Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-04-18
ALONG THE EAST
COAST IN FLORIDA
Bicycle Sailing as Sport-A Breezy
Time at Detona-A Dav at st. Angus
tine Its Old Spanish Fort and Slave
Market-Amusing Incident, Etc.. Etc.

bicycle Saiiuy 40 HpVi - D'OoAy
Time at Detona-A Day at ST. Auqns-
tine Its Old Spanish Fort and Slave
misunderstanding Incident, Etc., Etc.
(staff Correspondence of the Spectator.)
Ever go bicycle sailing? OF course
not! Well, when you go to "Ormond
by the Sea" you can. Ormand in
Florida has beach that runs beside
it and beyond it for twenty miles, a
white broad sea beach as smooth as
polished marble and wide enough tor
5 or carriages to drive abreast. Ii
you want to try "bicycle sail" just
Join the crowd there, mount your
wheel, spread your sail and off you go
as the wind. Carriages fit by, pedes
TRANS, fit by, automobiles, all; you
are speeding like railroad train and
gliding as gently as if on water. This
is the trick riders paradise, and every
body is cutting antics astride his wheel.
1t is easy to cut shines while on such
smooth track. There is almost invarl-
ably a strong breeze blowing either up
or down the shore and in either event
the bicycle sailing is fine. have new
er anywhere so enjoyed sport as rloe
here before a stiff breeze down the
strand. 1t was eXhilaratlng, line J
the trip of 6 miles from Ormonc TO
Detona was made without the slight
est effort and in 20 minutes time.
When we mounted the main street In
Detona and rode along the water front,
we noted that many of the trees were
bent over inland until they almost
touched the ground-the limbs OF the
trees twisted around until they had
all the appearance of having grown On
one side. This phenomena is explain
ed by the prevailing strong breezes
that blow from the ocean. Ihe trees
are swept over by the stiff breeze and
held in such position till they grow that
way. A vista of such trees presents
an odd sight that at once attracts the
attention of strangers. This SOUNDS
"fishy" know to some people, but to
protect myself against such imputa-
ton l took several photographs OF
these trees and have them on call at
the SPECTATOR Office for the benefit
of any "doubtingn Thomases. All this
means much for Detona, it means
breezy time, and cool place at any
season of the year. And the wealth OF
the country has found it out, for De
tona has become city of cottage home
life. The avenues are very wide
many of them an hundred feet, with
rows of stately moss covered live oaks
amid grass plots on either side De-
tween the side walk and the carriage
way. The houses too are we'll BACK
from the street and have about them
ample well kept lawns. There is no
aggregation of great wealth here, put
there are hundreds. of the independ
emily well to do class and they have
made of Detona what people say is the
prettiest resident city in the South.
Our next stop over point was st.
where two or three days
can be spent most pleasantly and pro
ftably. The oldest town in America;
it is replete with historic incident and
past that shows the hand
of foreign rule for the town was built
by the Spaniards in the days when
Florida was Spanish possession. The
old part of the town is therefore to ap-
pearance, yet in it's ancient and simple
Spanish custom. The streets are very
narrow and without side walks, so
narrow in fact that pedestrians have
to walk close to the walls when a vehl-
Gle passes. Over these harrow streets
balconies project from either side until
they almost meet. There are frequent
places where a neighb0r and his Wis
avis can shake hands across the street
from their respective balconies. AT
the end of one Of these narrow short
streets I came to what is left OF the
ancient city walIs-the city gates.
They stand as sentries for the centuries
that have passed, a mere fragment OF
what has been; but they are kept in re-
pair as carefully as a city monument,
preserving in detail the antique. Every
tourist feels that he must see these,
and the ladies feel that they must skip
back and forth between them, just to
say they had "passed the city gates"
This is caper that femininty will all
play-the girls from Maine to Califor-
follow in the same groove
without each knowing of their pre-
decessors act. To the right from the
gates and facing the harbor and ocean
is the old Spanish fort which has served
the double purpose of prison, as well.
1t is probably the only foreign built
fertilization on American soil and re-
mains in perfect tact. 1t is built OF
kind of spongy. porous, or callus rock,
THAT abounds in Florida and is found
cropping out where the soil is thin,
Indicating that at one time much OF the
State has been under water. is angular
and triangular in shape, the walls slop-
ing inward as they rise from
the waters edge. This. l take
it, was designed for the pur-
pose of DETECTING the enemy's gun
hn broad and
from them is had a magnificent view
of the harbor and city, the famous sea
wall and the striped light house In the
distance that stands up from the ocean
as an immense BARRIERS pole. On the
parapets Is a kind of observation or
coming tower, the frailty of which is
striking. 1t is easy to imagine an eight
inch shell in it's flight from modern
rifle clipping this tower as a twig from
it's path, and yet in its day. its lmpreg
inability was unquestioned. Around
the fort is mote, and the gate where
once hung it's old draw bridge. Inside
the fOrtifcatiOn is a hollow square
which opens into the prison dungeons,
wherein legend tells of the most atrocl-
Gus Spanish cruelties and the tortules
of inuuisition. Here and There, "a
loquacious guide will tell you, were
found contorted corpses and human
skeletons. For long time after
American possession warlike Indians
who Strayed from their reservations
we're brought here and confined, but
these were treated humanely. The
only thing modern saw about the for
LITIGATION, were two rapid fire 6 pound
er field guns, that are parked here and
guarded by squad of soldiers, to keep
up ''Uncle Sans" appearance OF pos
session and authority.
Off in the old town at the end OF
the public square we found the old
Slave Market, kind of massive page
da with large stone pillars. In
the center is drinking fountain and
around the sides are seats. which are
pretty generally occupied by inquisi
tive strangers. All are anxious for a
discussion-and many there are, heated