The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-17

the massacre bL IIc lluSupIittS Witch
occurred here in 1905. No event in Am
erican history possesses more of tragedy
and pathos than the martyrdom of these
Fronchmcn. wins had left their homes
in France 10 establish in the new world
a refuge from the religious prosecutions
of their native land, but found in Flor
ida the intolerance from which they
had fled. and persisted at last by the
hand of the treacherous Spaniard.
II will be remembered that he Frcnch
vessels bringing these coloniStS to Flori-
da were wrecked at the mouth of the
inlet by Il storm. The Spanish leader
Mencndez learning this went down to
the survivors and by false promises IN
duccd them to surrender and deliver mp
their arms. Then he sent them boats,
brought them over in small bands ut Il
time. found and blindfolded them. and in
the name of religion put them to death.
Rl0odthirsty and cruel as was TINS
deed. there were many more like It TO
stain the soil of st. Augustine and st.
Anastasia. and even TO this day the cvI-
dcnceS of them have not been wiped out.
In Fort Marion ono finds dungeons
and dark rooms Of solid masonry III
which prisoners were confined and pun
ishcd In the walls one can now see
where were fastened chains and inStru-
ments of torture. Surmounted always
by Il crucifX. There are tales of hui
man homes and iron cages and gold or
naments found here. showing that the
prisoners were often not ordinary sol
ders. Around these things the myth
makers have woven mquiSition tales of
horror. How much truth there is in
them no one will probably ever know.
Certain it is that patriots from Char
lesion were confined here and badly
treated by the British in the Rcvolu-
ton, and the Spaniards kept the famous
outlaw McGirth in one of these cells five
wears: and there are old people in St
Augustine today who will tell of pallid
conyicts led from the fort dungeons to
execution. At the close of the last war
refractory soldiers were punished by sol
itary confinement in these cells.
One Of the most famous is that known
rs C0aco0chcc'S cell. being the caScmatc
in which this Indian chief was con-
fined and from which he escaped. In
another OSccola was Il prisoner. These
two influential chiefs of the Semmoles
were captured in the war of 1880
Coacooche. after his escape, was rcmoy
cd to Arkansas with his people. OSccola
was removed to Fort Moutrie. Charles
ton. where shortly after he died. Other
Indian chiefs have been confined here
ms prisoners or war ut various times.
Another relic of early barharism and
trcachcry is found in the dark-cyed.
dark-complcxioncd inhabitants of ST. Au-
gustine They are Minorcans and are
the builders apd original occupants of
the ancient coquina houses along the
narrow streets. They were brought
over as colonists to New Smyrna, south
Of ST. Augustine, by DR. John Turn
bull. an EngliShman: On arriving 1T
their destination they found that they
were not c0lonists ut all, but slaves. Fin
ally they deserted from New Smyrna in
a body. came to St Augustine and set
tied
No sort of sketch of st. Augustine
would be complete without some refer
cnce to the old city gateway, at the
head of ST. George street. north of the
city. There is no more notable mOnu-
ment Of the past to he found in this
quaint city. These ancient pillars no
longer serve any other purpose than to
satisfy the curiosity seekers desire for
some landmark whose genuincnesS can
not he called into question. But it was
not always so. Once they were the
sentinels of a sleeping town. the bar
ricrs against the attack of savage and
the approach Of robbcr To their protcc-
ton the bclatcd traveller hurried ana
from their portals many n cOnquering
force sailed forth The gateway is
the only conspicuous relic of the elah-
CRATE system of fertilization which once
defended ST. Augustine. Once lines of
fortification ran around the town. ef-
fectnally barring approach. At night
the gates were closed and guards were
stationed in the little sentry boxes built
in the solid masonry of the gate posts
and along the wall. Just within the
gates was guard house with Il dctach-
ment Of troops This gateway is now Il
picturesque old ruin, but around it is
historic ground.
Then there is the famous sca-wall,
extending from the water battery of
Fort Marion south, along the water
front of the town to the barracks whore
the North Carolina troops are stationed
1t is built Of coquin0, capped with New
England granite. The United States
Government erected it in 1S3j-42, rs n
complement to the repairs nj Fort Ma
rion. ut an expense of 100000. 1t
is thrcc-fourths Of mile long and ten
feet high.
From this wall is afforded a charm
ing prospect Of the harbor and the light
house on st. Anastasia Island. With its
great black and white spiral stripes this
lighthouse stands against the horizon like
a huge barher's pole, 165 feet high. Tt
is Il white revolving light, flashing once
every three minutes, visible nineteen
miles The purpose Of the variability or
flash of the light is to distinguish it
from other lights on the shore. Thus
while the ST. Augustine light flashes ev
cry three minutes the st. Johns river
light. the next lighthouse. north. is n
fixed light, and the Cape Canaverat
light, the next one south. flashes every
minute. Then the lighthouses are all
painted different colors to distinguish
them by day.
Since the days of Spaniard and Indian
and English settler St Augustine has
changed greatly in some respects, and
very slightly in others All along the
narrow little streets ONE can see foreign
names and foreign faces Cuban. Span
lard, Minorcan, French The olde