davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03
Strategic Value
OF Old Dry Tortugas.
Great Work to Be Accomplished at the
Gibraltar of America===The Occu-
patton of Fort Jefferson.

mel is deep, of rich blue color, in
strong contrast to the reef 1t turns
gracefully around Garden key, passing
between it and Long key, then past
Bird key, thus completing the circuit
and affording an outlet to the south
west and northwest by Loggerhead
key.
Tort Jefferson is, therefore, coral
bank in the centre Of a great lagoon,
protected by coral reefs and surround
ed by a complete miniature harbor.
Rising as it does directly from the sea,
it looks like a floating castle. The sand
on which the fort stands is so shallow
that by digging foot or two anywhere
salt water can be reached, and during
heavy storms it has risen SO that one
couud float about on raft within the
fort. Nevertheless the parade ground
in the centre was covered with grass,
and little lawns of Bermuda grass were
seen in various yards. The path from
the sally port, where there is draw
bridge, and to the officers quarters was
fringed with tall cocoa palms and but
tonwoods, while in various parts Of the
key cocoanuts grew and f1ourished,
their roots deep in the salt water The
cottages of some of the officers were
covered with vines, thus presenting an
attractive appearance and fully Justl-
flying the name of Garden key.
Each easement on Fort Jefferson
was over a cistern. During the civil
war, when it was additionally used as
a base of operations against the Con-
federate States and 1000 men had TO
be furnished with water, the supply
gave out, and a condenser was kept
running day and night to supply the
demand.
The old fort shows the wear and
tear Of time and weather. Guns which
were never fired are disnlantled, the
roofs of bastions have been blown
away by hurricanes, and the useless
gun carriages stand like ghosts crack
ing in the sun. 1t is a picture of des-
olation and decay. Uncle Sam has
been criminally negligent of this post,
which holds the key to the gulf, COM
manding entirely the northern ap-
proach, and which can be used as a
base for feet operations against Cuba.
It is valuable as coaling station and
seat Of supplies during a war. The
place OF late years has been nothing
more than a quarantine station, and
the marine hospital service has had
its disinfecting plant there. The War
Department, however, is to resume
charge Of it, and new health sta
ton will probably be established on
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

"dry." They have length northeast
and southwest of ten miles and a
breadth collectively of six. Their ex-
act location, which is in the Gulf of
Mexico, is latitude 240.37 north and
longitude SO west.
The islets, which are of coral forma-
ton, are low and barren except where
partly covered with mangrove and
small cedar bushes. On Bush Tor Gar
DEM key is Fort Jefferson, which in
1870 had garrison of SO men, but ever
since yellow fever few years ago car
ried away SO many victims, nearly ex-
terminating a battery of artillery, the
place has been left under the charge Of
an ordnance sergeant.
A lighthouse known as the Tortugas
ETarbor light is on this islet, inside the
fort. and Loggerhead Key lighthouse,
at the western edge of the group, is
152 feet above the sea and visible for
1S1hnautical miles. There are three
entrances to the harbor, named the
northwest, southwest and southeast
channels. During the civil war the
fort was used as a penal station for
Confederate prisoners, and In 1860
O'Laughlin, Arnold, Spangler and DR..
Mudd, who were found guilty by MI
litary commission of participation in
the assassination of Lincoln, were con-
Aned there. The first died there,
Spangler served out his term of i'm
nrisonment, and the other two were
hardened by President Johnson.
ksaugyer worked about Baltimore as
f. drunken csrpecter till his death in
fh- rar1y seventies, and DR.. Mudd re-
newed his home practice in ST. Mary's
county Md, until his decease a few
wears ago. A cousin of his family Is
one of the present Republican Con-
rressmen from that State.
prisoners under sentence Of court
martial were often confined there. The
antire Tortugas group consists prin-
cinally of Long, Bush. East, Middle,
Rird Sand and Loggerhead keys, of
which East is the largest and Logger
had the longest, and in almost the ex-
,ct centre of which is Garden Cor
nmsbI ~ acres in extent. The main
entrance is from the east. From
distance nothing is seen but long line
If rollers, which break on coral reel
several miles in extent me snip
shsnnel here enters between East and
pnsh KEYS. passes Sand and Middle
IAws then almost doubles on itself,
-,nning by shoals which at extreme
-, tide are almost bare. The chanel
- 81 some places hardly ships length
- uidth. and large cruisers would nave
nima,,Itv in entering, even If it were
nossihle for them to do SO. Inc cnan-
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

nanv there are always banjo plunkers'
and guitar and mandolin thrummers IN
Vulnerable up forward" but in the me
Of higher grade music there are few good
sized ships in the American navy lnaU
can not produce one or more eXceheHl
violin or either players.
Here is a. peculiar story:
young Pole of a noble family shipped
as a landslnan on an American warshlp
at Gibraltar a few years ago and be-
fore he had been aboard "a hours he had
all the officers aft as we'll as the men
forward in a trance over his violin play
ing. He did not have vrofln Of his own
it was in pawn somewhere in ltaly-but
he played on the one belonging TO an
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

err, a, dismantled wreck, seems only a
hideous, protruding snout the lower jaw
of a sulky bulldog
Then there is the storing of provisions
done mechanically by those huge, lean
arms, cranes and sweeps that swing to
and fro and drop their burden within the
ships hold.
A few months ago the greatest activity
prevailed at the Mare Island navy yard
but at present the work is of the ordinary
kind, in strong contrast TO some of the
eastern yards The Philadelphia arrived
there last fall, was placed in the dry
DOCK, cleaned, painted, dfsmantled and
stripped of her last gun and then lowed
into the stream, where she presented
pitiable spectacle, g. sorry looking hulk
Her great barbettes, through which her
6 and s-inch rifles once protruded men
acingly, now resemble the eyeless sock
cts of some monster. And yet she is one
Of our best armored ships. The cruiser
Charleston and the gunboat Yorktown of
the new navy are also there. The latter
is anchored in the stream ready for in
slant service, while the first named is
tied up to the quay, a seemingly hopeless
tangle of beams and rigging The Adams.
battery of smoothbores, is now in the dry
dock with a. large gang of men at work
inside and outside getting her in readiness
for service as a training ship.
Close to the dry dock alongside the
quay wall is the old iron ship Ranger,
with a few men at work upon her. Near
by lies the wooden ship Pensacola, which
is receiving the finishing touches prepar-
ship TO be stationed at San Francisco.
The historic old frigate Hartford, which
has made it's last voyage, now lies astern
the Pensacola and IS dismantled. I'M
slightly 'old tub to use sailors phrase
ology
The Mohican arrived there on the
5th and dIocked at the quay astern of the
Charleston. The battleship Oregon (1r5t-
class arrived there a short time ago from
her anchorage at Puget So@nd naval sta
ton and left on March 10 Tor Key West.
Last November nearly 1,200 men were
employed at the yard and worked over
time. AT present there are LOIS workmen
engaged as carpenters, joiners, calkers,
machinists and laborer..
Captain Henry Glass, y. S. N, is now
acting as commandant of the yard owing
to the indisposition of Admiral Kirkland,
who is the senior rear admiral of the |
navy.
AIBERT P SOUTHWICK.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

has little idea of the enormous amount OIL
fr;ft that collects on a seagoing vessefs
buI,-uil1ions of tiny shelish, barnacles'
1ubo1ks minute clamlike mollusca, para
sites Of every description-against the
gathering, of which there is no known
,,,eventjve A three months cruise Will
fou1 anv shin-wood, iron or steel-to such
am extent that her speed VIII be nalellal-
" decreased and her e1hclehcy aiilpaiieu
And docking is always an expensive a.
fair. the cost of which ADDS largely 10
the financial maintenance OF our navy.
A cruiser out of water is q queer look
ing object. Her grace, her Hghthess' her
appearance of speed and agility vanish
when she is in the drydock. she looks
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

taken to Garden key by sea. The fort
is hexagonal in shape. and at each an
gle is a bastion. lsle curtain walls
have a double tier of easements and
the whole work if fully armed, would
have mounted about 500 of the old
time guns. The anchorage harbor to
the northwest of Garden key is 1 by
11a miles in area, with a depth OF
from 81 to 71a fathoms of water and
excellent holding ground"
Many relics of piratical days have
been found there in the form of ships
guns, both iron and brass, and many
coins of all countries of both silver
and gold. To-day it is valuable as an
ideal naval station.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

Father Healy, the famous priest, noted
for his wit, was one very wet winter
night sitting at home over the fire when
a, little girl named Flanagan, the daugh-
ter, of the toughest man in the county,
came in to tell him her father was doing
wild work" Very unwillingly he put
on his heavy shoes and macintosh and
tramped through the mud to the Flanni-
gan cabin and found the neer do we'll
in bed sleeping off the effects of his de-
bauch Nor had he done any particular
harm.
Father Healy was very angry at his
being dragged out for nothing, and as
he stood over Jim's bed he vented his
first wrath upon him with every epithet
that the priestly vocabulary could supply.
Jim remainedj covering and silent AT
last he protested "Ah, go away, your
riverince! I'm in no fit shtate to listen
to your howly voice!'
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

in the ward live. 4 little steamer, the
Ellen. niles between Mare Island ana
tha town for the accommodation OF
officers and men. Benecia, a few miles
auav is where John c. Heenan qua
some if his training for the puglilstlc
ring and where he had a piachsn ~
shop, said to be still IN existence. NC
mountains Of the Sonoma Valiey group
from a background to the place. ne
island derives its English name rom
the fact that a Spaniard raised mares
on It for breeding purposes
Entering the Golden Gate from the
Pacific, there is Alcatraz island, IN phe
middle of the channel. covered with a
fertilization, besides the islands OF An
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03
copyright. 1881

While our Atlantic coast navy yards
are more or less generally known to
people east Of the Rocky Mountains
the single one on the HfAific coast does
not have the prominence it deserves.
1t has been slighter by some admins
trations, and its distance from Wash
ington seems to have retarded its prop
er development and care.
Of our seven Quitting stations the
League Island (Philadelphia) navy
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03
(Copyright. 1887

\SOpyIlSHl, 1891
The concentration of the Atlantic
squadron (the most formidable fleet
assembled in tropical waters by the
United States since the civil war; at
the Dry Tortugas, within eighty miles
OF Cuba and ITO of Havana, has drawn
special attention to this unique corner
OF our country, which from a strategic
point of view is to-day the Gibraltar
OF America.
The Dry Tortugas is a group of ten
islets, or keys (from the Spanish word
cayes), forming a part of Monroe coun-
ty, Fla, at the extremity of the Flor
Ida Keys, 100 miles southwest of Cape
Sable and 70 miles from Key West.
The population is generally indefinite,
the highest number years ago being
about $50. There is an excessive clus-
ter Of sunken reefs and shoals, and
the ten above water are thus called
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

Men of unusually fine education and
accon7plis hment very often drift into the
United States navy and it is this class Of
men who furnish the better order of in
strumental music aboard war vessels that
are not blessed with bands, and only nag
shins have them. In a large ships COM
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

Az horses are few in Cuba it would be
necessary for the United States govern
ment to transport them for the use OF
the cavalry, and the Texas pony has long
been recognized as the best breed for this
purpose.
But our naval force is sufficient to lay
every city in Cuba in ruins after a rev
hours bombardment. and an army is only
an auxiliary to complete the subjugation
of that gem of the Antilles.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

irish marine whose musical ability con-
sisted only in his rendition Of The Rakes
o. Mallow'' and The Devils Dream"
This young Pole was simply master OF
the violin. When the ship on which he
served returned to the United States, he
was permitted to leave the service. and
now he is Trevinck, the we'll known violin
instructor of Chicago but he was not
Treyinck IN the navy.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

like d fish on land or seal on barrel
a thing amphibious, clumsy and slow
moving, Her dignity has disappeared.
There is too much incline to her bow and
stern, her screws and rudder look trifling
ard inadequate, ard her ram. her fornid-
able forefoot, capa bic of administering the
kick that brushes in the ribs OF her adver-
sary, and sends her TO Dayy Jones lock-
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03
FASHIONABLE HOUhS'

Tit-Bits. -. :
The fashionable folk OF Edward Nv
Court rose with the lark. dispatchea .'N =. ]
dinner at II O'Clock, and shortly al'eI
were wrapped In slunIber. In the AoF'l1
cumberland House Book for 15l2 II IS Il
forth that the family rose at IN ''s
morning. breakfasted at Z, dined az " 1--
supper at in the Afternoon. Ihe ga
were all shut at 8, and no further iiB''s'
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

gel and Yerba Buena, while there is
another at Fort Point, on the south
side of the Gate. The name San Fran
cisco bay is often extended over San
Pablo bay. which is nearly round and
ten miles in diameter, though there is
d strait three miles wide connecting
the two. The last named receives
from the east through CarQuinez strait,
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

or egress was permitted In lo''' a. )
University Of Oxford, Il Was - ~. A.,
dine at II o'clock and sup al' Il. u rs
ternoon. The dinner hour. ""-,5,,s.>
once as early as 10 O'Clock, AaA ,,-,,,a
iy got later ard later. until NOV" -. srtor,
be thought very eccentric in the ..s'. ~,
able world to sit down 20 ~ 9tbeS
her than half-past 7 clock N'-'''
extend, it 10 8.
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

yard, with its 923 acres, is the largest,
but Mare Island, with its TAI acres, is
next in size. Incidentally the Brook
lyn yard, perhaps the most important
and which has been in existence since
1901, occupies only $50 acres.
Mare Cor Napa) Island is p miles
from San Francisco, northeast and in
land, opposite the town of Vallejo,
where most of the workmen employed
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

THE AMERICANS ONCE OCCUPIED
HAVANA CITY
Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03
A SAILOR VIOLINIST.

ALBERT P. SOUTHWICK
The age-herald., 1898-10-21
HYsrBRIA NOT CHRIsTIANITY

From the New York Evening Journal.
 During the sensational meeting at Car negie hall at which Rev. A. B. Simpson raised in cash and pledges $1120OO for for eign missions he made this remarkable statement in referring to the progress Of Christianity made possible by the parti- ton of China:
 ''God pounded at the gates with the bat tie axe of war, and is now softening the blows with the discipline of famine"
 In other words, minister of the Gospel solemnly informed an audience Of Chris tian people that God had taken sides with Japan against China in the recent war and that the all-merciful and ah-wise Creator, to further chasten heathen nation, had cursed the land with famine and starved thousands of innocent wom n and children And all for the purpose Of introducing the Gospel of the lowly Naza- rene among the followers of Confucius.
 Let us be merciful to the Rev. Simpson It is charitable to conclude that the frenzy of enthusiasm into which he threw his hearers became flood tide that swept hlm from his logical rational moorings.
 The Rev A. B. Simpson Is no doubt a worthy and devout man, but he has not cultivated the habit of careful speaking and sound thinking.
The age-herald., 1898-10-21
NEW YORK IS DEMOCRATIC

From the New York Journal.
 The voice of the metropolis is echoed by
 the whole state. The Journal showed the
 other day, by careful poll of over one
 fifth of the voters of Greater New York,
 that Van Wyck would cross the Bronx with
 more than S6,Oo0 plurality over Roosevelt,
 and that if he maintained proportionate
 strength throughout the rest of the state
 he would be elected by over 5000. Today
 it presents the proof that there was noth-
 ing exceptional in the metropolitan
 strength of the democratic candidate, but
 that it prevails in equal vigor from Lake
 Erie to Montauk.
 The Journal has caused accurate polls to be taken in the first ten cities of the state outside of New oYrk, and it finds the con- dtions here reproduced in all of them. These ten cities, in the democratic year 1S91-the year of the last normal state elec- tion we have had-gave Flower S2,955 votes, against 7S, ,520 for his republican competitor. This year the poll indicates a vote in them of 97 ,05S for Van Wyck to 77,96S for Reose- welt.
 If we should figure on the canvass in the cities alone we should have the certain promise of such a democratic landslide as that which buried Folger in 1882. But to be absolutely safe we balance these solid sta ustical calculations with the most cautious
  and the result is still a democratic plurali- ty of not less than S5,Oo0 That is the ire ducible minimum. Van Wycks margin may be anything above it.
 There has been nothing more astonishing in politics than the speed with which the Jonah's gourd of the Roosevelt boom has grown an dwithered. It sprang up after the charge of San Juan and it reached
 mammoth proportions when the daring Rough Rider shook his fist in the face of a recreant administration and demanded that the army ruined by the incompetence
 of Mckinley, Alger and Shafter should be sent home before 1t perished. At that time there was only one man that
 could have barred Colonel Roosevelts way
 to any office he desired. That man was
 Colonel Roosevelt himself.
 Since then the work of disiIlusion has
 been proceeding rapidly, and concurrently
 Judge Van Wyck has been growing in pop. uiar favor. The people are realizing that he is safe candidate, if not a spectacular one, and they know he can be depended ns,on to second their desires in two mat sers exceedingly close to their hearts home rule and the punishment of the thieves that have grown up under the shelter of the Black administration. Hence
The age-herald., 1898-10-21
Education and Pauperism.

Of the paupers in the south central is placed. 63 per cent. cannot read and write, per cent. can read only, and only 21 per cent. can both read and write. Of the pauper negroes in this group 93 per cent. cannot read and write, per cent. can read, and only a trife above per cent. can both read and write
 By carefully computing the chances of pauperism, MT. Cunningham, principal of the Birmingham high school, finds that those who can neither read nor write have pers to five chances of those who can read only-to one chance of those who can both read and write. Grouping those who can neither read nor write, and those who can read only, as iliterates, it is seen that they have more than ten chances to be- come paupers to one chance of the liter ates. or those who can both read and write.
 Excluding the insane, the blind the deaf and dumb, the paupers the maimed it is also seen that education reduces the num- Der who accept benevolence. In the gen. eral population of the United States the illiterate have three and one-half opportu- mites to become objects of charity to the literates' one. Even the illiterate negro has almost two opportunities to become a charge of charity to the literate negros one, and in the south this chance is in- creased to two and one-half to one
 In few words, education lessens the chances of pauperism and diminishes the number of objects of charity. The figures of the United States absolutely demon strate these truths.
 Shall the lesson these facts and deduc- tions teach be needed in Alabama? This is question that rests on the conscience and the intelligence of the approaching general assembly.
The age-herald., 1898-10-21
France and EnqIand.

The Fashoda incident and the Dreyfus case are to some extent, tangled. The military clique doubtless would at this juncture welcome a war, provided they felt sure of winning glory and prestige in it. And before the war point is reached, the army men may utilize the Fashoda trouble to the embarrassment of the civil govern ment which is endeavoring to reopen the Dreyfus case, and incidentally to humliate the army clique This effort to render the government unpopular has been met by some activity at the navy yards, and in the and the French government are, in other words "playing politics."
 It does not mean war. France is in no condition to fight England. Her army is probably in the condition of the other navies of Latin countries. She has an enormous debt, and she has, too, plenty of internal questions that need attention.
 An unsuccessful war would leave her all most as fiat as Spain is today. England would seize every one of her colonies and batter her ports, and whip every fleet that she might send to the open sea. whether Russia came to her aid or not Russia s fleets are poor affairs. The Russian is a poor hand at sea. He fights doggedly enough on theland, but on the water he has no record, and is probably incapable of ,,ai,;,a a oradita h1e one
 The French people of today are leve- headed They are not as impulsive as they once were. The German war was a severe lesson, and they have not forgotten it. They have men who are capable of estimating the probabilities of any war that may con- front their country, and the conclusions of these men will be heard and needed If France could whip England at sea, war might be considered possible, even proba- ble, but France cannot do that, and she knows 1t. There will, therefore, be no war between the two countries that have been at peace since the days of Waterloo, eighty years ago.