. When 1t was
first garrisoned. in the winter of 1s6osl,
II had cost 81. 400 900: for every brick In it's
eight-feet thick walls every block OF gram
lite. even the earth for the five-acre lnc.os-
ure within the walls. had to be carried by
sea from New York ard other Northern
ports. As soon as the war department de-
ternined to use it for a military prison
congress began TO lavish money upon it,
In 1850 and 1861 s25O.Ooo was appropriated.
On the Goth OF February. 1862. a bill APP
propriating s2o00o was passed: and on the
same day another for 100000; and later
In the day third. total Of half mill
lion dollars IN a single day. As the fort
filled up with prisoners many of them OF
importance. X was proposed 10 enlarge
the accommodations by building an an
mex fort on the adjoining Eird Key, and
s65a,0oo more was appropriated for the pur-
pose. But this project was abandoned at
ter the pans had been made. and the
money was used upon the original struc-
ture. The last appropriation was made i'm
1873. and the garrison was withdrawn in
1873. Up to that time the structure alone
had cost s., sg5 oca. The sole representative
of the army In the fort for years was
Ordnance Sergeant William Keller. who
painted the old columbiads with coal tar
once year.
Enclosures OF the Fortress
Since 1883 Fort Jefferson has been used
as federal quarantine station, under the
charge OF DIR. r. ID. Murray, and in the
summer months Il eouid be visited only
with his permission. The adjutant general
of the army describes the fort as "a
double-easemated, hexagonal structure of
brick. standing on Garden Key. Tortugas
the most southwestern part of the Florl-
ia reefs, In latitude "a degrees 81 minutes
Il seconds north longitude s. degrees 50
minutes So seconds west" In 1854 he adds.
'It contained about go prisoners. The
key contains seven acres. FIVE OF which are
within the walls OF the fort. The average
height of the key above the sea is three
and one-half feet, bat an excavation over
two and half feet develops the primitive
coral and the salt water of the gulf"
The landing place is in front OF A wood
en- structure. IN which is the tumigating
apparatus % the quarantine station. and
a wooden bridge leads across the fsty-
fo0t-wide noat up 70 the heavy granite
portal. steam launch and severed smaller
auara ntin. baats float peacefully IN the
roat. and in dozen steps from the en-
trance the visitor is within the fort On
every side stretch away the long rows OF
classmates. one above the other. I'm as good
condition new when tirSt built The
fort proper is too solid = structure to be-
come ruin In anything less than censu-
ries. The only signs OF decay ever eyiden
have been in che wooden galleries to give
access To the barbette magazines, EXTEND
Ing IN front OF what civilian would call
the roof OF th@ fort. These have been
weakened by age. and ocea sionaiiy a hur-i-
cane has blown one down. To the righ,
Is cottage tor the keeper Of the Torsu-
gas Harhcr light. which shines from the
top o. cue OF the eassions. aad beyond this