Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-23
JAMESTOWN OF TODAY.
Visit to the Site of the First English Settlement in
America Interesting Ruins and Relics

1
fairly within the body Of the tree, two
feet above the surface Of the ground;
on the other side, The tree has already
enclosed one of the marble stones Of
| Commissioner Blair'S tomb, and has
spread halfway over two others, so that
only one Of the four slabs is now really
| free.
During this work in 1901, Leal had a
taste of the real quality of the marshes
| of the island. He was alone for 4
week, and the malaria got him, so that
he became delirious and helpless. He
| was saved only by some chance visit
ors, who took him to Williamsburg and
| cared for him. I saw q milder illustra-
ton Of this swamp curse among the
Negroes who were making concrete
blocks for the breakwater, at the west
end of the island; one OF them was
bundling up in an overcoat as we came
along.
Excavation Of the church foundations
was begun i'm 1901, and three feet below
the surface they were found, enclosing
an oblong fifty-five feet long ami
twenty-six feet wide, one end joining
the tower. They did not disclose walls
three feet thick" as one writer who
should have known has declared; these
walls cannot be more than fifteen or
eighteen inches, unless one measures
| through the buttresses, Of which there
were three OH each side. A little
within this wall were round fragments
of much thinner one, presumably the
foundation Of one Of the early frame
churches. These walls have now been
built up to a level. They are now pro-
tected from the weather by light
frame structure which is to be re-
placed. when money is forthcoming, by
a brick building in the style of the old
church. The floor, aiSle5 and Chancel
of the old church wer. found surpris-
ingly well preserved. How utterly for
gotten they had been IS shown by the
fact that the graveyard wall, built one
hundred and ten years ago, was carried
right across the body of the building.
The chancel proved to be one Of the
most interesting finds. the first excava-
ton uncovering there a floor of tiles
nine inches square; later digging dis
| closed two other floors under this one
There were evidences of fire here and
on the lowest floor, in a corner, were
of wood showing where the handles
had been. 1t would seem that after
the church was burned, during Bacon's
rebellion in 1876, the floors must have
been repaved over a foot or SO Of rub
bish from the fire. Within the chancel
were found a number os graves, laid
east and west. with the axis of the
building, and one notable find was a
skeleton measuring six feet six inches
in height. OF two tomhstones un-
earthed within the body of the church
near the chancel. one has the distinc-
ton of being the only one found In
America that has signs 5f once having
borne such ihlaid brass as as are seen
on old monuments, i'm England. The
brasses were gone from this one but
their shape is plainly shown by the
channels in the stone, showing the fig
ure of knight. with pointed helmet
and a scroll issuing from the mouth.
Partly under the tomb was found a
skeleton with spurs at the heels. and
scraps of gold lace at tho shoulders.
The stone bore no inscription, but re-
search seems to show that the knight
was Sir George Yedrdley. one of the
earliest Virginia governors, who died
in 1927.
james City" as 1t Used to be, has
been restored in large part by the very
scholarly research ,: Samuel H. YOnge
engineer in charge of the concrete
breakwater which WAS rarity COM
plcted in 1901, and is now being ex-
tended over the who'll vest end of the
island. Here it may be noted that the
IF hn icI nd &c
reader is likely not to find i'm the books,
though it might seem worth setting
down. if the historians really knew it.
Roughly. its outline IS L good deal like
that of a big oyster shell. 1t is about
two and one-fourth miles long, the
main axis lying northwest and south
east. with the narrower end Of the
island toward the northwest. At this
smaller end was the low. tide-washed
iSthmus that once connected it with the
mainland. The present wooden bridge
is some hundreds of yards ,east of
where the isthmus used to be. From
the spreading southeast rrargin of the
island. behind the high James Rive:
front. fingers Of marsh stretch nearly
across the island. On the northwest,
the river has been cutting away the
land for some fifty years past. until it
has taken off a strip about 500 feet |
wide. The western margin is still indi- |
Gated by a big sycamore. now far out |
i'll the water; near it. at low tide, are
the stumps of twelve others. showing
that there must once have been a con-
siderable grove there. John Smiths |
powder house was near these, but il |
has now disappeared.
The present extension of the sea wall |
Just saved very important set of
foundations-it practically touches /
them-whose excavation two years ago
spurred Mr.. Yonge to the best of his re-
search work. These foundations
showed the existence OF several small,
connecting buildings. They include
cellars and steps leading into them. and
the foundations extend 240 feet from
the present river edge inland. Mr..
Yonge has shown pretty clearly that
the most eastern of these was the State
House in existence in 1876. in which
Bacon contended with Sir William