
The Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands, located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA, about 70 miles or 110 kilometers west of Key West which were discovered in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon. The islands get their name from their distinctive characteristics: ''Dry'' because none of the islands has fresh water and ''Tortugas'' because their low mound shape resembles tortoises (Spanish (language) ''tortugas'') sunning themselves. The islands are home to Dry Tortugas National Park, and are only accessible by boat or seaplane. They are not related to the Caribbean island of Tortuga, near Hispaniola. In 1861, the United States government completed Fort Jefferson on Garden Key, and this bastion remained in Union hands throughout the American Civil War. It later was used as a prison until abandoned in 1874. During the 1880s, the Navy established a base at Tortuga; and it subsequently set up a coaling and a wireless station there as well. During World War I, a seaplane base was established on the islet; but it was abandoned soon thereafter. In August 2004, the Dry Tortugas were directly struck by Hurricane Charley. The following day, a Cessna airplane crashed into the water near the islands, killing cinematographer Neal Fredericks while he was filming scenery for ''Cross Bones''. == External links == *[http://www.keywesttravelguide.com/dry_tortugas.html Dry Tortugas] Description of Ft. Jefferson trips and booking information. Florida Keys Monroe County, Florida
Please note minor inaccuracies in above document ---- this is from the official NPS website Almost 70 miles (112.9 km) west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life, and its legends of pirates and sunken gold. Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts ever built, is a central feature. The Tortugas were first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. Abundant sea turtles or "tortugas" provisioned his ships with fresh meat, but there was no fresh water-the tortugas were dry. Since the days of Spanish exploration, the reefs and shoals of the Dry Tortugas have been a serious hazard to navigation and the site of hundreds of shipwrecks. U.S. military attention was drawn to the keys in the early 1800's due to their strategic location in the Florida Straits. Plans were made for a massive fortress and construction began in 1846, but the fort was never completed. The invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete. As the military value of Fort Jefferson waned, its pristine reefs, abundant sea life and impressive numbers of birds grew in value. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument. The area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 to protect both the historical and natural features. -----From www.nps.gov/drto :''From the article; added by 165.83.96.10'' --User:Spangineer User talk:Spangineer 14:44, Jun 9, 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
Words begining with Dry_Tortugas:
Dry_Tortugas
Dry_Tortugas
Dry_Tortugas_National_Park
Dry Tortugas
The Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands, located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA, about 70 miles or 110 kilometers west of Key West which were discovered in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon. The islands get their name from their distinctive characteristics: ''Dry'' because none of the islands has fresh water and ''Tortugas'' because their low mound shape resembles tortoises (Spanish (language) ''tortugas'') sunning themselves. The islands are home to Dry Tortugas National Park, and are only accessible by boat or seaplane. They are not related to the Caribbean island of Tortuga, near Hispaniola. In 1861, the United States government completed Fort Jefferson on Garden Key, and this bastion remained in Union hands throughout the American Civil War. It later was used as a prison until abandoned in 1874. During the 1880s, the Navy established a base at Tortuga; and it subsequently set up a coaling and a wireless station there as well. During World War I, a seaplane base was established on the islet; but it was abandoned soon thereafter. In August 2004, the Dry Tortugas were directly struck by Hurricane Charley. The following day, a Cessna airplane crashed into the water near the islands, killing cinematographer Neal Fredericks while he was filming scenery for ''Cross Bones''. == External links == *[http://www.keywesttravelguide.com/dry_tortugas.html Dry Tortugas] Description of Ft. Jefferson trips and booking information. Florida Keys Monroe County, Florida
Dry Tortugas
Please note minor inaccuracies in above document ---- this is from the official NPS website Almost 70 miles (112.9 km) west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life, and its legends of pirates and sunken gold. Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts ever built, is a central feature. The Tortugas were first discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. Abundant sea turtles or "tortugas" provisioned his ships with fresh meat, but there was no fresh water-the tortugas were dry. Since the days of Spanish exploration, the reefs and shoals of the Dry Tortugas have been a serious hazard to navigation and the site of hundreds of shipwrecks. U.S. military attention was drawn to the keys in the early 1800's due to their strategic location in the Florida Straits. Plans were made for a massive fortress and construction began in 1846, but the fort was never completed. The invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete. As the military value of Fort Jefferson waned, its pristine reefs, abundant sea life and impressive numbers of birds grew in value. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument. The area was redesignated as Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 to protect both the historical and natural features. -----From www.nps.gov/drto :''From the article; added by 165.83.96.10'' --User:Spangineer User talk:Spangineer 14:44, Jun 9, 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
D
DA | DB | DC | DE | DF | DG | DH | DI | DJ | DK | DL | DM | DN | DO | DP | DR | DS | DT | DU | DW | DX | DY | DZ |Words begining with Dry_Tortugas:
Dry_Tortugas
Dry_Tortugas
Dry_Tortugas_National_Park
Sponsored links: praca, nurkowanie.
These materials are based on Wikipedia and licensed under the GNU FDL
YouTube.com videos better site than Turbo Tax 2007
