Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-22
GIBRALTAR ROCK OF AMERICA
DRY TORTUGAS. THE DRILL GROUND
OF NORTH AMERICAN SQUADRON.
Site of the Most Southern Fort in
This Country-OIdtime Fortifica-
lions With n HistOry-A
Garrison Tragedy.

The concentration of the Atlantic squad
ron at the Dry Tortugas why Dry no one
knows, as it is very weD has drawn at
tention to a unique corner of the country,
which occupied an important position dur
ing the war. and from a strategic point of
view is to-day the Gibraltar of America.
The keys which constitute the TortuSas
group, writes a correspondent of the New
York Post. lie about sixty miles west OF
Key West, and form the extreme outer
end of the United States in this direction.
literally the jumpin5-off place-key West,
Havana and Tortugas representing an I'M
equal and suggestive triangle: From Tor
tugas a fast steamer can make Moro cas-
tie in a few hours.
Here on this sandbank. originally the
whim of the Gulf hurricanes, stands one of
the largest forts of the old type in the
and obsolete ideas. No more forcible Illus
tration of the wonderful advance in mod
this great fortress, with its three tiers of
guns. its carefully designed arches of brick.
its half-mile of iron-framed portfolios, and
of the white cruisers lying off its long pro-
tecting reef could reduce to a pile of
crumbling brick and mortar in an hour:
value to this country. and by the eXpend-
iture of more money could still be made a
fort which would defy the fleets of any
possible enemies.
The Tortugas group consists of a mum
Der of low keys-Long. Bush. East. Middle,
Bird. Sand. Garden and Loggerhead keys
being the principal ones. East Key is the
largest and L~oggerhead the longest. the
latter bearing the light. so well known to
all mariners who cross the Gulf. The en-
tire group is a coral reef. in almost the
center of which is Garden Key, thirteen
acres IN extent. Whch was selected as the
site of the most southern fort in this coun-
try.
Dangerous Channels.
Before the invention of long range guns
the island was well adapted for the pur-
pose, as it was the center of a most be-
wiidering reef. reached by a narrow and
circuitous channel. The main entrance is
is seen but a long line of rollers, which
break on a coral reef several miles in
extent. The ship channel enters here be-
tween East and Bush Keys. passes, Sand
and Middle Keys, then almost doubles on
itself. running by shoals which at extreme
low tide are almost bare. The chan
SHIPS Is length II in s width, a pIafs the la hnsei eruis i
ers would have difficulty in going in. if
indeed it We're possible. The channel IS
deer and a 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 affording ar outlet to
the southwest and northwest by Logger
head Key.
1t will be seen. then. that Fort jefferson
is a coral bank, in the center of Il great
lagoon, protected by coral reefs and sur
rounded by a complete miniature harhor.
1t was begun in 1s47 and was built mainly
by slave labor employed by the government
through the slaveowners in Key West. the
skilled masons being white men from the
North. The work is elaborate IN every
way: and how many millions were ex-
pended on its,walls it would be difficult to
state The different faces and parapets
are ARRANGED for 500 guns, many of which
are mounted. the others lying dismantled
within the walls.
The fort rises directly from the water,
all the available land being in the inter-
Tor, and is surrounded by a moat. with
the exception of one acre of mad land
for wharves and coalyards. Within the
fort are fine brick offices and mems quar-
tiers. tall buildings adapted to the climate,
which is intensely hot. At the present
time a small corporal's guard of a few
men constitutes the entire garrison. the
officer in charge being the surgeon of the
quarantine station.
Key of the Gulf
Tortugas is literally the key of the Gulf
and valuable as a coaling station and seat
of supplies during war. 1t could be brought
up to a state of comparative defense 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 a graded bank of sand and stone,
many feet thick: similar TO the bank which
constitutes the defense at Fort Wadsworth
Thus equipped. with an ~impenetrable sand
OF concerto bulwark. and supplied with dis
appearing guns. the old fort could again
take its place among the great fortresses
of the world.
The writer visited Fort jefferson first in
1859. when it was about half completed. 1t
had no garrison but an army of masons.
carpenters and laborers. and the govern
ment. while apparently opposed to the slave
system. was lavishly pouring money into
the Golfers of the Key West slayeowners.
Then came the war. and the writer we'll re-
| members the arrival of the first troops, for
he. with the late General 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.
and 1t 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 a gun mounted. and property valued at
millions of dollars was at their mercy. Dur
which had been sent for arrived. a steamer
hove in sight one day. coming directly for
the channel.
officer. with the understanding that If it
was a Confederate cruiser he was to make
a certain signal; An exciting moment it
Confederate particularly as it did not stop.
but moved directly on. passing the health
officer and steaming into the harbor. while
those within the fort proposed to close the
drawbridge and fight it out with shotguns.
As the steamer came up to the wharf and
the uniforms of the United States artillery
were seen; a shout went up; Fort Jefferson
was saved.
Guns came presently; then vessels loaded
with shot and shell. and gradually the fine
fortress. which had been almost a quarter
of a century in building. assumed a warlike
appearance. Soon after the arrival of the
first troops it was garrisoned with a regi-
ment of volunteers. and during the war
several regiments were stationed there,
among them the One Hundre and Tenth
New York. Forty-seventh PENNSYLVANIA.
Seventh New Hampshire and detachments
Fifth United States artillery and Billy
Wilson's ZouayeS." At one time there was
also a negro regiment.
4 War Relic.
As soon as the war was we'll under way
a great prison for bounty jumpers. desert
ers. ETC.. became a necessity. Fort Jeffer-
son was selected. and became the famous
Dry Tortugas. about which so much was
written. At one time there We're 500 or
1000 prisoners within its walls. and a guard
of over 1000 soldiers, making a population
of perhaps $500 on a sandbank of thirteen
acres.
Some remarkable characters were confin.
ed in Fort Jefferson. and the prison life
There were so many prisoners that all
could not be kept at work. though an at
tempt was made when they arrived tc
segregate them into trades and make then
the same life that the paid engineer work.
men had. As in all prisons, there were
some instances of cruelty. The write,
saw men walking in the tropical sun with
was once dashed up by the thumbs behind
his back until the surgeon interfered. anG
ordered him down. on the ground of hui
manity. But in these cases the prisoners
utterly refused to obey orders. Dry Tor
tugas was invested with many horrors ir
the Northern mind by prisoners: but it wa:
not the disagreeable place it has been pic