Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-06-05
A TPsRf0RelSOlDOth. b.
REHoBoTH BEACH, DELLA Wal


Special Correspondence Of the RErrnLlcAH
We paid our first visit to Rehoboth
Beach, Delaware, last Saturday. TAX
ing the 3 a. M train at Broad and Fill.
bert, We reached Wilmington at g. 10 a.
m, by the Philadelphia, Wilmington x
Baltimore Railroad, and without
changing cars, switched on to the Della,
ware Railroad with the entire train and
locomotive at New Castle junction, and
ran swiftly down through the very ex-
tensive peach orchards, finding the fruit
thick on the trees the size Of shellbarks
everywhere, stopping at all principal
towns and cities on the route, giving
ample time at Middletown for lunch,
and reaching Harrington, 81 miles from
Philadelphia, promptly at II a. m.
Here we changed cars for the juno
tion and Delaware Breakwater Rail
road, which at this season Of the year
runs mixed trains, freight and passen-
ger combined, and the cars are not a-
comfortable OF the time as good as those
or the y. w. & B. road, which inst
left US here and proceeded on to Delmar.
Our starting time was II. 10 noon, due
at lewes (Breakwater) at 2.40, and ar.
irving there near that time although
delayed receiving and delivering freight
at stations. In summer no such him
| dranccs occur; they carry passengers
only and run true to schedule. These
particulars of the trip are useless and
tedious to Rebobofhs $ frequent visitors,
but there are thousands who have no
clear idea where this beach is or how to
get here, as was our case. AT Lewes
| they sent lis over or a special train, as
only six persons had tickets to Reho-
both Beach, and frequently none are
booked for it. At the depot stage met
us by appointment, and we drove
another mile to the beach, passing
through Rehoboth camp meeting 5
beautiful grove, its numerous wooden
"tents," as they call the 20 by 20 feet
two story houses, standing side by side
on avenues interspersed with noble oaks
a hundred feet high, the pavilion and
preaching stand, dining halls and
boarding tents still standing, but re-
ligiouS services are no longer held there.
Its renloteness from the baths, mile or
more away, caused its disuse.
Ocean Grove is within quarter mile
more less of the sea-shOres, and that and
its nearness to New York city, explains
why ten thousand persons at once are
frequently seated on the sandy strand
listening to the gospel of good tidings
sounded from the speakers stand, while
the roar of the surf, breaking beautifully
on the same shore, in full view. joins
with the voice Of the minister. Wonder
if similar beach meetings would sue
ceed here if the camp in the woods has
ceased to attract.
No hotels open here yet regurlarly.
Mr.. Benjamin Pearce, of Wilmington,
has the Bright House, and kindly grant
ed our party rooms. Although hot pre-
pared for guests, we obtained excellent
fare at Mr.. Willey's, who provided us
the delicacies of the sea-shore in abun-
dance, chief among which was
luscious fish called croaker. 1t is so
palatable it deserves "A better name than
that, being every way as good as its
near relation the Cape May "goodie."
Hotel Henlopen is located on Surf
avenue, at the northern end of Renoboth
beach settlement, and isabout Al miles
from Cape Henlopen lighthouse, which
is In plain view. 1t is placed end to
room an ocean view, and has accomplish
ed it.
The ground floor contains the bath
houses, or rooms, barber shops, baggage
rooms, etc. Easy flights of stairs, with
in aud without, ascend to the first story
and its noble piazza of sixteen feet in
width on the front and each side for IA
hundred feet. Front, overlooking beach
and ocean, which breaks within fifty
feet of the house, Is the main parlOr,
and back of it the main Office, private
Office, reception, reading, writing, and
dining room. Three sleepiI floors
above contain about eighty bedrooms
and accommodate nearly or quite two
hundred persons. In the rear is the
kitchen building, with laundry on the
ground floor. Kitchen, bakery, pastry
cook, work room, dish pantrps, etc, on
second floor, and above excellent rooms
for the hotel crew. A large tank, sup
piled by well and pumps. surmounts
the building, distributing water through
out the hotel and is arranged for hose on
each floor. Fire escapes lead from each
story to the grounds at outer edge of the
piaZzas
The house is of handsome model,
with French roof, ornamental piazzas
on three sides, the weather boarding
recessed deeply and rabbitted, and
band at each story, different in color
from the main body, gives a finish. The
workmanship and material is superior
to any hotel at Cape May, except one
Marenevilla. 1t il not customary to |
build such substantial, excellent houses
for seaside use, but 1t will reap the re-
ward 1t merits. Gas is introduced, and |
all the modern plumbing ccnveniences
abound. The cooking ranges are the
celebrated French make, with boilers
and latest improved attachments. Bed
ding, furniture, linen, china, and en-
tire outfit selected or manufactured ex-
prcssly for the house, the china being
marked with "Hotel Henlopen in the
kilns.
The house is under roof, closed in,
floors laid, and the plasterers hard at
work coating the walls, the second and
third stories being first coated and one
ready to receive the final white coat.
1t is expected to be ready for occupa-
tion July lst.
We met eight prominent Whining
Ionians there, looking after their cottage
interests.
A large number of workmen are here
but not many visitors. The surf i,
beautiful and looks inviting, but no
bathing is yet INDUCED in.
The fish hawks antics are an Interest,"
ing diversion to strangers here. They
are very numerous, and can he seel
diving suddenly into the
ocean when they see fish near the sur
face, by closing their wings when up
hundred feet or more above the surface
Of the sea and plunging hea,lons be-
meath the waves ami emerging with
their struggling prey, in which they
have buried their talons, and flying
slowly homeward with the houncing
sufferer, which is often over a foot in
NIL, air MI lx.L.