The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-06
TAMPA'S NEW HOTEL.
Celebration Of the Opening OF the
Magnificent Hostelry.

| M agniucent hO6telry.
TAMPA, FLA, Feb. 5.-Mr. Plant sci
aside to-day as that upon which he would
celebrate the opening of the Tampa Bay
hotel, though really the house has been
open for a week. Flags and banners hoated
from many fiagstaffs during the day. and
were supplemented by lanterns at night
Ali day guests and visitors were going
through the hotel and over the grounds
| admiring the many things to he
admired. The hotel is filed with rare Dict-
/ ures and works OF art aud the gardens
l with tropical fruits The programme for
the occasion was in keeping with the place.
| At 500 o'clock the guests sat down TO a
dinner which lasted two hours. The
/ dinner was succeeded by an
began, Mr.. and Mrs. Plant leading in the
| grand march. Strfblebane's Boston band
/ furnished the music for the occasion. Guests
were present from New York. Philadelphia.
| Boston, Charleston, Savannah, Atlanta and
Cthsr cities. Sava nah was represented by
| Capt. and Mrs r. G. Fleming, Miss Elenor
| Fleming, J. II. Estill, Herman Charlton,
William Crane and r. g. Fleming, Jr.
| CHANGES IN THE TOWN.
Only those who knew the old town Of
Tampa, few years ago, before the South
ciate the changes that have taken place in
tue past few years. With all due respect to
its former inhabitants, it may be said with
out fear Of successful contradiction that it
was a dilapidated town. Had it not been
for its name and its place in
history. it doubtless would have been
left off the maps OF the United States. 1t
was emphaticallv a dead town, its houses
going to decay and its wharves but a name.
De Soto landed somewhere on Tampa bay,
and in the days of the Seminole war, when
the Indians were playing tricks on Uncle
Sam similar to that enacted few weeks
since in far away Dakota, Tampa was
one of the bases of operations. Troops
were landed here from New Orleans. Its
fame was still alive, but Tampa had out
lived it
ALL HAS CHANGED.
Now all has changed In the place of
squalor and wreck, there is a brisk bustling
town; the enterport of the commerce OF
the lndieS Its citizens are awake TO the
important position that their city Is des-
| tined to hold in the future. 1t is
difficult to tell where Tampa be-
gins or ends. 1t looks as though at some
future day its limits would be only meas
ured by the water frontage Of Its grand
bays: Tampa proper is on the east side of
the Hillsborough river, Just where Ii emp
ties into the bay. Port Tampa is twelve
miles distant, on an arm of the same estu-
airy.
LOCATION OF THE HOTEL
The Tampa Bay hotel is just opposite the
city. on the west side of Hillsborough river.
Two years ago the site on which the hotel
stands was a farm and an orange
grove. The ground rises as ii re-
cedes from the river, and affords a
picturesque place for Improvement. II. r.
plar ha iHaa fhaN hat
the place for rival palace for tourists and
travellers TO that wonder built by his friend,
Mr.. Flagler, the Ponce de Leon of st. Au-
gustine. BE at once bought the land and
gave orders to have hotel
planned. 1t has taken two years TO traus-
form the ideas he gave to his architect into
the materialistic brick, stone, mortar and
lumber that Is now known as the Tampa
Hotel 1t can be stated, however, that the
hotel is a much bigger thing than Mr.. Plant
intended 1t should be, and that many
more thousands of dollars were
spent on it than was originally
intended, but its proprietor is not the
man to tell of his disappointments more
than be II OF his successes. Ii there are any
regrets they are unknown to the public.
The immense caravansayy is completed. Its
gilded domes cover an houseful Of comforts
for the tourist who is seeking the
balmy shores of West Florida, and on
the first Of the month its hospitable doors
were opened to those who were asking ad.
mittance, and tonight its completion was
celebrated by grand ball. Mr.. Plant and
friends of his, gathered like the winds from
the four quarters Of the earth, are here.
ITS DIMENSIONS
The hotel is $50 feet front, including the
dining room, which is $50 feet long. It is
constructed Of brick, with beams OF steel,
a1 ,uvsN - a.
a fireproof building in every sense of the
term. 1t is Of Moorish architecture, with
colonnades, porches and balconies looking
out through hundred beautiful arches
upon as many picturesque, minarets, domes
and pinnacles, rising $50 feet above the
lawns that gently slope away in front and
fall, with green terraces, to the waters
edge.
1t is built in a royal grove of giant live
oaks, approached by avenues OF orange
trees, pineapple groves and palms.
The dining room is laid out in a circle,
with glass roof, in which electric lights
are imbedded, and when these are lighted
the room is sight for the eyes to feast upon.
All the furniture of the hotel was imported
from Paris and each room is fitted out diff
ferently. The parlor is furnished in white,
trimmed with gold, while the gentle
mems reading room is furnished
in ebony in Louis XIV. style.
APARTMENTS EN SUITE.
There are twenty apartments en- suite,
with every comfort of a private mansion,
including baths, electric lights, etc. while
the decorations show the broadest range of
diversity that good taste and judgment
could dictate.
There are sheltered promenades among
the towers that overlook park of $50 acres
OF groves, avenues, gardens. fountains.
bridges and water ways, with mineral
springs Of famous qualities, and floats and
pavilion for boats and launches.
Within short stroll or drive Of the hotel
the sportsman can find the highest enjoy
ment, with deer in the pines and quail in
the meadows, while the tarpon, the great
silver king of fishes, puts the best rod and
skill to test IN the bay, and lesser fish fur
nish rare sport along the stream.
The hotel aud grounds were designed by
MIR. J. A. Wood, the architect who drew
the plans Of the Independent Presbyterian
church in this city.