The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-01-12
FISHING, SURF, AND ROMANCE
ALL FOUND ON THE GULF
BEACH HIGHWAY

and the water is the crystalline, green
salt of the sea itself.
For many years this part of Flor
ida and its guests from the interior
have gone to Santa Rosa island for
their perennial surf bath. That entails
a trip by water across Pensacola
bay, with uncertain transportation;
besides, the beach there is a govern
ment reservation and that is one of
the reasons that permanent improve
ments have proven inexpedient at
f, that point.
Only little more than three of the
thirteen and one-half miles of road
remain to be con.nla+@d - connect
Pensacola with this new playground
and the men behind the highway say
that it win be open to public travel
by the time the dogwood blossoms
begin to tell of the approaching
swimming season. The county has
agreed to help in the further extern
sion of the road, but the work win
be done, whether or no.
Furthermore, the promise is given
that loop will connect the new Gulf
Beach Highway, as it is called, with
the historic forts on the mainland
below Pensacola, which are the de-
! light of the tourist that travels this
way. G. E. Dobson, recently presi-
dent of the Pensacola Chamber of
| Commerce, called on the secretary of
war at Washington few days ago
and pointed out to Mr.. Secretary
Baker the strategic necessity of a
government highway to connect the
forts with the Perdido bay country
which the garrison may some day be
called upon to defend. The secre-
4 tary of war was impressed and as
sured Mr.. Dobson that the prelimi-
nary steps, estimating the cost and
other investigation of the subject
would begin at once. This will do
much to popularize the Gulf Beach
Highway, at home and abroad. 1t
also skirts the Country Clubs golf
, course.
/ Pensacola is proud of her defenses.
This old town is as southern in SEN
timent as is Charleston, South Caro-
lima; Augusta, Georgia, or Natchez
, Mississippi; still, when the native
son tells The visitor that Fort Pick
ems never did surrender" he does SO
with a possessive pride that makes
strangers wonder. How Lieutenant
A. J.. Slemmer with a mere handful
of men kept the Stars and Stripes
floating over Fort Pickens from Jan
uary to May, 1861, when he was re-
! inforced by federal fleet, is a story
often told in about the same spirit
that the San Antonio people show
, when they tell of the brave Travis
: and a mere handful of Texans at the
: Alamo. For four long years the
Confederate guns at Fort McRae anc
Fort Barrancas and the improviset
! water batteries" between kept pop.
Z ping away at Fort Pickens, with the
4 fort on Santa Rosa island, backed al
!, times by the federal fleet, answered
D shot for shot. The net result shows
3 the ineffectiveness Of the guns o.
that period. The defenses are only
$ a little more than a mile apart.
[, Romance also hangs thick arounS
B the old Spanish fort that will b,
r reached by the proposed government
, roadway. Though its walls hav,
: stood for more than two hundret
/ years they are still in a perfect stat,
Of preservation, with their dungeon
e and secret passages. There Is a,
1 | underground passage way from For
Z San Carlos to Fort Redorbt, three
| quarters of a mile inland, in tn
o woods, but it has never been full,
e explored in modern times and posi-
Ell bly, hides interesting relics or eve
: treasures, of the Spanish regime.
II The proposed government road VII