The Republican., 1935-02-07
LONG DESERTED OLD FOR
TRESS NOW MADE PARK
Fort Jefferson, Built on Dry Tor
tugas Isle Off Florida Coast

ANoNy w GIlC 4NetGIOiAell L e1I n hOCl WIG
has history that is "at once glamor-
GUS, tragic and futile" says bulletin
from the Washington Cd. c. head
quarters of the National Geographic
Society.
''The Dry Tortugas lie some sixty
miles to the west of Key West, like an
afterthought to the main Florida
Keys" continues the bulletin. "These
isloated isles are nothing more than
seven low bars of wind-swept shell
and coral sand, sparsely covered with
small bay cedars and palms, encircled
by dangerous reefs and uninhabited
except for a few faithful lighthouse
keepers, and thousands upon thous-
ands of nesting sooty and noddy terms.
Forgotten Stronghold
"The fully Fashioned brick and stone
walls of Fort jefferson, on Garden
Key, once earned for it the nickname
Gibraltar of America Long obsolete
as a means of defense, the hoary
stronghold now has become Nation
al Monument by Presidential order.
despite its resoundi1g name, how
ever, the dismantled and decaying
Fort jefferson has played futile part
in military history. Built in 1916, it
was supposed to guard the ship lanes
between Cuba and Florida, but even
before it was completed the vast chan
mel was agreed to be a military mis-
take. 1t was garrisoned, however,
early during the Civil War and held
by Federal forces throughout the con-
flict, serving as a prison after 1868.
"No enemy gun ever poured shot
and shell into its barracks. A Confed-
crate gunboat sailed cautiously with
in range in 1861 but it was frightened
away when the commander of the fort
trained upon the warship his full COM
plement of guns-scarcely a dozen of
which were loaded.
Horror, Death, Once Reigned
Although it never figured in mill
tary action, the grim old stronghold
is no stranger to horror and death.
Within its moated walls yellow fever
suddenly appeared in August, 1867.
Both ways it spread from the bed of
the first patient. The whole side Of the
fort in which it broke out was evacu-
ated by the terrified garrison, and
closed off from the remainder by par
titions.
"But right and left of the aban-
doned gallery the men nearest the
partitions next fell i'll, and the plague
renewed its march. Hospital facilities
were overtaxed; deaths occurred daily
and immediate burials followed with
out ceremony.
"All officers, including the surgeon,
died, and for time direction of med
ical affairs rested with prisoner.
This was the unfortunate DR.. Samual
A. Mudd, who had been imprisoned
at the island fort because when awak-
ened in the dead of night at his Mary
land home below Wash ngton, he had
set the broken leg of stranger who
turned out to be John Wilkes Booth,
assassin of President Lincoln. DR..
Mudd courageously tended the sick
and dying until he, too, was taken i'll.
He recovered, and, because of his he
roic efforts, was granted a full par
don.
Used During War With Spain
"Fort Jefferson was finally aban-
doned in 1898, although it was tenn
porarily reoccupied by the American
troops during the Spanish-American
War. Since 1900 it has been ward of
the Navy Department. AS National
Monument it will be open to visitors.
Already a force of relief workers
has cleared up part of the courtyard
and is installing quarters for those
who come by boat or plane and wish
to remain overnight. Fort Jefferson
is one of the least-known bits of Am
erican domain, because under Navy
rule it was closed to all visitors, and
not even airplanes were permitted to
fly over it.
"The Dry Tortugas possess a great
many attractions for fishermen and
naturalists. More than 600 varieties
of fish abound in the clear waters off
it's enveloping reefs, and Bird Key
has long been national bird and tur-
tie refuge.
"Science remembers the Dry Tortu-
gas as the first place that natural
color photographs of fish were ever
made beneath the surface of the sea.
A National Geographic Society expe-
dition led by DR.. W. H. Longley, of
Goucher College, and Charles Martin,
chief of the Photographic laboratories
of the National Geographic Society,
succeeded in obtaining many realistic
pictures of parrot fish, porgies, hog
fish, French grunts, grey snappers,
ETC., in their natural feeding grounds
among the reefs.
"The Dry Tortugas owe the last
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