Evening journal., 1904-02-18
COLLINS BEACH
THING OF PAST
Last Vestige of Once Famous
Resort Near Smyrna Has
Been Removed
VENTURE WAS NOT A MONEY MAKER
Many Things Operated Against the
Resort-oDce It Was Swept by
Tidal Wave in 1s7e-old Hotel Taken
To Woodland Beach.

Smyrna. Feb. 1S.--The well-known
landmark at Collins Beach, the only
remaining relic OF this once fam
Gus resort. the old hotel. viii soon
be thing Of the past, as It is being
torn down and viii be transported BY
means of lighters to Woodland Beach.
where It will be used in repairing the
hotel there and IN building summer
cottages. The work OF destruction
was begun last Wednesday and will
be completed in about two weeks.
The lumber is In a good state Of pres
ervation, in fact the inside work such
as the turned bannisters. stair cases.
lath, etc. are as good as new. A great
number of bricks and stone will be
gotten out of the several chimneys and
the huge cistern under the Kitchen.
This large four-story building. con-
tanning over forty rooms. has been
abandoned for several years, with the
exception Of occasional campers and
the surrounding grounds are thiclSly
covered with trees and bushes which
almost obscure the building, making
II impossible TO get photograph Of
the front view. Many OF the doors
windows and anything movable have
L
persons. and the present owner, Mr.
James r. Mott. proprietor Of Wood
land Beach. decided that the only way
TO save his property was TO move e
away. Mr.. Mott purchased the Col
Inns Beach property nine years or more
ago. the consideration being si.lO0. Be
side the hotel the deed calls for forty
acres Of land.
Swept BY Tidal Wave.
The hotel was built in the year 1850
by George Collins. who il is sid spent
over fifty thousand dollars on II and
the surrounding grounds which were a
popular resort until the tidal wave OF
1876. which washed away the road. cut
ing of communications with the main
land. Since that time as a pleasure
resort IL gradually went down until Il
was totally abandoned. Frank Roth-
we'll being the last proprietor, about
i've years ago. The grounds were al
ways expensive TO keep up. Tons OF
stone have been filed in I'm front oi
the hotel 10 keep the Delaware Bay
Y from trespassing beyond her bounds.
All that remains OF the picrs and
pavilions Of the palmy days Of Collins
Beach are a few old piles twisted oui
of shape by the storms Of years. The
hard sandy beach made this a pleasant
and popular watering place. but when
one views the miniature ice bergs and
the ice packs lodged against the old
pier pilings at present, this part Of the
lold resort, the former bathing places
has little attraction. There is only one
way of reaching the hotel by land al
present and that is by the road from,
Taylors Bridge down to what is known
las THE Meadows" and following the
old dyke, which is thickly covered Will
brush, on foot as far as possible. and
hence by following tie sandy beach.
This dyke or bank over a mile IN
length. was built by the Nationa
! Dredging Company some years ago
and over one thousand acres of valu.
able farming land was wrested from
the marsh land. The tidal wave. how.
ever, broke down a part Of the bank
which has never baen repaired. ant
Nature again shows her supremac,
lover mans feeble works. and wher,
broad fields OF grain and hay once grew
the tide now GIBBS and flows over 1
mirey muslzrat marsh.
Thousands Of Dollars Went to Waste
Beyond doubt there is no other plac,
In Delaware where so much money hai
been spent on property that is al
worthless as the present Collins Beacl
and the surrounding marsh land. Her
side by side are two financial ventures
that proved a failure and there is an
air OF abandonment ana desolatioi
that suggests how unceasing the effort
of man must be to keep his works from
succumbing TO the destruction OF tn
elements.