The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-21

the oldest existing burial place in the
United States, but no inscriptions,
n side from nameless shattered tombs.
over which huge live oaks have grown.
proclaim their antiquity. Carved mar
bic and granite with inscriptions were
not used to mark the resting place OF
the departed. until after the place be-
came United States territory. The old
cemetery is one mass OF graves, so
numerous that no new grave can be
dug without unearthing the remains of
some one long since forgotten. In
many places the brick walls OF tombs
stand against each other. The whole
place is overgrown with knarled live
oaks, and various kinds of beautiful
vines have matted together until some
parts are almost impossible. The dense
shade and sweet flowers and quaint
surroundings entice many tourists to
the place In this wilderness of tombs
many ancient names are lost forever.
ON IAN Souls Night" the entire Ceme-
terry is lighted with candles. and thou
sands of people wander about the ave-
nues of the silent city" Beside st.
Michael's ancient burying ground, sew
oral modern monuments lift their
stately heads. Among them is the
sullivan" rarely excelcd.
FORT SAN MIGUEL.
ON the hill at the head of Palafox
street. seventy-five feet above the bay,
are the ruins of the old fort san
Miguel. Near by is the Confederate
monument. nifty feet high. that COM
memoratos the lives of those who died
i'm a lost cause" 4 modern residence.
now occupied by DR.. Heron, stands
within the ruins of the old fort. The
Episcopal church stands on the
grounds near the old barracks, allotted
10 it when Florida was English terri
tory. Fort san Carlos, or st. Charles,
is situated seven miles below the city,
among the other forts. and is visited
any hour in the day by water or by
the Pensacola terminal railroad. 1t
stands below and near to Fort Bar
ranCas and the two are connected by
an underground passage. The original
fort was built over 200 years ago, de-
stroyed and rebuilt i'm the seventeenth
century. and practically remained un-
changed since that time. The front
wall faces the sea and is in the form
OF "A half-circlc, called the Media
Luna" meaning the "half-moon." The
two ends of this half lf-circle are con-
nccted by high wall, while around
the circular wall is a dry ditch, so
common about old Notifications at the
present time. Within "A radius of less
than two miles Of Fort san Carlos are
Forts Barrancas. Pickens, Redoubt
the ruins of Fort Mckee, the light
house, the National cemetery and the
navy yard.
From the heights Of Fort Barrancas.
one can look across the narrow neck
of the bay 10 Santa Rosa Island. and
SEQ Fort Pickens frowning on the sea
and the inlet to the boy; also farther
ont on the Gulf of Mexico. and see the
great ocean waves breaking upon the
shores and hear the roaring like the
soughing of a distant storm. TO the
extreme left is the city and it's har-
Dor. with its multitude of ocean ves-
sells; to the east, the ships at the quar-
antine station bidinS their time to
enter the harbor at the city. \ little
nearer is the life saving station" and
the crew enlisted to keep a constant
vigil OF the Bay and Gulf. 1t is a
scene OF Majestic grandeur and thrill
ing beauty.
FORT PICKENS.
Fort Pickens has the distinction of
being the only southern fort, save Fort
Marion. over which the flag Of the
COnfederaCy never noated. The pc
culiar luca ion of Fort PiCkenS gives
it command of the entrance of the
harbOr on three sides and it's import -
ance was recognized by our own gov
eminent for at the breaking out of the
war the fort was so we'll equipped tina t
| a small force of sixteen men held it
against great odds. The walls are for
| ty feet high and twelve feet thick. Each
vessel that enters the bay must pass
| half way around the fort, for the en-
| trance from the Gulf is a semi-Circle
| channel around the point Of the island.
| thus making the bay entirely land 70
| locked This is a strong fea ture. A
vessel simply comes around the point
and safely closes the door to the ocean
| behind it,
After the war, when DR. r. w. Brady
| and myself We're at Pensacola. the
| fort fell into disuse and the cannons
were taken from the long rows OF
| bomb proof easements around the
| walls and the long rows of guns that
We're mounted on TOP of the walls and
pointed in every direction We're also
| removed, and vines and wild tlowere
| took possession Of the fortress. Re-
| Gently modern batteries OF disappear
| ing riiled cannon have been planted
| and arrangements for lines of torpedos
! across the channel, making it impos-
sibla for a hostile fleet to enter
The beach is pure white sand and
| slopes gradually and the bathing is as
| fine as the finest. From this shore tons
OF delicate tinted shells are picked up
| b. tourists and carried away as SOU
venirs. one never tires OF lingering on
the sunny shore, breathing the health
| giving salubrious atmosphere and
watching the oceans waves follow one
another up the beach. only to sink back
| into nblvion forever
THE NAVY YARD.
! The navy yard is only five miles from
| the city, reached by the dummy line -
| The place is enclosed by high wall
| on two sides, the other, irregular side
being the bay shore. The enclosure
| comprises eighty acres. divided into
beautiful blocks and parks. Here mil
J lions and millions of dollars have been
| spent from 1925 to 1881, since which
| time operations ceased and 1t fell into
| deCay-Only a few officers and watch
men have been kept to continue the
military watChfulness, until recently
| has it again been placed IN commits.
sion. Pyramids Of cannon balls are
used to ornament the pretty grounds
and anchors weighing from 500 TO l4.0OI
pounds each, are arranged artistically