West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-02-20
TROPICAL FLORIDA.
LiFEiN MID WINTER WAY DOWN
ON THE EAST COAST. 'b
Editorial Correspondence Of TITS Aaou,.
HoTEL ROYAL PoINcIANA. y
PALM BRAou, FLORIDA.
dan. 40. 1890 \

~'N' N"N iOilu0 bhSt OOaSJ NAlls
way, which runs straight down the
grand old Atlantic Coast for 800
mules from Jacksonville. We pass
cd through corner of the Ever.
glsdes and they are not far from
here.
Until recently this point was che
southernmost railway station in the
United States, but the FlagIer sys.
tenn of railroads is being extended
on down the coast from here to
Miami on Biscayne Bay 90 miles
further and magnificent hotel is
just opened down there called the
Royal Palm aud owned by Henry
NJ. Flagler, the celebrated New
York multi-millionaire, who made
his money In the Standard Oil
Company, and is now investing it
down here in railroads, hotels aud
steamships, Same rs Col. II. b.
Plant who controls the Gulf Coast
in the same way. This magnifi.
cent palace here called tho Royal
Poinciana. is fine enough for the
Ozar OF Russia, and fully as com.
Portable rs the one at Tampa Bay,
only II did not cost near as much,
but when we arrived about $3.50 the
other night and the whole vision
burst upon our & re as tho train
slowly crossed the long bridge over
Lake Worth We seemed to be IN
Fairyland. The magnificent build.
ing was ablaze from basement to
turret with electric lights and in
the darkness it looked like IL might
DO the City Of the New Jerusalem,
we were coming to. Our train
slowed up right across the end of
the Celestial like looking place and
We were soon all comfortably quar-
tered in magnificent apartments hav-
ing boen registered and assigned te
rooms before our arrival. My room
looks cut upon the beautiful white
capped waves that forever break
upon the smooth and sandy beach
OF the great ocean that spreads out
before us. This marvellous triumph
OF architectural beauty was opened
to the public February 10, 1894,
and improvements on the grounds
are still in progress. The Royal
Poinciana takes it's name from the
magnificent tropical tree which
grows in abundance all around
here.
The Royal Poinciana is built in
the carly Colonial style OF architec-
ture and stands facing the west
about three hundred feet back from
the lake. IL is six stories in height,
including the gambrel roof, tho
basement being Of brick and con-
crete and the superstructure Of
steel and wood. In color il is
very light shade OF lemon--almost
white-with blinds Of dark green.
These contrast very effectively with
the foliage and the intensely hued
tropical bloom which surround it.
The hotel has q frontage OF four
hundred and fifty-fve feet, and the
facade is broken by three pavlions
projecting from the main building
eighteen feet east and west-the
central pavilion one hundred feet
in length and the two others at tho
ends forty.twO feet each. From
the north pavilion extending cast
for two hundred and ten feet is tho
grand dining room, and beyond this
the kitchen, laundry, boiler. house,
barracks for the help,etc Back OF
the central pavilion --the first floor
Of which comprises the rotunda, or
Colonial sittisg-room," With tho
hotel Office also--is the ballroom,
an octagou in shape, sixty feet
vide. Between the two sections
Of the central pavilion and Begin
ming ct the roof is q graceful tower
rising to the height OF one hundred
and thirty feet from the ground,
the view from it commanding q
stretch Of nearly thirty miles Of
lake, ocean and peninsula.
The main facade Of the building
is ornsmentod by pillasters Of the
! Douc order, carried the entire
length Of the hotel, and the roof of
the main portico is supported bv
fluiod piers Of the Corinthian orr
der, crowned by an elaborate en-.
tablature.
! Continued on The see5nd pags.