The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
Including Coaling Depots, They Now
Number Thirty-Five, with Many
i'm Prospect.
ON THE FAR ALASKAN COAST
WE NOW HOLD KEY TO GULF OF
MEXICO AND CARIBBEAN SEA.
Matters Pertaining to Foreign Sta
lions Uncle Sam Keeps Secret
Mid-Pacihc stations.

Correspondence Of the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, April 2S.-By his acquisi-
ton Of 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 1895 is perhaps the
best index to our progress as a 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 them in many cor
ners of the earth. 1.-The establishment OF
naval coal depots in foreign waters involves
diplomatic considerations OF the highest or
der, and manifestly should not be discussed
in a report of public character" This is
the extent of the satisfaction which the
Navy Department will give TO seekers for
information on this point.
From icy Boring sea, across the equator
to the South Pacific now stretches the belt
of known stations and depots
Guantanamo, our newest naval station and
our only one on foreign soil. will be strongly
fortified, and a detachment of our seacoast
artillery will be quartered there the year
round. Uncle Sam will own the land imme-
diately 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 the
most important part Of the acquisition. Is
eleven miles long. north and south, and
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. Guantanamo
will include complete coaling depot in its
equipment Extensive coal docks will
straightaway be built there. The nearest
settlement to our garrison will be the little
village Of Caimanera, whence a railroad
reaches to the town of Guantanamo. A line
of railroad will directly connect 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 Havana 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 II is separated from the
gayeties 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 I'm
diameter This inner harbor will accommo-
date only small vessels. To enjoy the
neager 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 fort. and.
| as at Guantanamo. he will own the sur
rounding land. For some time Bahia Honda
will be utilized only as a place for the stor-
| age Of coal.
ATLANTIC AND GULF CHAIN.
A naval station proper is being estab-
lished at San Juan, Porto Rico. Recently.
by executive order. the area for the station
] has been greatly enlarged. But San Juan
can only be used by ships of small and
medium size, large vessels being forbidden
| the harbor by shoals.
So We now hold the keys TO both the Gulf
of Mexico and the Caribbean. Our naval
bases at Key West Dry Tortugas and
Bahia Honda will be three sentinels at the
gateway of the big gulf. Guantanamo and
| San Juan will guard the Caribbean. pos
sibIy with the aid of little Culebra. east of
| Porto Rico How. then. Is any vessel to
enter the istbmian canal from the east
without our say so?
From Key West and Dry Tortugas at the
| point of Florida our chain of naval stations
curves along tho northern coast OF the
| gulf, the locations being Pensacola and
New Orleans.
Ascending out Atlantic coast from Dry
| Tortugas we have our naval stations at
Port Royal. S. c.. Norfolk. Va. Washing
| ton, Philadelphia, Brooklyn. New London.
| Conn, Boston and Portsmouth. ~. III.
On the Atlantic the navy holds two points
exclusively coal depots. One Is at Mar
ragansett bay. Rhode Island. where a COM
plete equipment for coaling vessels Is now
being installed. When this is complete coal
will be conveyed by gravity 10 small craft
and lighters from bins erected out upon a
steel pier.
The northernmost Atlantic station which
| the navy holds is Frenchman bay. Maine.
| This is a coal depot proper and has but
recently been completed. With its new
equipment coal is handled at the rate OF
200 tons per hour and its great bins will
| store 10000 tons. The War Department
will shortly fortify the entrance TO French
man bay. the first OF our naval posts which
England would pass should she design to
swoop down upon US from her new naval
| station at st. Johns. Newfoundland.
| Our Pacific chain OF naval posts was re-
| Gently extended 10 Unalaska. midway In
the chain OF the Aleutian islands. which
separate Boring sea from the Pacific ocean.
Last June a tract OF twenty acres EXTEND
| ing entirely across the island from the
/ harbor TO the sea was formally transferred
from the Treasury Department 10 the Navy
| Department. by executive order. 10 be oc-
| cupied by a coal depot. The harbor here
/ is deep. the shore bold and there Is an
1 abundance OF fresh water. Uncle Sam II
erecting upon the site a wharf and coal
| depot with a capacity OF about 5000 tons
This Is the most isolated OF our naval
posts. but northeast Of 1t at sitka- Alaska.