The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-03-05
BLUE PRINTS
OF BARRANCAS
WERE COPIED
STORY NOT DEVOID OF SOME
SENSATIONAL PHASES COMES
FROM MONTGOMERY WITH.
Err PLANS OF GARRISON WERE
SENT.

Blue prints of Forts Barrancas and
Morgan, forwarded from WASHINGTON
10 Cant. Ferguson. engineer in charge
OF the local fortification' work were
round Wednesday at the home of A
private citizen in Montgomery. when,
ny ali rules of the war department
tney should have been in the posses
SION of the engineers. Office and not
public property by any means. The
opinion is advanced that the plans.
sent by registered mail from Wash
:Egton, had been taken from the post
ONCE by unauthorized persons. and it
Was the further opinion that the plans
may have been copied At any rate.
thore is 30 suspicion attached to any
attache of the engineers office. and il
appears that the plans, once removed
and examined, were opened in detail
and then an attempt made to hide
mem. Inls is the way the Montgo-
cry Advertiser of Thursday morning
reports the case:
Blue Prints Removed
Discovery of missing plans, speci-
fications, and blue-prints of the South
ern coast, harbors and forts. includ-
ing Fort Morgan and Fort Barrancas.
which had been sent by registered
mail to the captain of the United
States engineers in Montgomery, was
made in Montgomery residence by
an attache OF the engineers Office.
While searching for deck of cards
in table in the residence of Mrs.
John Ham, on Washington street,
where he bearded, Ulysses Perry, re-
corder of the local United States en-
glneer's. office, was attracted by the
appearance of a blueprint. Further
investigation proved this to be a part
of a package addressed to his superb
or, Captain Harley B. Ferguson,
United States corps of engineers.
Mr.. Perry, perceiving the value OF
his discovery, placed the papers in
his pocket. and returned them TO
Captain Ferguson Wednesday morn.
ing.
Mrs. Ham could give no explana-
ton for the presence Of the papers
in her house, and declared that they
must have been placed there recent
ly, as they were not in the drawer a
few days ago when she had occasion
to open it. She knows of none who
could have taken them to her house.
Several of the attaches of the
United States engineers Office, it was
learned, are empowered to sign for
registered mail of official character
for Captain Ferguson. 1t was found
at the postoffice that some one had
signed for the registered package
signed for the registered package
containing the blue-prints, other than
Captain Ferguson. AS no suspicion at
taches to any member of his force,
the remaining conclusion is that a
stranger, having use for the specifica-
tjnrS nf h. 5nfa 90
lied himself with the local conditions
under which these are handled and
secured possession of them.
lnasmuch as it is not known yet on
what date the blue-prints were sent
from the war department at Wash
ington> it may may be possible that
sufficient time was given to make d
copy of the plans, and to have placed
them where they were found in an
effort TO divert suspicion from the
true source.
1t is understood that the Specifica-
tons of the defenses on the gulf coast
are sent to the United States engi-
neers Office annually for revision, and
it was for this purpose that they
were sent to Captain Ferguson at this
time.
Captain Ferguson and members of
his force, were reticent concerning
the discovery, and would offer no the
cries and would make no statements.
Tt is believed that official investiga-
ton of the disappearance of the pa
pers will be made.
Because of the Importance of their
possession by foreign nations. espec-
tally in times of war, a severe penal
ty follows the conviction of any per-
son who attempts 10 secure them by
illegal means.