The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-08-10
4 VERY INTERESTING LETTER.
Little CrysteI Ray, of kissimee,
Fla, Writes a Very Entertain
ing Letter of Her Visit TO
Historic ST. Augustine,
Florida.
III since, E'LA., Aug s

oldest and most historic city In the
United States. st. Augustine was
settled SO years before the Pilgrim
Fathers Landed on Plymouth Rock.
The most uniqre token OF Spanish
rule in America is the scu!ptured de.
vice of the arms OF Ferdinand and
Isabel, sove~eigns of AraSon and Cas-
tile, above the entrance of Fort
Marion or st.. Mark" Confronted
by this symbol We are faco to face
with the ST. Augustine of the Past
Fort Marion is in the fIur-nundredih
year of it's age, yet with but little
sign of decay. Entering this dismal,
gloomy fort we were met by Sargt.
Browne, who required us to register,
and then proceeded to show us over
and through this wonderful structure,
built of coqiiua as solid as iron, the
inner walls once white, are green from
age, and the most weirl, dismal air
pervades the scene. Passing through
a vas. hall you enter the cur, beyond
which are the dungeons, | will men-
ton only two. OIe il whic', during
the "Inquisition," the "wI.eal o! tor
ture" was kept. Ole member or the
entire body could be torn into shreds
by means Of this machine Of death.
Bonding to my knees l catered an
other dungeon through an opening in
wall feet thick. Horror:! Ortus
on earth, darkness rcisns suprem', SO
dark that the torch in guiI.,s Eaad
looked dim, AID the dGuyeon is air
tight, ole half hour in here aud life
il extinct. Ia this dlnccon j ,st %
years ag, a most horrible discovery
was made. Tee skeletons of man
and a woman chaine | to this wall.
Hon. ALBERT w. James, for forty
years in the service of the u. 5. A.,
lnow in caargo of G)veramen. prop
erty at S)uth e,ch) waom | was
pleased TO meet, rendered the fpllow
ing in connection with the skeletons
found in dungeon: 'L>ng years ago
a wealthy Spanish lady was deter.
mined to we'd a gentleman with little
worldly goods, and t, preve, which,
the father of the lady coaf1el them
faces to the wal in this sir tight cell
where they died of suT ,ca,ion."
Amid all this horrible history there
is yet deeper my ystery come c.ed with
this cell. Just seven and one -iali
feet below the cement flor there i, a
sea of quick sand, 50 when desired
the Spaniards wou!d thrust their IN
rorvuHarU VICTIMS underneath ,h,
quick sand f rever out of sight. Ran.
ning my hand alang the rock wall
srasped the broken links Of chain
from which have suspended the un.
fortunate victims of every nationality
The light house on Anastasia Is.
land is $50 feet high from low water
mark and Is one Of the finest lights Oh
the coast.
The Catholic Cathedral WIS erected
IN 1871. Inscription on one of the
bells in open belfry: ''Sanote ] ,seph
O:a Pro No5is. 1885," one of the old.
est bells in the United States.
Under the PyrImids in the United
States Military Cemetery are the re
mains of Msj. DIds and 1O7 cf his
command, massacred at Fort Dade,
by indians, DEC %, 1885.
Central Park is grand. A monu
ment stands in the plazi, erected ia
1912.
Now we must leay, historic, ancient
81. Augustine, over which f,r two
hundred ani fifty years Spain held
tespotic sway, and lcok at modern
st. Augustine. Here is the Ponce DE
Leon hotel, one of the fine st in Amer.
lca Tho interior of ono rAom alone
cost over 100000, it simply bcggars
description.
The k'ezr, Corlo,a and Memo.
rial churchts, all modern structures
aud surprisingly grand.
Itc freedom from Insects is sirik.
mg'y singular, but St. Augustine il
Tree from dirt and inscats
Nrh f,w descriptive liocs of
rAmpl and / will cea:e. Tampa IS
80 m'las S'uth Ct kis,imee. Yb r
City aud Tampa Comprise one civ
having a population of 25.00O. Tamna
Bay hotel, situated on IIillsho .ou n
Bay, is claimed to. be one Of the finest
hotels In tina world. 1t j, Of red
brick comprising 600 r,oms. serpsn.
tine 10 shap, and entirely vine cal,
100 acres IL the grounds Il lei " th
tropical fruits All n,w9rs, f,untlius
cnssino and c)nservat,ri,s A.ph 1T
drives like hug, s,rpents, thread tt,
lovely grounds. miles of arbavi,ae
hedges, as parallel as lines on a man,
frame the drives AMI walks, the Who'll,
il enclosed with viaes of ros g, miles
1 lhen Tho ;nto-; c