The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1910-12-09

places in it's path, greatly dam
aged St. Augustine, serves to
cali attention to this our oldest and
perhaps most interesting city. The en-
tire business section of the city was
flooded with inrushing sea water. while
the wind and waves created havoc, the
water pouring over the famous sea
wall.
The spirit of manana-tomorroW-ls
SO visible in st. Augustine the moment
the traveller alights from his train that
he does not need to be told the Span
ish once lived In and ruled the town.
There is not another city in the Uni
ted States, not excepting such few typ
ically alien towns as lie along the Mex
ican border in the far southwest, which
Is so foreign. No matter where the
visitor goes he finds reminders of old
Spain. constantly beckoning him to be-
hold her ancient g,ories.
Yet here there Is delightful blend
ing of the old and new. Spain left
many old buildings which are quaint
and odd In their typically Spanish and
Moorish architectural features. and
their methods of building are still fol-
lowed to a considerable extent, adapt
ed. of course, to modern needs. 1t Is
nearly a century since Spain ceded
florida to the United States, but st.
Augustine remains as living reminder
of the rule of the Don, and the shadow
of the Andalusian regime remains. But
a. {c ehol With y1Nnr, Evnrv.
where In this old, old city the spirit of
Spain is breathed, but only to the won
der and delight of the visitor, never
with bitter memories.
The wealth of many millionaires has
been lavished on st. Augustine. Realiz-
ing that the chief charm Of the old city
was its antiquity and that Its monu-
ments and structures left by the Span
ish were necessary to its life, as 1t
we're, the ancient landmarks have
been preserved or restored, and many
sections are as Spanish as they ever
were In the days Of the naughty COVER
nors of CASTLE. The Spanish flag foat-
San Marco, and were 1t to be suddenly
raised again on that old fort the Span
ish effect would be complete.
San Marco, by the way, Is probably
the greatest object of curiosity to Wis
itors. The United States government
has renamed the place Fort Marion,
but modernization cannot take away
its quaintness nor its charm. Over the
door of the sally port, the coat of
arms of Spain still looks out, carved In
stone, and nearly as sharp as in the
days when 1t came across the ocean !;
and all the Fort Marions" in creation
cannot modernize that. 1t Is one of
the first things the tourist sees when
he comes to the old fort, and 1t pre-
pares him for the typically Spanish
things he will find further on.
Visitors like to stand long in the
shadow of the walls OF Fort Marion,
and climb to it's watchtower at the cor
ner of the rampant. The sentry towers
too, are attractive, and the place is Wis
tied over and over again. What there
Is in this old fortifcation that exerts
so subtle charm Is a mystery. Other
places there are in this country which
have more of history and a great deal
more Of Importance, but they have not
the power to attract. 10 me the fact
that 1t Is the only example of medieval
strongholds on the American continent
Is something of reason, and doubt.
less others are similarly impressed.
The spirit of Spain hovers over the
old fort In Imagination one sees the
soldiers of centuries ago loling about
the place. gambling. dueling, quarrel
ing, drinking, staggering. There
these swaggerers and adventurers had
their taste of life in the western world
and there they left their strongest i'm.
print that we have in any part of the
American continent.
Fort Marion Is in charge of a rapid
fire ordnance sergeant of the United
States army. who takes the visitors tc
the many points of interest. He has
every detail of the settlement of the
town and the establishment of the fort
at his tongues end, and once he Is
started on the story there is no side
tracking him until he has finished.
Fort Marion Ia the water end of the
old Spanish works, which began at the
city gates away over at the other side
OF the town. Between the entrance and
tho main fort 1t has barbican. small
fortification which may have had its
uses some day In the past. The fort Is
surrounded by a moat and originally
was reached by two drawbridges. one
Of which aytanded from the o. a cfo n n 4
the other from the sally port. which Is
now the only entrance
In the easements are 20 be seen the
old dungeons where the soldiers whc