The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-19
crsTou house AT KEY WEST.


mount are being constructed. These are
not completed yet, and even if they were
it would require many weeks to get the
guns mounted and ready for service.
Neither guns. carriages HOE 1nortaTs have
vet been received. Two batteries of heavy
artillery ere stationed there, but there is
no serviceable battery whose fire they can
direct.
Since thu early settlement of Key West
the government has made by fits and
starts some progress in The military de-
lenses of the island. In 1921 q company
Of United States marines were stationed
there and barracks erected for them,
fronting upon the harbor. These buildings
stood in q dilapidated condition until
about 1881, when they we're sold and re-
moved. In February of that year Major
James 81. Glassel, q. S. A., arrived in
command Of d detachment of two COM
panies Of infantry, lending to the purchase
OF about ten acres OF lind in the northeast
ern section of the city and the erection OF
suitable buildings for the accommodation
of the troops. In 1874 these structures
were also removed and the present spa
cious and ornamental buildings erected
thereon.
In 1916 Fort Taylor was commenced,
and SO much of the work as had been ac-
complished up to October, 1876, was by
the disastrous hurricane of that year
washed away, together with the light
house on the beach adjoining. The work
on Fort Taylor, although interrupted, was
not entirely suspended, and was so far
completed as to be available for garrison
purposes from 1861 to 1866. At present it
is being changed to meet the requirements
of the times.
The ineaIeulable advantages afforded by
the experience of the last war in having
and holding this karbor as a naval depot
and rendezvous for the gulf squadron
seems to have faded from the minds of
those charged with tie welfare of the ma
ton.
After tho commencement of the civil
war and during its progress a machine
shop an6 foundry were erected because in
dispensable to the operations of the hlock-
aiding squadron in these waters. During
tho anxious days accompanying the Vir-
ginius excitement in 1874 this shop was
the scene of the greatest activity, but, like
all other valuable government establish
ments on the island, it has been allowed
to become the holne of the land crab and
other anphibious creatures.
Between the federal building occupied
as a custom house and postofiee and the
marine hospital the sheds for the storage
Of coal for use of the naval vessels are To-
Gated. Considerable Judgment was dis
played in the selection of the location, be-
ing on the water front and easy of access,
although the facilities for handling the
coal cannot be said to be OF the best. In
stead Ut having a runway direct from the
fhets to the vessels the coal has to be
bauIed on cars several blocks to the wharf
connected with the naval depot, which is
both inconveniaTt and expensive. During
the last year additional land was purchas-
ed by the governments adjoining the pres
emit coal sheds.
The first impression q stranger gets of
Key West at s6e present time is that the
city has goas on q perpetual holiday spree.
Bunting Hiea from almost every house top.
and the eeless are about evenly divided
between Old Glory and the emblem of the
Cuban republic. People Of all classes and
ages wear pins or other symbols bearing
the motto "Cuba Libre,n and if Uncle
Sam would only nod consent or say moth
ing at all about it the 10, coo patriotic in
habitants Of this sea grit isle would skip
aeross the channel and tack the Queen OF
the Antilles to the star spapgled banner
Without any more fuss. Moro castle Is
only 81 miles from the government dock,
and our sysizt cruisers could cover the dis
lance il q little more than four hours