The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-08-16
CONNECTICUT
LETTER.
DEACON EDWARD WEST TELLS US
OF HIS sOJOURN.
Good Notwithstanding Concerning
the History, Harbor Draw-Brldge,
Banks, Waterworks and Churches of
New London, Conn.-The New York
Yacht Club.

how can delay writing much longer
and keep the promise good that | made
you the day we left for the seashore.
We are now nicely located near the
mouth Of the River Thames and about
two and one-half miles south of the
city of New London, Conn. Bathing is
good and we can see all over this coun-
try. Boats are coming in and going
out nearly all of the time, and if do
my best can not do justice to either
land or water
The harbor of New London is consid-
cred by good judges as the best of any
on the sound and one Of the best in the
United States. 1t is three miles long
and five fathoms deep and is we'll pro-
tected by quite high land on both sides
of the river 1t is also guarded at its
mouth by Fort Trumbull with its
eighty guns.
The Pequot house which is near the
mouth of the river, has been running
as watering place since 1858, being
one of the oldest in this line on the
shore.
Nearly opposite the Pequot house on
the east side of the river, stands the
Fort Griswold house, facing the west
or we might say the setting sun.
Either of these hotels will accommo-
date 400 people.
must now say something about the
city of New London, but can not say
very much for have not had time to
look up as many things in regard to it
as l should have been glad to have
DONE
The town of New London was incor-
porated as a city in January, 1884, be-
ing among the first in the state to re-
ceive city charter from the legisla-
ture. Its growth has been very slows
1t has now about 1900 people onlyi
Ithad in 1880, 1855 inhabitants. My
father with his family landed in Clcge-
land about the middle of September,
1881. 1t then had only seven or eight
hundred people. l state this fact to
show the difference in the growth of
the two places.
New London has very good depot.
A great many trains pass between it
and the river daily.
The new bridge which is nearly one
half mile north of the union station at
New London crosses the Thames river
at it's narrowest point The bridge is
made of steel. The draw is SOB feet
long 1t is said that it is the largest
double-tracked draw-bridge in the
world. Two clear passage-ways of 225
feet each are afforded for vessels. The
draw on either side by spans is 80 feet
and there two other spans at either
side of the river of 150 feet each, max
ing the total length Of the bridge ,423
feet
New London has large and pure
supply of water, good for cooking,
drinking and for fire purposes and the
city is we'll provided with electric
lights. There are some four and five
banks and from what have seen and
heard of them, | should think that
they we're doing fairly good business.
A little south of the main part of the
center of the city is Fort Trumbull and
with some improvements since it was
first built, it has cost the government
about $250,000 and was completed in
1S49.
The religious interest of New Lon
don, should say, was well represent
ed. They claim that the church edifices
are among the finest in the state. The
different denominations are represent
: ed as follows: The st. James Episco-
pal church, the First and Second Con-
! gregational churches, the First and
Second Baptist and Huntington street
Baptist churches, the Catholic church
the First Methodist church, the Peo.
ple's church, the Universalist church
a Hebrew society, and colored Bap'
tist society.
On Monday. August 8, the New York
Yacht club of about $50 boats came in.
to this port and remained over night
and left Tuesday forenoon. We had q
good place to see and enjoyed the sight
very much. The New London papers
speak of it in this way; 'The squad
ron of yachts is one of the most impos.
ing that has ever been seen in Ameri.
can waters, for the feet contained
many new and handsome yachts that
have been built during the past season
to replace the craft that have been sold
to Uncle Sam"
There are great many other things
that have been said by the papers here
but l have not time to write any more
now. Very truly yours,