The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-12-01
A DAT AT LEwrs.

sand Hin-Light Houses ana Life
Savers.
LeWes Is quaint old town, the old
est In the state, and OH that account
lis more or less venarated by all the
people OF the State. but by none more
than those wi o reside in the town. The
lpopulation OF some 1900 is principally
made up of government pilots, light
house keepers and few government
\ life-savcrs. IN saying this 1t IL, of
course, understood that these profess
slons dom nate, as there Ia the usual
complement of merchants, tradesmen
land mechanics, rendered necessary by
jail towns the size of Lewes The town
is very pleasantly located upon blum
of table land overlooking the Delaware
'lbay and the world-renowned Break
water.
Its streets run at right angles. but
have no other paving but tue native
black sand. which makes remarkably
good roads and travelling where 1t is
mot too light and loose. The curling
| Is mostly sawed plank, with here and
there stretches OF small black stone.
and In some other places the curbing
lis OF sea shells. The side pavements
on some Of the main streets are OF
| brick. but as general rule sand pre-
dominates. This sand, however, 10
very porous, absorbB rain quickly ana
never sticks like mud from clay. Many
Iof the streets are lined with beauti-
'lful frame cottages, brick buildings are
Ian exception. The houses indicate
Iabodes OF peace, plenty. refinement
land contentment. The old style OF
Notwithstanding with oypres shingles,
a product of Sussex county, is prin-
Icipally in vogue though the new
style Is growing in favor.
] Nearly every house has large front,
side and rear yards, the two hrst
named used principally for Hover
Iplats and the roar for the cultivation
I of vegetables. Roses were still in
bloom last Sunday. Everybody in
iLewes seemed to have d legitimate
way OF earning u livelihood and the
genus bum and loafers are scarce.
] L4ewes. has three very fine churches.
the oldest being the Episcopal. The
others NJ Q the Presbyterlanand Metho-
dist, and all three have large thrifty
Congregations. Tho people are II
lchurch-going people. AS with other
Communities on the peninsula the
! MethodiSts largely predominant
3 They have for their pastor the Rev.
lIF. q. MoSorley, an eloquent and ell
Client minister and quite popular with
his congregation, The church has
lust been overhauled and remodeled
land is now cosy, handsome and COM
l rortable. The writer had the pleas
'Iure of attending the preaching and
} Sunday school services last Sunday.
! Lovefeast was held in the morning
and Presiding eldor II. II. Adams
preached an analytical and eloquent
: sermon i'll the evening. The colored
rlN
two churches.
Loves has only one hotel, but IL is q
spacious, weil-Kept hostelry by u
l.OillaRd and lis called the Nirien
House. This hotel was the domicilt
OF the writer while in lIewes, and he
was well fed anu housed. The most
lof the guests were gunners, who
made incursions into the country and
were the terror of quail ana cotton
tails. hack driven by IA gentleman
named Metcllf, runs between the no.
tel and the depot, meeting all trains,
but people, when they find that the
,lcharge is fifteen cents for such IL short
distance, give the haci the go-hy and
foot it, People as general rule do
not care for fifteen cents, but they
! hate to be imposed upon.
Il From tue Virden House there is a
ii
/ Ilreakwater. and the eye hardly ever
.lgrows weary OF them. There is not
IAN hour In the day and night when a
, large number OF vessels arc not an
chored within the Braakwater. All
might the scene Is brilliant one with
1.-The hoisted lights upon the vessels,
{ hight over across from the Break
, water Is the Cape May lighthouse witt.
Ia revolving light, never eeaslng in its
= Revolutions. One side OF tho high,
great lantern omltS no revolutions,
i thus attracting the greater attention.
| IL is Just IL miles across from the
8 Virden House. The Breakwattr is one
4 of the great public works belonging
to the government, and hus cost mil
lions OF dollars to bring it to its pres
dent state of efficiency, and millions
' more can be spent upon it before II
9 Imay be said to be complete, in fact,
such works are never completed
Though made elfectual.
/ The Breakwater Is what Its name
rIimplies, an artificial stone barrier
1IhuilG up some mile and y hulf out III
u the bay to break the force of a storm
Il, hat comes in from tho ocean and tC
nIaIfOrd secure anchorage for vessels
y Ibetween the stone ombankments and
the beach. There have all along been
: 1.-Two barriers or stone walls, but within
Is a lew days past the connettion oil
these walls has been etIectel TIT
wall farther down the bay Is 1853 feel
hong. the second wall farther dow
|. land farther in shore is 25aS feet long
and the connection link is 1880 Zee
long, making a continuous zigZae
line OF 1907 feet or 90 feet more tn1n /
lmile. These walls ara As feet deep. Al
a feet wide at the bottom and 20 fee
n wide at the top. ........
v When entirely finished they will b
= liz feet high above low water. The an
u chorage within the Breakwat is sal,
for all vessels drawing 30 feet o
water. Work has now stopped Gpol
the wall because the government ap
preparations have been exhausted
- The expressed desire of the new ad
ADMINISTRATION coming into power Il
n Ieeonomize and stop tue raising o
r. lrnoney by imports may retard worl
l. IIpon the BreRkwater, in which cast
y he town of Lewes will suffer. Tht
Y irandywine Granite Company has hat
tile contract for furnishing the stont
flor making the connection between
the two walls.
Sometimes in storms the waters
break entirely over The walls and en-
: danger the shipping. inside. Three
years ago tho greatest storm In thf
Recollection OF the oldest inhabitants
took place. and sch0oners, even with
in the Breakwator, were wrecked,
The dismantled schooner j. Il. Robin
son, lies upon its beam end within the
l narbor as trophy OF that terrible
storm. The waters entirely covered
the plateau in front of LeNes. and the
inhabitants of Hueyvile, a village oil
some ~ houses, had to escape Ior
their lives in boats,
Cape Henlopen lighthouse lifts It's
. nigh peak above the large sand hill to
D the southeast of the town.
1t looks but Il short distance away
a nut II an attempt was made to reach
It across the sand hill the traveller
would think it was several miles OIL.
; This sand hill WIS formed by the com
L Iuined action OF water and wind. Hi,
sIid bank has grown 81 high that II
: has buried the tops Of the tallest pine
trees.
A life savings station ami hospita
are located on the beach. and are in
terestinE places al resort. A life suv
= ing's crew consists OF eight men EN-,
ployed by the government ior the
purpose Of saving lives in cnsas u
storms and shlpHrecks. The men ART
large, sHarthtt ami muscular and pc
cuilarly lied b. rigid training fol
perllous but nGb.e purpose.
These eighl m N, however, have nc
easy life of It, EAey have to drill foul
times week. ke3p the paraphernallu
OF the station i'll order, and at nighl
patrol the beach going out iii pairs
each pair rem lining on duty four
hours. There | j a line of life SAVING
a -,