The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-02-23
ANTIQUE AMERICA.
The First City of Civilizat ion
Founded in America.
ST. AUGUsr1NE's PAST AND PRESENT.

ST. AUGUSTINE'S PAST AND PRESEN Il.
RELICS THE MAILED CAVALIERS FROM THE
vINE-CLAD HILLS OF sPAIN-A CITY In
THELAND OF FLOWERS TEAT Is NOT UN-
LIKE A CEMETERY.
Especial Correspondence of the Sentinel.l
ST.. AUGUSTINE, FLA, Feb. l4-St. August
inc has now obtained, for this side of the
Atlantic, an age of very respectable antiquity.
Three hundred and ten years have now
passed over the walls of this venerable city.
One can look back to 1865 and picture TO the
mind the galleons of Spain anchored of its
barbor, see the intrepid Menendez, clad
in mail, preceded by the standards OF Spain
and followed by his faithful warriors, TAX
ing possession of the city in the name of his
sovereign. The waves roll over the same
shores ss they did then, the green marshes
and oyster-clad banks present the same ap-
pesrance to our eyes as they did TO
theirs. The st. Augustine of the present
and tie st. Augustine of the past are in
striking contrast. One sees to-day a town
less in population than hundreds of places
of but few months existence, dilapidated in
appearance, with the stiffness of desolation
overhanging u, its streets unenlivened ex-
cept by visitors or curiosity seekers, and at
midday 1t might be supposed to have sunk
under the enchanter's wand into an almost
eternal sleep. And yet, about the old city
that throw around it a charm which few can
fail to feel. We must not forget that here,
for the first time, isolated within the
shadows of the primeval forest, the civiliZs-
tion OF the old world made its abiding place
that this, now so insignificant place, was
THE KEY To OUR GLORIOUS REPUBLIC,
and as such, is deserving of our reverence.
Some twelve years after Columbus first
saw land in the new world, veteran cavs-
lier of Spaip, Juan Ponce de Leon, raised
sail and set out on his wondrous voyage of
discoveries. He first saw the coast on
Easter SUNDAY, In 1912, which day the
Spaniards call Pasqua Florida, and because
the country spread before him was radiant
with flowers he called it Florida. He
landed at the present site of st. Augusiin e
1t was in 1865 that Menendez founded the
first city in the country. Since that period
it has had an eventful history. On entering
the city from the west, after leaving the
depot of the st. Johns railroad, one passes
beneath the foliage of the spreading oaks
and the pride of India trees, with the never
absent moss hanging in long skeins from
the branches. Emerging from this archway
the tourist soon arrives at the "Pl6Z2 de la
Constitution" ;" and is then in the heart of
the most antique city in America. Passing
along the streets one sees old houses, walls
of stone with arches and stair cases of the
ing the streets, and the gardens between the
houses are fenced on the side of the street
with high walls of stone. Looking over
these walls you see branches of the pome-
granite, and 0fthe orange tree, JUS putting
out its fragrant bloom, and the teeming
bough of the lemon, with here and there the
stately stalk of a banana. Occasionally you
pass the ruins Of a once palstisl residence.
Men are seen in the streets with swsrthy
complexion and foreign physiognomy,
and you hear them speak a strange Ian
guaze; these are
THE REMAINS OF THE OLD SPANISH SET
TIERS,
and the dialect they speak is that of the
island Of MiDorca. Most of the old Spanish
residences were constructed of coquina
stone, a conglomerstion of small sheets,
quarried on Anastasia island, opposite the
city OF st. Augustine. The principal build
ing of great interest to visitors is Fort Ma
rion, called in ancient times San Juan, over
looking the MatanZas river. 1t was first
commenced in 1920, and, through the labor
of t Q conscript Indians, 1t was finished in
1856. 1t occupies an acre ofground, and has
sccommodatitns for 900 men and mounts
100 guns. Tie tort is, in fact, perfect castle,
as,a built after the style Of those in ba this
the moa', which was flooded from the ST..
Sebastian river; there are the inner and outer
barriers, the barbicon, the drswDridge and
all the appliances of such fortificatiOns. Its
strength and efficiency has been well tested
in olden times, and, although besiee ed
numerous times, it has never been taken.
Over the main entrance to the fort is a tablet
with the Spanish coat of arms in bold relief.
Passing through an archwsy we enter the
square, surrounding which are the rooms,
cells, etc. We were shown into the
ancient prisons of the fort dungeons, one of
which was dimly lighted by grated win
dow, and another entirely without light. By
means of torch we were shown the nearly
Obliterated inscription on the walls made by
prisoners long ago. In another corner OF
the fort we were shown the secret
cells, which were only discovered q
lew years since In consequences OF the earth
sinking over narrow apartment between
them. These cells are deep under ground
and vaulted overhead, and without win
dows. In one there were found 9 sOrturing
rack, in another human bones. In making
repairs at the tort, leading from their cell,
Was found dismal dungeon in which
were found two iron cages suspended from
the wall; one bad partially fallen down from
rust and decay, and human bones lay scat
tered on the floor. The other remained as it
was, in which were a pile of human
Smithsonian Institute. The fort remains
now as 1t was In 1856, with the exception of
the water battery, wDish was reconstructed
by the government in 1912. The
BROWNING BArTLENENTs AND sEPULcHRAL
VAULTS
will long stand after we shall be numbered
with that long past, of which it is itself me-
mortal; OF its legends connected with the
dark chambers aud prison vaults, the chains,
the instruments OF torture, the skeletons
walled in its closed and hidden recesses.
There are, at prezent, confined in the fort
some seventy Indians, OF different tribes.
The 'City Gate" an ancient relic of the city,
IS still standing. 1t is the only relic of the
supposed town wall, that surrounded the
city, that remains. IL Is picturesque and
imposing structure. The ornamented, lofty
tower, the loop holes aud sentry boxes are
wei preserved. Fronting the entire bay
iron. OF the city is ses-wall, mile in