The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-24
Few Virginidns Have Been to
Cape Henry Since That Day
OUTLOOK is ASTOUNDING.
Scene When Sun is Hanging Above
Horizon Like a Ball of Fire and Is
Reflected in Waters of Bay
One OF Rare Beauty.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch

day or April, 1907. Sir. Christopher New
port, on his way from England TO found
the United States of America at James,
town, went ashore at the southern point
at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. He
was accompanied by several of his as
socintes. whose names are preserved In
histories and on bronze tablet erected
by the Association for the Preservation
OF Antiquities OIL the wall of the old
abandoned lighthouse at Cape Henry.
The party looked around q while, named
the spot Cape Henry, and then resumed
| their voyage through the Cnpes. up the
| bay and roads and river, until they tied
| up at Jamestown.
| There have been comparatively few
Virginians at Cape Henry since Christie
! pher Newports party went away. Thou-
sands OF steamships and sailing vessels
pass the cape yearly. and passengers
| gaze out at the picturesque spot, but few
| landings are made. and until recently
| there was no way Of reaching the cape
| by land except in q wagon A twenty
| mile drive from Norfolk, through sand
several Inches deep. was q thing not to
be lightly undertaken.
NOW HAVE TROLLEY LINE.
But this Is changed now. A trolley
line runs from Norfolk to the cape, and
DETECTING southwark, carries the tourist
along by the breakers for seven miles
to Virginia Beach.
The trip from Norfolk to the cape and
Virginia Beach is one of the most unique
to be conceived Of I cannot recall an
other possessing more strange and beau-
tiful features. The trip is begun from
Henry Street, in Norfolk, over the tracks
Of the old Ocean View Railroad. but a
short distance beyond the suburbs thu
car takes to tho new tracks Of the Chesa-
peake Transit Company. The road runS
through fields OF strawberries and grow-
lng vegetables for q while. and occasions
ally through meadows from which comes
the sweet scent OF new mown hay plle0
stretches. ;
Then the car runs into the pine woods.
the branches of the tall trees almost
interlacng over the track. Lynnhaven
inlet, which makes In from Lynnhayen
bay. Is crossed on a long bridge, and
then the car enters the region Of pines
and sand. The rich green Of vegetation
disappears, the scattering pine trees and
rare patches of grass look yellow and
ready to give up slender hold on life.
| the white. sand Is everywhere. long leve,
stretches of 1t, hillocks and hammocKs
| of sand, mountains Of sand. BY the tins
| the lighthouse on the point Of the cape
| is reached the trees have almost dlsap-
peared, and the eye can fall on little IN
nature but sand and sea and mist.
| The steel lighthouse. towering l6o reef
above the tops of the little knoll on
]
| stone. built In 1900. while George Wash
| ington was President of the United States.
| are the features Of the landscape at the
| cape. they and an immense mountain Of
! sound to the southwest There are the
houses Of the lighthouse keeper and his
assistant the little box OF weather
| station, a wireless telegraphy station, the
masts of which are rugged up down on
| the beach n hundred yards apart. and
| Ia tha
ton. q small building Of wood. close to
| the breakers. and so light In appearances
as to cause one to believe that when the
wind Is blowing great guns the house Is
In Imminent danger Of flying away.
is A HARD CLIMB.
The climb up the steps inside the tower
is about as severe tax on the muscles
of the legs ns may be imagined. and had
| T been ready to express m offhand opln-
| ion of the view which bursts upon me
| when I came out on the little platform
| which runs around the tower at dis
4 lance of over $50 feet from the ground,
! breath there was none.
The scene. to one who has viewed only
| the fields and forests, the meadows, hills
and mountains Of the uplands. cannot be
| dimly Imagined 1t was within an hour
| Of sunset when stepped out on the plat
| form far above the earth and the ocean,
| The SUI hung above the horizon ike
| ball of fire. Towards the west the waters
| of the bay gave back his rays IN broad
| shafts of opalescent light; to the east the
| ocean shown golden and violet, changing
to rosy pink, scarlet, royal purple. glo'g
rious crimson. Southwark stretched the
beach, cleaning pure white as far as
the eve could reach. spray-crested break
ers dnshing themselves to pieces upon the
hard sand. Back of the beach, to the
south. rose that wonderful mountain OF
sand, ever shifting. always growing, Its
peaks and valleys cleaning white and
golden In the sunlight, Sailing vessels and
steamships were In full View. though miles
away. passing on to the haven where
they would be. Seward, the eternal mlsi
that marks the line between sky ana
ocean, In the rays of the sinking sun
seemed a curtain Of gold. hiding the Isles
of the Blest. The only sound that came
to one's ears at that distance above
the earth was the roar OF the surf-moan'
ing-restless- eternal, One's identity seemed
lost-the ego was swallowed UP In thai
vast expanse of and sand and sky.
Life seemed but little thing. and death
seemed to lose Its terror and It's mystery,
The voice OF the keepers assistant call
ed mo back to reality. He reminded me
that If wanted to go out on the SAND
mountain 1t was time to start.
That mountain OF sand is n curiosity,
indeed, 1t Is over mile In length. and
az present is probably 100 feet In height.
The face of the mountain, which Is to-
wards the sea, of course, Is acres IN ex-
tent. Portions Of 1t are quite smooth, hut
there are sandy peaks and Wales. gulches
and plateaus as, on the wooded ranges OF
the upland. Occasionally what appears
TO be a stunted bush shows Its head above
the level of the sand, 1t is lofty tree.
bngtsG until only the t0pm0ss ooasas are
rrhe sight from the crest of the noun.