New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-04

GENERAL FRANK HAS MADE A FAVORABLE
prpnp.r TO TIE WAR DEPARTMENT.


Tho prospec, IS excellent FOR the establishment
81 a great military camp on Montauk Poin'. tho
extreme easicriy end Of Long Island The region
t. now m unoccupi"d ono practically Tor an *
tent o, nearly a hundred square miles East OF
Amagansett, tho last village. the character 81 inc
region changes greatly from that ~ all the res
on tho South side ~ Lone Island. save the SHINE
cock HIS near Southampton. There Is stretch
~ sand interpreted with patches Of woodland FOR
a few miles from Amagansett. and then rolling
country of grars-covercd trceless hills, extending
for a dozen rrcs In length ard from TWO 10 hfe
miles In breadth IN the lighthouse AT the cX-
IRENE cnc n tho island
In this entire stretch % country there are only
three houses known respectively. according 10
their distance from civilization az the First House.
the Second House and the Third House save
group Of half dozen cottages and clubhouse
AT one point on tho South Side These cottages
were built boy men Ike Alexander +. orr the late
Arthur : Benson and other wealthy residents of
Brooklyn who spent a few seasons there until
their families refused 20 give up the socia At
fractions OF other places for the isolation OF this
remote and then practically inaccessible part Of the
world Since the li;tle social settlement was given
up tho railroad has been extended from Amagan-
soft 10 Fort Pond Ray. within eight miles Of the
poirt Itself and there are plans 10 extend It still
further eastward II there Is any demand for It's
facilities
For, Pond Ray is deep-water inlet from tn"
ocean. with forty feet depth al its wharves. and
Is safe anchorage for great navy. 1t was hero
,hs, the late Austin Corh.n proposed 20 establish
the port FOR hts line Of ocean steamships. and 10
make the trip 10 Milford Haven. on tho, north
coast 81 ireland. in Ave days. and 70 run fast
express trains over he Long Island Railroad from
this city 70 connect with the vessels crossing the
Atlantic The scheme never advanced beyond the
paper stage but its possibilities still exist In
connection with the For, Pond Bay scheme. Mr..
Tpr iZed n
tank Land and Improvement, Company. which owns
Ave thousand acres OF land extending from the
bay on the north 10 the ocean on tho south II
Is this property which has been offered 10 the Gov
eminent on favorable terms as camp site TO
m. eastward extending 10 the Mon,auk Light
house IL n tract ~ two thousand acres owned nv
tho heirs Of the late Arthur W Benson. who AT
one tim. owned the entire region To the westward
Of the tract owned by the Montauk company Is
tract Of score or more square miles. also oe-
longing n the Benson estate The only use 10
which the land has been put since the Montauk
tribe Of Indians occupied 1t s the pasturage Of cat
tie save n few fishing shantles. where men live
n, certain seasons Of tho year to net the fish which
ore found in great abundance on the ocean side
General Frank who went on Thursday with
Colonel Gilllss and President Baldwin Of the Long
Island Railroad Company 10 visit Monfauk Point
wns under orders TO the War Department to inves-
tieate and report the desirabty OF the region
for the encampment OF volunteer troops. He for
warded a favorable report Yesterday, md II was
rrderstood that he would be directed to estab
lIeh such a camp forthwith. II has been the in
,ention OF The War Department for some time 10
have n camp ut Montauk Point. provided a large
army Of reserve troops was TO be esta bllshed for
the summer I'm the Department OF the East IL
uiu he under the command OF Brigader- General
pennington who Is In command al Camp
BLACK Hampstead Plains. The suggestion has been
made that as the name Camp Alger has been APP
nlled 10 the place where troops are massed In
Virginia the name Camp Merritt should be given
70 The Montauk Point encampment. In honor OF
tho new Governor General OF the Philippines who
ia organizing the expedition 10 aid Admiral Dewey.
An Army officer who Is familiar with the mat
ter said yesterday:
"Erom what | know ] am convinced that Mon
,,uk Poin, ia Just the place for n great summer
ANN No one can go to the region and fall 10
h "onvtnced OF that fact. II possesses every merit
Jos,ahle for n camp site The ground Is high and
roiiinc ca siy drained and consequently healthfd.
The breezes from the ocean on the one side and
f;ardiner's Bay the other blow freely acr1e II.
re ore large fresh water ponds for bat. as
well as the salt water on both sides Excellent
S,Ink;nr water can be obtained by driving pipe
et,nen or twenty feet into the soil. and the supply
nannot be pumped dry Every facility for drill
ond military evolution In afforded by the alrerna-
ton ~ level and broken ground. There Is room for
oW nc ride practice needed by an army OF 10000.
The high NILS afford sites for signal stations from
Witch New. London and Newport, Block Island.
Eisher.s Island and the Shinnecock Light can be
nen II /. absurd to say that Spanish gunboats
could approach and shell the camp. The buns
sc TOO bigh for them 10 use their guns at close
even their could he seen