The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-04-09
Letter from Florida.
ST. AUGUSTINE. FLA. March !

JackSODNlilc 10 anu NY iihpiSSStcAS
/ left Jacksonvilea at 1904. NJ. per steamer up
through a section of the State replete with the
most varied aud enchanting scenery, and as the
miles i'm width, the bright rays of the sun mean
while and all the yeac round shedding their ius-
tire uI,on the dark waters and adding additional /
beauty to the green foliage on either shore. il /
.nay well be imagined that 10 Northern people /
w no ba We but recently turned their backs upon /
an unbroken wilderness OF snow and the pitt
less blasts of an unusually severe winter this /
land of perpetual yerdurc is indeed an Eden OF |
delights.
tIement ON the east hank of the river, where |
Rt Rev. Augustine Nerot Catholic Bishop of 4
Florida. many years ago estabIishcd convent .
handsome Catholic church has been erected I
Here also is located the Winter l resitehGe hda oil
from view by orange. oak and other trees and
shrubbery, and afording altogether delight
ful looking retreat which any one might envy.
Green Gone Springs is very pleasant resort, !
its principal attraction being a large snIpher /
spring the water of which is so strongly inn
pregnated with sulpher that the smell OF it at
first is very disagreeable, even al a distance p1t
il loses this popularity after few visits Ii
affords fine bathing, the water being of a tenn
perature Of 7s0 and flowing it is said at the rate
Of 1900 gallons per minute
The next place reach is Tocoi, the termi-
nus of the st. Augustine Railroad, which Is as
desolate A looking spot as L have ever seen, ana
TO which no description OF mine couId 90 JUS
tice. Leaving this place per railroad, we pass
for fifteen miles, save ana except an opening
near St. Augustine, where one daring Spit, n. mas
soIitmde enioyed by the snakes and alligators.
Arriving at the station here & we found d rude rude
road depot. On our way from the depot to the
city proper we passed tnrougn % .Ong' it Iartow
cnquina and file d in the centre with sand over
ourselves in a CITY which seems foreign in all
respects and well worthy OF special attention
Then came an exlehaGd i G nt hey sbd tr
! from which finally emer ged to find ourselves
! in front OF the Plaza de Ia Constitution" in
] no heart of the most antique city IN Amer
I lea. Near the centre of the plaza or square
stands monument cc cmmemorative of the
Spanish Liberal Constitution of 1912. The city
, itself. containing rs il does population OF
| some 2CGO souls, is built upon the spot where
! once stood Mencndcz, the Indian name or which
WAS Selay. The present city has for is com
/ frfccn feet in width. called Charlotte street
/ which isnearly mile in length; rms IS one OF
! AT right angles being not more than eight feet
/ in width, hich Of course affords scarcely room
! for Two teams to pass each other All the old
/ Spanjsh residences are built of cCquina rock,
I shell forma lion which is found in inexhausti-
J bic quantities on Anastasia Island.
The city of st. Augustine is nearly surround
! ed by water. and being in close proximity there
I To, an unimpcdcd view is afforded OF vessels ont
/ at sea under fun sail Fort Marion. at the north
! eastern extremity of the city, commands the
| f.Iet from the sea. 1t is built OF coquina rock
I and is said TO be the best preserved specimen in
/ the world of the mill itary architecture of its
! time, being the oldest fortifcation on the West
/ crn continent. The original name of the fort
was San Juan de Pinos which was subsequent
/ ~ changed to san Marco. and hnaliy IN lo1l, to
/ Fort Marion. The structure is capable of ac-
/ co,am odating one thousand troops.and moant-
! ing one hundred guns. Its erection was com
menced in 1920, but il was not completed, am
! told, until I758 Over the entrance {" the fort
are the Spanish coat OF arms the names OF inc
then Governor. archit ect date, etc. all of which
1 are still quite legibe. Its walls and watch
towers still intact, but its guns are in rather
a dis pd.ted condition. their wood work hIV-
/ ing rottcd away and the rust having played
such sad havoc with Inc ], on lastcnlnHs tnat
] thcy are utterly useless. A high moat which
surrounds the fort has frequently been flooded
/ Ivy the waters from the 81. sebastian river.
/ Tho bastion on top of the fort is about 30 feet
wide. and beneath it are arranged the variou@
During the Seminole war two Indian chiefs,
Marion, from which the latter, however. after
reducing himself by SYSTEMATIC course of star
/ vation a mere living skeleton. eventually
/ managed TO crawl through the grating and
make his escape oseeoIa: Il; the other prisoner,
harbor where he finally died.
! In 1886, as the story goes, Y. 5. military en-
! Ills fort, discovered the skeleton OF a human
; beiag manaclcd to the wall Siill further re-
search revealed the presence of a large stone,
diff ..,ing entirely from those used in Tie struc
! ttIre itself. upon the removal of which still
/ ncuded by hasps from the wall, were open ed to
/ view. and. horrible TO relate, in those cages
! while inspecting these dungeons, which / did
! eTcctually, could not but think of the great
suffering that must have been endured by those
| unfortunates whose bones were thus brought
/ 10 light. and yet il is possible if not probable
/ that the ponps found were those OF Spanish no.
! hlem.n, chiertains or other men OF note whose
! remains were thus disposed "f after death in
/
/ The next suhtcrranean apartment of any i'm
/ chapel in which is an altar built of stone, the
! granite steps whereof arc worn almost through
must have been celebrated there for many,
many years. if not for centuries
I The city wall has been entirely Obliterated.
having been used to defend The city against the
/ land attacks of the enemy. and taere is moth
ing left to mark the site except the city gate,
with towers Ioop. holes sentry boxes, etc. ard
daan oh xvhi W q n
! the moat water around the fort with the st Sc
bastian river The sea wall is nearly one mile
| in length and about four feet in width, afford
/ ing a fine promenade and an impregnable de-
fence, if need be, to that part or the city front
The Catholic cathedral is the largest religious
eaifice in the CITY Its belfry contains four bells
/ hung in separate inches. besides large clock
made in the form of u cross. The front wall of
/ the cath .dral extends considerably above the
roof, with ffsets at each extremity. and in this
| wall the bells are located One of these bells
side the city gate, where several priests are
known to have been mastered by the Indians
an Indian chief by taking strong grounds in
| sermon against a plurality of wives, was mur.
time 20 say Mass. which privilege was grant ed
after considerable solicitation, but when the
Mass was ended and the celehrant had descend
! ed from the altar. the fatal blow was given and
ere long the unfortunate priest lay stiff and
stark in the embrace of death. The scene of
| this sacreigious tragedy is marked by simple
/ mound. surrounded 10y wall the stones of
J which a re worn away by the feet of the count
less thousands who have crossed over to view
/ the halowed SPOT. Entering the church. we
found that il presented a strange appearance
/ ue compared with the more modern style of ar
3 cH!tcctUre. The ceiling is very high. the win
dOvs are mostly sixteen feet from the floor, and
the pews small and in form not much un-
like those OF the present day. The main altar
| is built of wood and raised in steps to quite a
height Above the altar is = niche for the image
OF st. augustine, over which are inscrihed the
words: 'Sancte AuguStinei Ora Pro Nohis :"
! while surrounding and enclosing all is an arch
extending clear up 10 the ceiling. On the right
OF the main altar is niche for the statue of st.
/ Aloysius inscribed, "Sancte Aloysi! Ora Pro
/ Nobis!' while on the left is still another niche
FOR the image of st. Ambrose, bearing this in
scTiption: "Sancte Ambrosil Ora Pro Nohis -
At the west side of the church is altar ded-
Gated to the Blessed Virgin and or the east side
is Still another altar erected in honor of ST. o.
scph, eacn of which is supported by two whole
aud two half pillars, and ere otherwise taste
fullytornamented. The chandeliers are shaped
somewhat like those of our own times, but the
stems are composed of wood and iron ciamped
tOgether. the pendants which desi2 ned for