Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-16
FORT NIAGARA TRAINING CAMP
IS RICH IN HISTORICAL LORE
Harrsburgers Find Location Ideal; Food Especially
Good; "Breakng-in Period" Being Passed With
Few Aches and Pains

French fiag-fioated over Fort Nj
Under their dominion over the
post the fort was considerably
strengthened and much of the works
now standing are of French con-
struction. In 1875 they erected a
elockhouse which still stands. A
few years later they succeeded in
still further fortifying the place by
a ruse. They induced the Indians to
JOIN party on hunting trip in
land, and when they returned the
first story of what is known as
the French Castle, massive three
story stone buildingA had been COM
pleted. Nearby they\had also plant
ed three Lombardy poplars, brought
! here from France. These trees.
massive in their perpendicular mai
esty, still stand close to the shore of
Lake Ontario.
1t was not until 1859 that the
British succeeded in regaining pos.
session of the post. Two years pre-
vious to this. an expedition under
Colonel Braddock. of Revolutionary
fame, started west through New
York State for the purpose of re-
taking Fort Niagara. They met de-
feat at the hands of the Indians. In
TINS expedition was George Washing
ton, who later became the first pres
ident of the United States.
Anticipating trouble with the Brit
ish, the French strengthened the
post. and the earthworks they erect
ed at this time still remain.
The British column with the In
| dian allies. under command of Sir
William johnson, numbered one
soned by five hundred French and
Indians, and after a short siege the
French surrendered, and the French
flag was forever banished from this
section.
Once in possession of the post, the
British Immediately began strength
ening the fort. Buildings were erect
ed. Several of them femain to-day.
but in the main the inner works are
practically the same as when the
British wrested 1t from the French.
The British retained undisputed pos
session of the past until thirteen
years after the close of the Revolu-
ton.
1t was not until June 1, 1895. that
the Union Jack was hauled down
from Fort Niagara, and Old Glory
run to the top of the masthead
This was through disputes as to the
right to give title to the land. Di-
rectly across the river. in Canada,
Union Jack has floated continuously
since about the time the British
wrested Fort Niagara from the
French. 1t is on these grounds that
thousands of Canadian troops now
in the trenches in France received
their training.
Prison of Morgan
One OF the buildings at Fort Nj
agara, a powder magazine built by
the British. was for three days the
! prison home of one William Nor
gan, who in 1926 attempted to pub
| lish a pamphlet exposing the secrets
| OF Masonry. 1t was on the night OF
] September 13, 1926, that Morgan, ac-
| companled by three others, entered
| the fort, then unoccupied, and Nor
! gan was locked in the stone building,
which contains but one window. He
disappeared from there, and the
supposition, although never proved
is that he was taken out into Lake
/ Ontario and drowned. This fact has
never been proved. Neither has his
disappearance ever been satisfac.
torily explained.
AS a result of this disappearance
an anti Masonic agitation swept the
country, entering local. state and
even national politics. Such was the
fUrore which swept the country thai
many arrests were made and three
men were tried on charges of com.
plicity in the abduction of Morgan
convicted and sentenced.