The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-10-06
QUAINT TONTUGuS.

"a was down at Dry Tortugas re-
Gently" said DR. c. -. McGruder, OF
the United States Marine Hospital Sr-
vice, chluoing 1T the St Charles Hotel
New Orleans, "aul ! don't know of a
more curious and interesting spot on
the whole South coast It's traditions are
fun OF rgmance. Ii used TO b pi-
rate rendezvous. YOU knoN. and later
on II was used for the same purpose by
smugglcrs. Twice In rCccuS years Dur-
led treasure has bsen found on the
coast. once ii was only handful or
coin worth less than 500. but the other
time oven s., 500 In gpld was discovered.
All in The legendary pieces OF eight.
For all anybody knows. they may have
been left there by Captain Kidd him.
self
THE Dry Tortugas OF The present
day continued Or McGrudcr is
government quarantine ana coailnS
station. ana the most conspicuous oD-
ject, of courss. Is the fort on the main
island Garden Key. IL covers ten acres.
which means all OF the island. except
some sandpits. and looming out OF that
tremendous deSOlauOn. with its nNe
tiers of solid masonry, it's huge bas-
tiuns IT'S great sally-ports and it's in
Vulnerable embraZures. bristling IN the
old fashioned cannon, IL is a strange
and impressive spectacle. A modern s.
inoh gun would knOC II all TO pieces,
but t '.Oks as massive as a mountain.
Inside is a small city. with quarters for
at least q thousand men IL has inn
mense barracks, a row OF ilne three
story houses for officers. and no end
of stOrerooms, subterranean galleries,
powder magazines and other buildings
belonging to q complete post. but no.
body lives there now except "A little
quarantine force and an old watchman,
whose principal duty Is 10 paint the
cannon once a year with asphaltum.
IF a man likes fishing and is any
thing Of an ornitholOgist. Dry Torlugas
is an ideal place 10 loaf for say week.
For some unknown reason. the seagulls
have from time 10 time out OF mind
made a nesting TNce Of one OF the
small neigbboring islands, and they
swarm there by countless thousands.
| clmned on Gulf Island flT a little
while last spring. and among many odd
experiences | recall one i'm particular.
! was going to my tent in the early
evening when | noticed a very large
and peculiarly marked seaguls seatedon
a log. The bird WAS weak and dropping.
and catching IL without difficulty, |
found it's throat split open clean into
the esophagus caused. | suppose, by
striking on some Jagged projection
while diving. / washed the wound,
sewed II up and SIT the bird back on
its log He staved there all that night
AMI all next day. but disappeared in
the morning. The following night l
was lying on my bunk. trying 10 go 10
sleep. when ! heard a noise and in
stalked the gun. The birds were SO
numerous and tame that il was no
unusual thing for them to walle right
In to FORAGE for scraps, but ! confess i
was greatly surprised to see my pa
tlent. lie took up position on box
and sat there rave and motionless un-
I'll nearly dawn, VIII he departed In
the same dgnified fashion that he en-
tered. | never saw him again. so I
flatter myself the operation was a sue
cess.
Sea fish OF all kinds abound i'm those
waters. They range from the enormous
barracoota to the beautiful little angel
fish. purple on the back and deep gold
on the belly. The best sport is TO spear
them with che two pronged grain, and
the Watchman, who Is native Indian.
is marvelously dexterous at IL. lie has
been i'm the service over thirty years.
and is a most interesting old chap.
One day while out fishing. he looked
down in the crystal -clear water and
saw The wreck OF what was evidently
| AN exceedingly old spanish ship iyine
| on the bottom. 1t had two rows ot
brass cannon, and likely as not II was
| one of the vessels OF he great Armada
that are known To have led to those
| waters ana were never heard OF again
During the war this old Indian was
| The taller of Or Mudd who was sen.
Go Dry Tortugas after the shooting OF
! President Lincoln. He is full OF Gu
rious stories and is a great companion
| for a fishing trip
Just now the government is erecting
| Immense coal sheds at ths main island.
and is also putting up a l0.000-gallon
| distilling plant to furnish fresh water
! to the ships of the navy The work was
| commenced during the recent war and
| is being actively prosecuted. Just why
| Dry TOrtugas was selected Is hard for
! an outsider To understand. the natural
/ inference being that the fortihcations
necessary TO protect the station could
| be used TO better advantage at some
/ port OF commercial imn)rtancs / dare
| say. however, that the naval experts
| regard the spot as point OF strategic
| value"