The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-22
KEY WEST is USELESS.
WOULD DE OF NO BENEFIT IN CASE
OF WAR.
hnrhor Not Deep Enough to Permit
Big ships TO Entcr-Its Use as
IA CoaIins station.

Key West, Fla, March 15.--Without
much apparent reason the war excitement
here seems gradually dying out The ma
yves of the little island are growing ao-
customed to the sight of moving and ar
mored ships and the cry of riot in Havana
has been relegated to the wolf cate
gerry. Crowds formerly found at the ram
shackle wharf where boats from Havana
are mcored, now may be seen at tie
pBrisa looking lazily at the sea o. Sitting
IDLY where the brezzes tan the palm trees.
Even the Cubans as they sip their agualate
exhibit an air OF lassitude, contrasting
strangely with their heated debating and
excits d eXultation of week ago. In short.
the Abnormal has become the normal.
The outward and visible signs of prep
araticns for conflict are still continued,
however, and the embers are stirred every
now and again by some wild rumors. Sit
uatsd, however, as Key West is. on the
very edge of tae United States and che 4k
by jowl with Havana, it is small wonder
that there is much speculation as {, what
would happen TO the island should war
with Spain ensue. An officer who Is FER
manently located here, In summing W tie
uses of this island in case OF war, SAD .
LAS far as | can see Key Vest would
Gaze Of war. 1t guards no Inlet and no
outlet. The recently received conslgnments
of tcrpedoes and the two new sand bat
teries will make it fairly good place
frcm q. defensive point of view, but unless
1t is protected by the fleet there is llttle
to prevent such ship as the Vizcaya she'll
ing it and remaining out OF harms way
AS a coaling station Key West is prac-
tically inutle, because the harbor Is not
nj "a entrance CT
any of our big ships. Old Fort Taylor,
big red brick relic OF the civil war, oacr-
ries a protection of the island, but 1t is CT
course practically dismantled.
"At Dry Tortugas the same conditions
prevail. There Fort Jefferson, which Is
over a mile in circumference, Is without a
garrison and out of date. IT vault be M
possible TO maintain garrison al mat
fort. AS n harhor Tortugas Is all right,
hn, for strategic purposes fail 10 SEE lis
availability.
Rear Admiral sioard has constantly rad
to this correspondent that he regre-'si MS
inability to get the big ships into Fey
West riarbor and besides coaling them at
-Tortugas. with far less trouble, ne could
then have them at his call In momon,
notice. TIE only two big ships hare, nc
flagship New York and the battles,p iowa.
are Obliged to lie six CIR seven miles cnt
srem land Dry Tcrtugas, where the H.
S,ana Texas and Massac husetts lie, is ever
sixty miles from Key West
The statements naturally suggest me
,dea that the concentration of such ~ se
fleet around Dry Tortugas and KY Wes'
is doubtful policy. With natural canton
Admiral Sicard, failed TIC state. wal Is
the fact, that the government is max is
Strenuous efforts to prepare Key Ne't for
emereencies and is employing every re-
source 10 fit this island for the eniy stra-
,egic position il could rightly ill, that rf
a coiling station. Extensive creislns
o-erations are 10 be undertaken without
delay , ra.,dsr,
ord s,nerintendcnt. respectively, OF fStw
York dredging company, arrived here some
little time ago 10 hasten the completion
n contracts which their comrany ma 70
furnish sand for Notifications here and 10
deeren the barbor.