The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-27
|GREAT ACTIVITY
At JAMESTOWN.
Construction Of the Remainder
Of Sea Wall Begirs-Work
Will Be! Pushed.
ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS
Grass sown, Wire Fences Built,
But Much Remains to
BE Done.
ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS

/ A trp to Jamestown few days az
showed Scene Of unusual activity a
I that comm only quiet place. The work O.
completing the sea wall, which the Asso
citation for the Preservation Of varginia
Antiquities and Its friends worked 80
| hard to obtain an appropriation from
Congress for, has at last been begun
| The United States ngineer Department
has given the contract to Richard Par
rott, Of Newburgh, N. y, and MIR. Par
rott's son, with a foroe OF hand. Is now
busily OF work.
The commencement OF this undertaking
has neoessitated tho erection Of several
buildings. The btinkhollse for the labor
ers is on Mrs. Barncys land sorno dis
lance from the river bank, but that they
might be near the soeno of operations the
com,nissary, quarters for tho foremen,
stable and cement house are on tho
associ0tion's land, close to the shore.
One gang Is at work with pile driver
putting iii the piles; another is unloading
lumber from scows and hauling It into
convenient places on shore; sull another
is breaking stone with dynamite and
sledge, while q party Of engineers and
their assistants were laying out the lines
for the future wall
This continuation of the sea wall will
be- so far as a laynlan can tell. no new
project as stated by a washington CORE
sponlent a few days ago. but will DO
carried out on tho same Ines as the work
which ended III In November, 1901, and
which has been 20 entirely successful.
i walk along the whole of the present
sea wall shows that both tho wall and
the supporting bank are In perfect condi-
ton. There were evidently some seeds
of weeds among the grass planted on the
bank, but notwithstanding this he bank
+ Is covered with q strong sod OF rough
grass, forming complete protection
against washing by the rains.
Tho new work begins, Of course. where
the former ended, and viii be carried as
far as tho appropriation will admit How
far this VIII be nobody yet knows but
1T Is certain that 1t will be far enough
to give perfect protection to the island
Close to the Old Fort.
At one point the continued wall Will
pass close to tho parapets Of the fort.
At this point for a short distance the fort
was cut into during the work OF 1896,
and this, toge ether with the action of rain,
has left a high, perpendicular bank, with
an ugly lot of locust shrubs filling the
narrow space between its foot and the
edge Of the water. When the sea, wall is
completed this dlsflguring thicket can
be cut away. and the bank sloped and
soddcd down to the pleasant footpath
which will pass along the wall and re-
tlining bank.
Much work will be done on the sen
wall this year, but it is not believed that
1t can be finished before early, next
summer. The grounds of the association,
though sere and gray. like the rest Of
the country, are in good condition. A
strong and slightly wire fence has been
put around the foundations of the State
House and other structures. and the
ground around these foundations. which
was last spring a spread OF bare, newly
lexcavated clay, is now covered with quite
a good stand of grass and clover. Mr..
William Leal, the very efficient care
taker is filling in.the few bare spots
with clover seed and will continue watch
ing this matter until a thoroughly good
sward is obtained.
After the sea wall (whichs now In pro-
gress) and the building after the man
ner ofsthe old church. which the Colonial
Danes are to erect over It's ruins, the
chief needs OF the association property
seem to be an artesian well and a hand
some and substantial iron fence around
the graveyard. No doubt these things
will come in time.
It may be added as a minor detail in
regard to the improvement Of the grounds,
that lately a number of croclts, tulip,
hyacinth and narcissus bulbs have been
sent down and planted.