Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-31

From a window of the building at
the southwest corner of Union Square
fiutters a blue flag with red border
and a white star in the center. Just
such another flag floats from a buoy
anchored out on the Cholera Banks,
eleven miles from the nearest shore,
10 designate that the waters and sea
bottom for a league around, and all
that in them or on them lies, is and
belongs to AtalantiS. For AtalantlS
is the newest nation of the earth, ard
of the waters underneath the earth as
well, and it's consulate is situated at }
Union Square, in witness whereof all
may see the flag with the single star
Thus far Atalantis is only nation
and not a government 1t exists
mainly in the abstract and in the plans
and specifications of Mr.. G.. M. Coen,
Capt Howard Patterson, and others,
who sailed out on Thursday in a
steamboat, dropped overheard a flag
and a buoy to mark the spot, and, in
a brief ceremony, took possession OF
the neutral ground hitherto sacred to
the memory of the sainted McGinty,
and called it Ata1antiS. AS one wit
ness of the ceremony afterward said:
''They took a fagpole 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 u.s."
In fact, it seemed like a 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 ENSURES the right OF the
r,.ltrinn tn N n or a for it's
eminent, and also warns them that if
any other nations ships should take
fancy to make use Of Atalantis as a
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 that Atalaptis was to be
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:
11S Tit1leE uONel COuufIltuS w I'LL
will circumscribe Atlantis dictate the
expediency of formulating strict rules
and enforcing certain observations in
relation ito 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 alr.ost entirely de
pendent upon that city for support
may give rise to some rather novel
complications. The exact purposes of
the proprietors of The new country
have rot vet been stated, Tor has the
form of government been made public,
although it has been discussed at 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
plications.
Sporting men are particularly inter
ested in the new scheme, and the CEN
ter of interest TO them is the tremen-
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 fo1
the special purpose OF 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 seaward.
"Of course, 1 don't know what the
idea is said a sporting man up town
yesterday. ''TThis thing may be &
sanitarium for all l know, but II
strikes me that that big arena there
would be a mighty good place to pull
off a big prize fight Priz. fighting is
getting to be uphill work nowadays
the increasing stringency of the laws
and If people win travel thousands OF
miles from New York to see a GOOD
fight. they could afford to Put up liber
ally to have the fight within few
miles from bone. There is a deer
suspicion in my mind that in the Pena
code of Atalantis Their will be no pen
alties attached to the participation IL
or management of boxing exhibitions
"Now here's another consideration