Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-03

the opalescent effects come and go
with surprising frequency.
The Coral Workers Never Cease.
In this water the Industrial coral
builders are still at work, making more
secure the reef barrier which COM
pletely surrounds Bermuda and stays
the ravages of the Atlantic. These
reefs and shoals, with their enclosed
lagoons, cover an elliptical area of
more than 200 square miles, while the
area of dry land is slightly less than
twenty square miles
To see the whole ensemble, 1t Is best
to climb the tall iron tower of Gibbs
Hill Lighthouse, in Southampton Par
ish. The lands stretch away from
Ireland. in the west, to st. Georges. In
the east, taking the form of a sheph-
erd's crook. Ireland Islands represents
the curve. the Main, or Bermuda prop
er, and ST. Georges Islands the shaft.
From the lighthouse lantern the reef
barrier can be easily traced. On the
south shore-the weather side--the
reefs stand in close to the land,
churning and frothing as the sea
breaks over them. At the west and
east ends the barrier Is also quite
close; but on the north side it lies
from five to eight miles out
Ages ago these submerged rocks
were dry land, but now they are SIM
ply sea gardens filled with marine
plants, which live and grow, not only
to fascinate mankind by their forms
and colors, but to keep the reefs from
being ground into sand by the moving
water. 1t is a simple matter to see
! these gardens. You drift over them
in a glass bottomed boat. and have
| their beauties magnif1ed at close range.
1t is relief map one looks at from
the lantern. Across the shimmering
| waters of the Great Sound. with its
| clusters of islands, lies the dockyard at
Ireland Island, always a scene of ac-
tivity because Bermuda has again be-
come an important British naval sta
ton. Northeast is Hamilton, the capt.
tai, a thriving city of coral buildings
and tropical gardens, with charming
harbor, which is entered from the
Sound. To the east are the central
parishes. 1t is undulating country
east and vest of the lighthouse, all
| covered with the dark foliage of the
cedar. The whitest roads wind
through the valleys and are lost in the
hills, white roofs show through the
trees, splashes of color-the red and
pink of the oleander windbreaks-
mark cultivated fields.
| Only Half Dozen Islands Inhabited.
After seeing Bermuda from an emf
nence the stranger can scarcely be-
| lieve that there are but twenty square
miles of land in the $50 islands and
rocks comprising the group. He is
surprised to learn that there are
twenty thousand permanent residents,
and that only half dozen of the
larger islands are inhabited. No evil
dence of overcrowding is apparent. and
actually there is none. The illusion
of expanse is due to the fact that Ber-
muda is long and narrow-the widest
spot is but three miles, and there are
few places from which a glimpse of
the ocean is hidden. AS for the other
question, the people have scattered
their homes all over the main islands,
instead of crowding into towns, and so
there is no problem of congestion
There is ample room for all and few
thousand more.
/ An elaborate road system enables
the Bermudians to live as they do
They have no railroad, ban has been
put on the motor car, and they use
horses and bicycles entirely. With