Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-04
ALL OVER THE EARTH
Adding New Links to Our
Chain of Naval Stations
AND CoALING DEP0TS
IN THE FROZEN NORTH AND IN
THE SOUTH PACIFIC:
Others for Which Negotiations Are in
Progress - A Rapid
Growth.
AND COALING DEPOTS

Copyright 1868 by John Elfreth Watkins, jr.)
BY his acquisition at Guantanamo. Cuba.
Uncle Sam adds the nineteenth link to his
chain of naval stations upon which the sun
never sets. BY his attainment of Bahia
Honda from the same island republic he
adds the sixteenth to his published list Of
naval coal depots-
Our naval stations have more than
doubled in five years. Their increase from
eight to nineteen since 1893 is perhaps the
best index to our progress as naval
power.
We can only conjecture as to the true
length of the chain of coal depots with
which Uncle Sam is peppering the map
For several years the government has been
negotiating to establish 81, them In many
corners of the earth. 1.-THE establishment
of naval coal depots in foreign waters In
wolves diplomatic considerations of the
highest order, and manifestly should not
be discussed in a report of public char
acter." This is the extent of the satisfac-
ton which the Navy Department will give
to seekers for information on this point.
From icy Boring sea, across the equa-
tor to the South Pacific now stretches the
belt of known stations and depots.
Our Cuban Stations.
Guantanamo. our newest naval station
and our only one on foreign soil, will be
strongly fortified and detachment of our
sea-coast artillery will be quartered there
the year round. Uncle Sam will own the
land Immediately surrounding and the spot
will be, to all intents and purposes, little
colony of the United States. We will find
the port already defended by Notifications
which were considered third in strength in
all Cuba. at the time of the Spanish war.
The bay. which. of course. falls to us as
the most important part of the acquisition,
to- low a~,1 ov,I
forms two harbors. The innermost, called
the Bay Of Joa. is shallow and choked by
alluvium from the entering streams. AS
do all our naval stations proper, Guam
tanamO will include a complete coaling
depot in it's equipment. Extensive coal
docks will straightway be built there. The
nearest settlement to our garrison will be
the little village of Cairnanera. whence
amo. line of railroad will directly con-
meet our coal docks with the backbone
railroad Of Cuba. Therefore our soldiers
will be in touch with the other cities Of
the island. By the way the bird flies Ha-
vana Is 500 miles distant from Guantanamo,
the latter being on the under side of the
island. facing Jamaica. and at the end
opposite from the capital city
An even more lonely post will be Bahia
Honda, although 1t is separated from the
gaitfes Of Havana by only some fifty miles,
1t is to the west of the capital and on the
same (northern) shore Of the island 1t Is
small, well sheltered harbor of from
three to six fathoms. The entrance is mar
row and intricate. The channel is two
miles long. north and SOUTH and opens into
an inner-locked basin. about one mile in
diameter. This inner harbor will accom-
modate only small vessels. To enjoy the
meager social life Of the town our soldiers
will have to travel six miles into the in
terror. At Bahia Honda Uncle Sam will
also come into the possession Of a fort and,
as at Guantanamo. he will own the sur
rounding land. For some time Bahia Honda
will be utilized only as place for the
storage of coal