Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-07-08
AT CONEY ISLAND.
where 10 II, How You Get There
and what you See.

| A gala day at Brighton Beach. A
cool breeze from the sea and music in
the air. Fair women and happy chill
drsn on every side. Fashion and gay
ETY.. Joy and pleasure seeking. A
crowd of hundred thousand Of all
grades bent ON finding amusement
Such is Coney Island as you see it at
your first glance. The sea is breaking
with a splash on the sandy shingle and
the appearance of-shore is charming.
A hundred bathers are in the surf and
the thousands back are enjoying them
selves. But you see little more, and
the sights about the place remain to be
examined in tour Of investigation.
Where is Coney Island 7 The ques-
tion is often asked by well-informed
people. The place is not to be found on
all the maps Of the past. A position
for 1t on all the maps Of the future is
now assured. Lying close in to Long Is
Hand on the westerly end is long, mar
row strip of land. It would be part
Of it were IL not for ribbon Of water
that separates it and entities it the dig
niflsd name Of an island. Twenty odd
miles from New York by water and not
quite twenty by rail makes it to easy Of
access to the great metropolis. On the
beach the Atlantic rolls its surf along
the entire front Of the island and back
the country stretches low, and green
and level.
| How to reach Coney Island might
seem an easy matter 10 determine. But
liz iB not, because there are so many
equally good routes. Five railroads
run to 1t across the low lands, and half
. dozen lines of steamers ply directly
and indirectly between it and New
York. ! visited the place as Will
mingtonian, and took the most conve-
nient route that occurred to me, as a
Wilmington visitor. That route is by
steamer Take the line Of steamers
lplying directly to the Island from
the North River piers and landing at
the great iron pier at the other end.
Running on this line are the steamers
John Sylvester, Eliza Hancock and
Richard Stockton, all familiar to Della
ware people. Or, if you do not like too
much water riding, 60 by steamer to
Bay Ridge and continue your trip over
the Sea Beach railway. The all-watar
ride is much pleasanter, and then you
are landed on the great iron pier free
Of charge, whereas land passengers
must buy ticket to get on the pier.
From the pier look around moment.
Below you,i in the plashing surf, are the
merry bathers. All around you is a
lively scene. The pier itself is differ
ent from the general idea originally
conceived. It is not clnmsy break
water-a solid mass of iron running
out into the Ocean thousand fest y
is graceful, immense piece OF worn.
A palace-looking structure from dis
tanoe. Many storied, arcaded, pima
Cled, gabled and rising on slender tub
ular columns many feet above the sea.
One story is bathing rooms, another a
wide open promenade with a refresh
ment saloon at one end and restaur-
ant at the other. All around 1t is fes-
tcened and garlanded, and the free air
is blowing through and the grand PAN
Drama of the Island and its wonders is
in full view before you. A Wilmington
ian, Mr.. Joseph Hyde, had much to do
with building the pier and that made
il of additional interest to me.
To detail the principal features Of
The Island would require colunns ofthe
REPUBLICAN,. There are sixty hotels Of
various sizes. Half dozen of these are
as large as any in the land, and more
attractive buildings you will seldom
see, with their tasty architecture and
we'll chosen shades Of painting. They
are nearly An eighth Of a mile in length
with a shaded porch and broad piazza
In front. Between hotel and beach is
broad explanade filed with beautiful
plants and flowers. Directly in front
Of each is music stand, concavs in
front, and have one of the best orohes-
tras that can be secured play in the
afternoons and nights. Take the
Hotel Brighton If you will. 1t is q
model hotel and ranks among the first
on the beach. The proprietor, Mr..
James II. Breslin, understands most
thoroughly his business, for he is the
head of such hotels as the Gilsey in |
New York and Willard's in Washing
ton. Gentlemanly employees who
understand their business are engaged,
and, all in all, the hotel is one that
does credit to Coney Island. Will
mington people may BIZ assured of good
treatment il they put up there. The
hotel seats 1000 people at dinner and
20, 900 are fed at dinner here in one day
often enough.
But to speak Of the features. In do
ing so figures would be idle, and to
give them would be TO rob the guide
book of its only interest. The island
consists of four Subdivisions. These,
starting at the end nearest New York,
are Norton's Beach, Brighton, West
Brighton and Manhattan. Each has
its characteristics, and fashion has an
ascending scale in the order named.
At each Of them what a vast source Of
amusement You listen to the music,
ride up in the iron observatory 5000
feet, sail up in the captive balloon,
bathe in the excellent surf, ride on the
miniature railway from beach to beach,
and do the thousand and one other
things to your hearts content. And
theRsou do not see half in day, and
tt ind out all that is worth knowing,
and to see all that is interesting on
Coney Island would keep you pleasant
ly occupied for week. |,
The hotel registers show that only
few Wilmington people visit Coney Is
land. Why, do not know, unless
they are uniformed of the merits Of the
place as q resort, or that the expense of
travel is an obstacle. If this latter be
the case then they will have an oppor- {
tunity Of visiting the place in a little !
better than a month hence on Mr.. P. 7.