National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-24
BY HAMPTON ROADS,
WHERE COOLING BREEzEs BLOW.
Old Point Comfortable Hygcla Hotel and lis Jolly
Hosts-Drives aud Walks-The Singing
Sand-Fortrcss Monroe-Prctty
Girls and Epaulettes.

E-All OF your reauers KNOW now delightful the
experience is to escape, even for few hours from
the heat Of glaring walls and amos; flaming pave.
ments and while most have experienced the cool
bleSsedness Of a ride down the Potomac and Chess
lpeak e. hope all will appreciate the trip did
the other night ON the splendid steamer George
Leary from Washington to this place, cooled OIL
by the fresh breeze from over the water, made
glorlousy contented with life by n glorious sup
per, as they call It on board, and n good cigar
tdonatedl afterward, l turned in carly and slept
as soundly rs tradition says the Just do. Old
time habits nnont turned me out early
enough 70 watch the sun grow up out Of The waste
Of waters beyond tho capcs of the Chesapeake,
where Henry, aud Charles tell by their tall white
night, where the orm-beSCt ship may come 10
safe harbor aud rest In
HAMPTON RoAns.
As the good steamer rounds the shoa towards
The Riud., there rises grim and nninVitlng but
picturesque the yellow walls Of old Fortress
Monroe, that looks at the distance like II hundred
eyed monster that had just raised It's head above
rRpturc Tie early tunbcams nto gliding the
Lowers Of the grand Hygeia Hotel, and beyond,
hundreds f crnfs, from the gfri China trad r o
!le Chtshptnko oyster ruigy, are thpidiy clothing
the naked wilderness OF spurs with virgin white
CANVASS a. oks SO ut II distance. aud sounds
poeiicHl, preparing 10 run tu o. the eager search
10 gntu, bIcaj for some, rcHs for others At the
government wharf wuiyh was tuilt by Captain
Ltnyeue J.. 'umlbcll, L. = A. the usual tlirong
gathGlc,. lOn Ter IN line, /, the little baud Of
troops n ~ each duy ssrNts u icminl one that the
INT d smi,s is IT, chnrgC h,rt; here IS II I,tlc
nave come duwn,uE trivnris may be- get the
ifst glimpse of amy pretty flee that may come
o. nor 9ul c"" tni VIVA ihssG S "
Harrison fhocOus, the r'tund, gcnirl, gooI.
looking, and ali. gcthcr unts ptit nHble host OF
TiiE nYGEM uUiEL,
which Icons up grHudiy only lew yards away,
81 the end of the WHAT, Hud where phutbuss
fanny face i, lovingly regarded 10y thousands of
I!lnrlug aud api pCiuutc guests every year from
January around to New Years II, us old writer's
Ey, round host betOkcus good inn, this be your
NUppilig pace dear lover OF good Hro. Gc gods
and little fishes! What an appetite this fresh cool
brtcIe aud suiir OF salt nir gives one. But the
remedy Is CiU'c ut Land, ANA though the sun IS
Duly an hour old in the day, mine host phoeLus
has anticipated This new and STANCE experience,
Rnd the generous tables # THIS grand hotel ear H,r,
Is We sly III French, furnish almost everything
mat mortal COud dream OF asking for. " This IL
iust 70 takc of the edge Of hunger until break
last" PhoGOus sayS, MS he passes by 10 sec
that all ARE comfortable and well served.
Afcr glorious breakfast your correspondent
lounscd out on tie spacious Nvrand lhS aud around
to the font of the great cHrdvnusary. Thought
carried him back to the time OF the war, when nc.
cOmmudnion fora weary aid, or wounded officer
Or man was In the struggling row Oi Uarrdck. built
thantiCS that iriugtd the road around near the
engineer and atscmul grounds for the old llygcu
that stood before the war hHi been ruthlcs>ly
demolished So that tIg range Of the guns from the
Fortress should hot he INSTRUCTED. In lSG7 small
rambling building was put up on the site Of the
old hotel aud Inherited the namc. This was
added u from time TO time MS the demand for nc.
commodation by the puDlic increased until in 1874
Mr.. PhOebus, who hhd managed the property Tor
several years became It's proprietor, aid has since
Elected II rcmpdCliug OF the entire place by clear
mgawhy the whole oi the old structure, rcpaciugit
with the magnificent pile which now looms up Tor
many miles as the first landmark of approach to
this historic ground. As 1t now stands IL is perfect
In every appointment, and promises to become in
summer resort. 1t Is furnished with
luxurious bath rooms on every, floor, has
two of the latest improved elevators,
electric bells III every room, or else
the new patent speaking tubes that are EFFECT
Ms the telephone, and is elegantly furnished. The
house has rOomy accommodations Tor 100 guests ;
The vofnndahs surrounding the various stories
comprise 5000 square feet of space The dancing
and the great dining roon with its lofty, arched
seillng, covers 6,iOO square feet, The sea- rolling
In from the Atlantic across the wide bay, breaks
1t the very foot of the lower vcrandah, SO that n
dies may so direct from their own rooms into the
pleasant surf and back to dress. No undertow or
dangerous currents here to itishten the
Do you fish, There arc boats beyond
number. Sail? Dozens of trim. rugged, daily
past the Capes. Drive or ride? There's tile
long stretch Of broad, smooth beach for miles to
rad to the venerable old own OF Hampton; to
zig Bethel, where tue iirst battle Of tie war,
alter sumter, was fought or westward around the
sweep of Hampton Ronds 10, Newport News.
Morning or evening or moonlight walks arc here
In abundance, aud the favoritcs are around the
fort ramparts or up the beach 10 hear
THE SINGING SAND.
This is name given to n strip of pure white
sand olsmall grain that extends Tor some distance
along the lana side of the beach. 1t looks almost
as smooth and firm AS the rest of the beach, but is
softer, aud when walked over gives sharp, ring
ing sound ut each step, and 1t seems MS though no
two sounds are alike. This is where Augustus
lures Florence and teaches her TO interpret the
song the sand sings TO their lingering footsteps. 1t
Is said that there Is only Que other place known
somewhere i'll tue Alpine rtgions-Wherc the sands
have this rythmc attribute. Another strange
phenomenon about these sands Is their peculiarly
of travelling. 1t was an Old.timc method Of
amusement among the young officers at the fort
before they made the Artillery School of Practice
such II go emd grind" Of hard study ms IL is now,
TO take II little OF this Sand aud spread II carefully
over the surface OF a table and then watch it. If
nothing appeared in II moment or two, II word
spoken over the surface or very slight stroke on
the edge OF the table produced wonderful result.
Every grain of sand was at once in motion-onc
here, one there, and n third on still another road
until after while all the sand on the table had
huddled together In little uniform shaped groups,
central figure II the sand had been Loosely
poured out. Not quite every grain Of hand,
Tor here and there stray w0ulI be rolling and
creeping about over the board like 50 many ants
seeking mo sci OF food which an observer has
suddenly removed 10 another point. II you doubt
This TO bc tact II Will nmuseyou and your readers
TO come after or sond for II box Of the creeping or
singing sand aud try II, II will surprise you. The
great hotel itself Is constant at raclion to very
Anany visitors, young ana old, men and women
Plenty Of exercise may lie had at all times under
shelter from sun ami storm On heSe brUnd Ne.an-
dahs where II is nearly halt II nile walk around
Che eastern portion of the building alone. Others
are satisfied to sit for houB, watching
countless passing suil. The brisk and saucy
oyster schooner or sloop, the arrowlke Gunner,
with It's O. on crew Of two, the towering masses of
sail spread on the incoming SHIPS from foreign
ports 10 wait orders" or OF others going out, ud
the stately ships of war that anchored in posi-
ton abreast OF Hampton Bar, and the ever changing
httul, restless rolling seas. Then for change IS
the study OF the thrOmgs OIL the verandahs and in
the great pavilion The jaunty young naval oni-
GERS and their jOvial ana gallant though more
from the fort with the broad stripe of red down
the seam OF the trowsers, and their Anglo Indian
looking summer uniform helmets. And the girls,
God bless hem, the sweet rOSebuds In the garden
Ollie. Tall, stately white lilies and sweet blush
Ing, red roses of girls as Marie lie Baron would
say. Bewitching blondes and dear, lovely bru-
nete', vita son dark eyes that rival the Cwhat the
d.ucc IL the rest Of tnat? think II Is from one of
Murat llalslcadS carly life rOmnnces) Well, II is
enough 10 do to watch these actors on the stage OF
life. For be II known, wherever YOU see uni
form there also viii YOU see bright eyes and fair
faces.
FORTRESS MONROE
Is not by any means the eHst point of attraction
here, especially 10 the fair demOsCllgs who thrUng
this great ~ ,urt. The situation of this long
narrow neck of land, projecting into the waters OF
the bay, early demonstrated Itself Ia the colOnists
~ main point Of defense against hostile CntruuCe
" the waters beyond. ana sOon after the first
settlement on the James early IN tie seventeenth
oentury, they built u small fertilization here and
mounted ~ few Cemi -Culyefins Tor small cannon Of
that day sueh were mounted frequently on the
iOrecaalle Of ships, IL was here The surviving
colOnisis fed after the great massacre OF March
~ 1922, when the Indians Killed three hund ed
ncnts. During the Revolution, u short time prior
~ the surrender Of Lord CORVALLIS AZ Yorktown,
Lom te De GraSse, who commanded the fleet Of
our trSDch ally, threw up some Notifications on
the site OF the Old colonial fort. The walls of the
present fortress are Duiit for tiers of cusemate and
bGrbene guns and iuclOse an area Of about
lksIk Va II "A la Hurtnt