The New York herald., 1872-07-22
SIX HOURS AT coNEY IsLAND.

SIX HOURS AT CONEY 1SLAED.
Twenty i've thousand people visited Coney Is.
land yesterday. Strangers to New York, when
they nrst hear OF Coney Island, ask where and
what it isS al4A uaE
I Well, 1t Is worth while informing strangers, 80
that they may not be mistaken. The place where so
many roast and Tried clans are eaten, and to which
30 many light wagons are driven is long bank Of
white sand, filed with hollOws and tipped In spots
with the sckliest locking grass ever vouchssfed to
mankind and dotted on the ocean verge with
long, low, rakish looking sheds, whltewashed, and
nignined with the name of hotels
y This strip Of sand, so wen known and pro-
Focatlve OF three-card monte and shell fish. is
about four miles In length and half mile In width
geographically, 1t is situated as folOws:-
At the mouth of the Narrows, as you go out
10 sea, New Utrecht and Gravesend lie, nat,
pandy banks, behind the sleeping guns Of
Fort Hamilton. The Staten Island shore is
directly across, crested by Fort Tompkins and
its earthworks. After passing the Hamilton bat
teries, the steamer going to the left or northeast
meets the afiuence Of that clammy sheet Of water
known as Gravesend Bay. Now you are on the
southeast point OF Coney Island. Here commences
the beach, which extends four miles, and has the
FORM Of stevedore's hook as it advances.
. Further on is Plumb Inlet, running quietly up to
Plumb Island. Then comes Barren Island, shaped
like ship carpenters adze, and then the long
Rockaway sea beach, to the north OF which is Hog
island, Hog Island inlet Long Beach, Hampstead
bay, and the almost interminable line OF bays,
beaches and inlets Of Long Island, running north
and east to Montauk Point
\ C0ney Island Is the democratic Long Branch.
Still, extortion is practised lager is ten cents
glass, and that is not democratic In the eyes Of a
haxu y0r Dr<th thoro ~ oIar
ladies eat clams the boys eat cams and the babies
Eat 'clammy." Even the SURF in which the bathers
FOUNDER like 80 many seals, feels clammy.
There are four ways Of getting to Coney Island.
The quickest way Is by steamboat. There are two
boats regularly running, each OF which makes eight
Coney Island on each of these boats the General
Sedgwck and the Huguenot is TWENTY-FIVE cents
per head. The East River boat is the Hugue-
North River. The East River boat lands at
different places in Brooklyn. There is still another
TO C0ney Island. Then there are two railroad lines,
the distance traversed by each being nom ten to
Jar about progress it often as long eighteen
twenty miles. One OF the horse railroad lines be-
gins at Fulton Ferry In Brooklyn and goes as far as
snake person Of weak nerves into
Ehe ocean terminus Of The % road. The through fare
by this route is thirty cents. The second horse
takes to reach one's destination IL might well lead
to Acheron and Hades. This Is the Fulton avenue,
ts be- IN
On the route is twenty-five cents, and and the time
made sy them Is two hours hours and three % quarters.
But we have to deal with the steamboat trip 60
General Sedgwick is moored, more than two-thirds
full OF passengers already. The upper decks are
@ o tho IT
gle ofdescent OF fortyfve degrees. The red-headed
policeman VINO stands t a. the cabin the deck m bands &
Spring people on the steamer have a great deal
or fun laughing at the people as they have to run
WITH velocity down this plank at tue risk OF falling
: .'Never MIND" shouts deck hand, in a blue
EHs9s Tsssn IN sssRs =
Keep her noatin'." This remark Is both consoling
sSns to the
each arm. Both babies scream with vigor.
Gents, step up to the ONCE and buy yer tickets"
cries weather beaten fellow, and the steamer
ghoves or People rush up and down stairs, and
drink whiskey, and eat sandwiches that have q
Down the noble river we 20. All the smart
young men VINO nave nautical taste insist upon
no 20 IL s IN
stream, with her decks Jammed with emigrants,
who are beginning to experience the delights Of
"That's the White Star line," cries one.
"No, It is motifs the Kewnard boat" answers
'Tt's nuther. It's . French steamer, and she's
inst In" a., chimes In third smart young man; they
one he was supposed lobe the best sailor OF the
Another stoppage is made at Pier North River,
and another great crowd come on board. The
Same skating scene occurred on the quay plank
and the same laughter and good humor resulted as
And now let Ms look at the passengers. The
greatest number remain on the upper decks to get
Whistles sna sqs and ssreedss shroag
the Nsrrowa The wind coming In fs fresh
is splendid. No better more beautiful ever hung
sumuh and cirri march together In battaiions, and
orange s0S ls mssssa
, The pickpocksss are numerous, and with every
opportunity for harvest. Scattered here and
there are groups Of gamblers and three-card-monte
rascsls, wearing high crowned straw hats with
turned.up rims. and having brown or light blue
soon the sand beach Of Coney Island comes in
sight, and the overcrowded boat already in dan.
slongside OF three other steamers, among which Is
the kockawsy boat NeIy white, which has dis
Into The
long, narrow fenced in road leads % to the beach
t. return to New Yort are met BY the wave Of pas.
sengers, who are endesvoring TO get ashore for
as g Sss ana ,:s :. rs, s Ssss i csss sss Ss
and the jam is fightfil. Jockey hats are smashed,
swAying surgtng mass. Then ct last we are landed:
The. FIRST thing We zee d . wooden, unpatnted
sd s U
shem. = steaminF eeudron Of chOwder iiits It's
Further on q the pavilion another white
washed shed, with . verAnds and piazza, and q