The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1894-06-14
OLDEST In AMERICA.
[con,iued from Page IL

Three OF us, one having been there be
fore, spent several hours in trying u
find the channel that leads to this house
We several times found ourselves in
pockets or in narrowed channels that
were eventually lost in mangrove roots
that would tax the navigating ability of
frog. We were at last rewarded and
am now prepared TO believe the story
that this house was for years the rendez-
vous of band of marauders and pirates
who would sally forth through Mosquito
inlet upon the high seas and south to the
thousands of islpnds so dangerous to
navigation, where they found rich booty.
After one act of great brutality, in
which a vessel was wrecked near the
inlet and the crew butchered, they left
the rock house, but left victim suspend.
ed in the doorway. Here the skeleton
dangled for long time and was finally
removed by the Timuqua Indians, who
mistook it for that OF one of their own
braves.
THE OLD MONASTERY.
The circumstances connected with the
old sugar mill at New Smyrna seem
to justify the claim of its being the most
ancient building on Uncle Sans domain
This building is as full of historic inter.
est and surrounded with as many tradi-
tons and stories as Newport's old wind
mill, which so many think of Morse
origin. The great interest attached to
the old mill, as il is called by the unso-
phistocated native Cracker, led me to
make visit to it recently in order to
obtain for THE HERALD readers correct
description of what think is destined
to become the greatest object of interest
in this fascinating Florida east coast. 1t
is truly picturesque ruin and the moss
dottiDgs on the vine-clad walls, its quaint
construction, and other things yet to
mention, bear mute witness Of its great
age.
A fine archway gave passage through
the first wall approached and disclosed
ruins on a more extensive scale a most
interesting condition of affairs. To the
right and partly hidden by large pal
metto bay and other trees stood the one
remaining wall of once beautiful
chapel. A mere glance sutliced to show
the ecclesiastical character of the build
ing. Not only was the side wall stand,
ing in its entirety with its three hand
some arched windows and massive stone
work, cut with n care and precision that
betoken Enthusiastically something far
above the colonial uses of manufacture.
The chancel end of the chapel was also
standing, also the front end in which is
the tall arched doorway. All of which
refutes the sugar mill idea of the natives.
The small chapel has evidently stood in
the angle formed by the walls of a much
larger building, the latter having served
as monastery. The larger building was
erected in the form of cross, the wings
and porticos of which had formed dis
tinct divisions, arranged about an open
court in the center. The smaller build
ing, generally called the chapel, is 3S
feet long by 1915 feet wide, The larger
building which is in the form of a cross,
is of such dimensions that the central
beam of the cross running east and west
is $50 feet, and the cross beam, running
north and south is 100 feet. The build.
ing is of such proportions as to show
Enthusiastically the cross emblem, and the
open court which is so common in the
east, and especially with Spain, support
the idea advance. have seen scores
Of somewhat similar structures in Old
Mexico designed for ecclesiastical and
other uses, built during Spanish suprem-
acy: In fact know of few buildings of
consequence in the Mexican capital that
has not the oriental court. What fur
Their confirms the idea which now obtains
in the thoughtful mind, that the build
ing was an old Spanish mission, built in
accordance with the wish of Ferdinand
and Isabella AS expressed to Columbus,
was the discovery while digging near the
walls of the chapel of three bronze can.
dlesticks of ancient and exquisite mould.
Evidently they were of great age as the
iron parts used as weights and the bolts
had almost completely oxidized. make
no claim of wisdom in passing upon
such implements of antiquity, but in