St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-10-27
THE iMsATIAeLg WAVES


0eoaAuy 0aaWia0 Their way Int0 Geao
Islasa's Southern Ceost.
Tho shores Of the southern Long
island coast arc constantly changing.
Nowhere il this moro manifest than At
Coney Island. Henry Freyenhagen.
ono Of the oldest residents on the island.
says that within his memory fully .
mile Of the south and west shores OF
the island have been eaten up BY the
inroads Of the sea.
The visitor 70 the low sandy beach OF
Coney Island at the present day can
form but little idea Of the appearance
Of Coney Island Of 1850 or 1900.
Said Mr.. Freyenhagen: I'm no place
along tho south shore have such extra
ordinary changes been made by tho
ocean as here. When l was q boy. my
uncle. Court Lake. told me that In his
younger days he cut lot Of red cedar
posts. six inches in diameter. at
the butt, on . part Of Coney Island
which Il now two miles at sea under
the Atlantic ocean. He said that the
island had been cut away more than
half in his time. Any Of the old set
tiers here will tell you, and the State
surveys viii bear them out, that the
Copey Island beach in the last century
was composed Of high and extensive
sand hills where now all is flat beach
or else under water. Ihave cut grass
on o part Of the island just west Of the
point from which the Brighton Beach
Hotel was recently moved. That
meadow is q half mile from the shore
under water now. and is also the site
of . little wood OF West Brighton.
where my father used to cut fuel. Be.
tween that wood and the shore used
to stand q dwelling house known
as the 'Old Suydam Place." which
was washed away shortly before was
born. My father could recollest when
there was q long reef Of rocks in plain
eight of shore toward Rockaway. The
reef disappeared years ago. i
''The island Il being blown away a.
well. You may laugh at this notion.
but it is true, nevertheless. There IL
more sand on Coney Island now than
there used to be. The sea has not been
and grinding the pebbles all
these years for nothing. 1t makes
sand a. fine aud light ~ dust. The
gales blow this send inland.
it along In little hillocks. one
particle rolling over another as it does
SO. Hills are cut down and built up
by the operation. The blizzard last
winter did much work Of this kind.
Ponds inland are filled up and
into meadows. Look at the
little creek which barely separates
Coney Island from the Long Island
shore. It used to be q big arm OF tho
sea- Now it is nearly filled up by
these driving sand storms which block
the channels. causing the sluggish
TO make additional deposits
aud 90 create land.
''The sea tides, too. are cutting tho
coast away terribly. Take. for in-
stance. Hog Island Inlet. Many go
down there Just to see the tide rush.
The inlet Is working westward all the
lime, and will ultimately carve Rock
away to pieces. The surf is response
bic for this. It piles sand and debris
INTO the channel Of the inlet
IN the eastern border Of it
This deposit tends to obstruct
he tide. which cuta away and washes
nto the east end of Rockaway Beach
% make room for ITSELF This cutting |
,oes on just as rapidly as the formation
rom the surf is heaved upon tho other |
,ide of the inlet. Tho inlet is thus
.ept open. 1t has travelled to the
westward more than two miles since
vas born. in 1925.
consequently, Rockaway Beach is
,eing eaten up and Coney Island is
toward New York. you see.
The outer shore Of the latter is disap-
,earing Under the water, and its inner
me is on the move before the wind.
n fifty years hence I predict that tho
sland will have been swallowed up in
he maw OF tho ocean. With both
hat and Rockaway gone. where will
he people 90 then for sport. won