Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-01-31
THAT is WHAT ATLANTIS NAY
BECOME.
SPORTING MN ARE MUCH IN.
TERESTED.
And Regard with Much Concern the
Project of Building New Country
on Stills in d-Oeaan-Sensationa
Project by New Workers.


and a white star in the center Just
such another flag floats from buoy
anchored out on the Cholera Banks,
eleven miles from the nearest shore,
to designate that the waters and sea
bottom for league around, and all
that in them or on them lies, is and
belongs to Atalantis. For Atalantis
is the newest nation of the earth. and
of the waters underneath the earth as
well, and its consulate is situated at 3
Union Square, in witness whereof all
may see the flag with the single star.
Thus far AtalantiS is only a nation
and not government. 1t exists
mainly in the abstract and in the plans
and specifications of Mr.. G. NJ Coen,
Capt Howard Patterson, and others,
who sailed out on Thursday in a
steamboat, dropped overheard a flag
and buoy to mark the spot, and, in
brief ceremony, took possession of
the neutral ground hitherto sacred to
the memory of the sainted McGinty,
and called it Atalantis AS one wit
ness of the ceremony afterward said;
"They took Il tiagpole and dug a
small hole in the water and said" We
hereby take possession of this hole
and declare it free and independent
nation and all our own, because no
body else came to take it before us"
In fact, it seemed like mild if
rather elaborate joke at first, but Mr..
Coen, Capt Robert d. Evans, of the
United States lighthouse board, and
others who are interested in it, are
not the kind of men to spend time and
money for the purpose of making other
people laugh at them. They are very
much in earnest about this project,
and, barring tidal waves or other
harmful phenomena, expect to have a
neat, if not gaudy, artificial nation
built within three years. They have
gone over their plans again and again,
and have found that there is nothing
to fear in the way of interference from
this country. In fact they have con-
suited national, state and maritime
authorities, and have been semi
officially informed that, as far as the
state of New York, the state of New
Jersey and the United States of Amer
lea are concerned. they can build in
Vulnerable islets. provided they are
outside the limit of jurisdiction, name
them all the letters in the alphabet,
and decorate their shores with flags in
all the colors of the rainbow. Their
information insureS the right of the
new nation to arrange for its own gov
eminent and also warns them that if
any other natlcn's ships should take Il
fancy to make use Of Atalantis as Il
basis of experiment in long distance
gunnery that island nation must not
expect the United States to keep it
from being blown up or battered down.
As not even submarine torpedo boat
could not, do any harm to Atalantis at
present, the projectors are not worry
ing
The fact thai Atalantis was to he
anything more than an island summer
hotel was not known until Thursday,
when the flag was planted. The pros
pectus does not indicate it, and the
only hint at anything of the sort is in
a paragraph, which says that:
1.-The rather novel conditions which
will circumscribe Atlantis dictate the
expectancy of formulating strict rules
and enforcing certain observations in
relation to those accepted as guests of
the hotel"
These rather novel conditions, which
are those of an utterly irresponsible
and independent nation within a very
few miles of the greatest city of the
new world and Arrest entirely de.
pendent upon that city for support,
NAV give rise to some rather novel
complications. The exact purposes Of
the proprietors of The new country
have rot yet been stated, ror has the
form of government been made public.
although 1t has been discussed Mt great
length by the stock company that
owns it. In time they will formulate
a code OF laws, which will be regarded
with interest, as any important devia-
ton from our laws might cause com,
plicatlons.
Sporting men are particularly inter,
eSted in the new scheme, and the cen.
ter OF interest to them Is the trench
dous amphitheatre, capable OF seat
ing $4,000 people. which is to be part
OF the main building. 1t is not sup
posed that Atalantis is being built for
the special purpose CT accommodating
Sunday school picnics. nor has any
theory been advanced to the effect that
the big amphitheatre will be used as
a Salvation army barracks. There are
other things for which It might be
used with great profits to the owners,
and this is what Is drawing the eyes
of the sporting fraternity seward.
'sOf course l don't know what the
idea Is" said sporting man up town
Yesterday This thing may be 4
sanitarium for all know, but It
strikes me that that big arena there
would Re mighty good place 70 pull
OFF a big prize fight. PrizA fighting is
getting TO b. uphill work nowadays.
the increasing stringepcy of the laws.
and IL people will travel thousands of
miles from New York to see good
light. they could afford to mt up liber-