The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-16

passes behind the ruins OF Fort Clinton
and comes suddenly upon a splendid lake,
from whose opposite shore Bear Mountain
rises steeply. Half way down the lake
the road almost hits what are believed To
be the remains OF an abattis thrown I'D
by Americans In an attempt to repulse a
skrmish party OF the British, preceding
the main detachment of the English Tow.
ard Fort Montgomery.
The location Of the abattis is not generally
known, so that there lie danger that it may
be entirely destroyed by the road builders
now working in the vicinity unless its ex.
istence is called to their attention,
One OF the best informed students Of
the section under discussion recently told
the writer that in his opinion a remarkably
fine group of pines along this road, where it
drops down from the lake to a deep bay Of
the river, is a species of pine of European
origin. II Ia his belief that these trees
sprang from seed brought to this country
in the fodder imported during the Revolt.
ton by the Hessians for their horses, and
that the seed was dropped at the locality
by the British troops during their march on
Fort Montgomery.
Southwark from these trees the new
lONN ~ NAS NN~ ASNAAS VI nv ~ VIZ
in q general way, along the edge of the
wild, salt meadows behind lora Island TO
the slopes Of Dunderberg. 1t is rot
generally known that the present naval
station on Iora Island. where the Govern.
nent stores high explosives, was onoa
designed as a naval station Of much greater
scope. The bay behind the island is very
deep, and it was proposed to build there
a horhOr for thn apaorn paodu tinp ~ Uar.
ships. making Iona Island q fresh water,
inland naval station.
This was shortly after the close OF the
civil war. The owner of the property
demanded 81 COO. 600 for his holdings. 1t is
said that he might rave obtained q cum
not 30 very much below that figure. At
any rate, he held out for his stated price
and got nothing. When the Government
did obtain the island a few years g it wss
Of the foreclosure Of a mortgage and for
a comparatively small sum Of money.
All along this portion Of the route the
driver on the new road not only obtains
the most beautiful views but looks upon
the landscape from an entirely new point.
West OF him the mountain trimmed valley
OF Doodletown lies; but he will be unable
to go that way for a long while yet, for its
iOoNS 'OoN ptiuikht III tlle ute vi lilo
range. growing rougher as they proceed.
Around Dunderberg the old road has
always been a terror to wheeled things, but
it's rough pathway has beer a favorite routj
for walkers who know the region. Its
roughness has been the main obstacle which
has made West Point so nearly %unapproach-
able from the southwark. It is closed now
to traffic, pending the blasting operations
connected with it's reconstruction From
Dunderberg to Stony Point the new road is
almost completed.
When his Highlands road is all built, the
automobilist may then pursue his journey
over II straight northward TO Newburgh
and beyond, crossing the river at that town.
il he wishes, by the only ferry between New
York and Albany which runs late in the
evening. At the present time. going 10
Newburgh, P~oughkeepsie or Albany by a
river route, he reaches the gate OF the High
lands on the east bank Of the river, at Peaks
kill. Then, when he is at the doors Of the
most famous stretch of the stream, he finds
that his o takes him behind the noun.
tains all the way TO Fishkill village, al their
extreme northern limit.
He may diverge to their front at Cold
Spring, but will then have missed one of the
most interesting stretches. The only other
route, to Garrisons. leads over a steep
mountain ridge.
From every point OF view but one his
magnificent new route through the High
lands country will be a splendid thing in the
new out OF doors life which the people Of New
York and it's surrounding country are en-
joying in increasing numbers every year.
The person who is telling this story would be
conoealing his feelings did he not make ref
erence to the one sorrowful feature-th the dis.
appearance Of the isolation Of this wild
stretch Of river bank. That, however, was
bound to be the case sooner or later. And
IL might have been a railroad.