Evening star., 1934-06-03
OCEAN CITY HOLDS
NEW ATTRACTIONS
Maryland Resort, Reborn
After Storm, Expects Big
Vacation Season.
BIZ CHARLES b. DEGGES,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

OCEAN CITY. Md, June g.
Perched courageously on a thin sand
strip with the Atlantic Ocean pound
ing at its face, and quieter Sinepux-
ent Bay tapping gently at its back.
this resort city lives and plays by
salt water.
The great storm of last August,
which shattered the nerves of a tense
seaboard and which, to more inland
folk, roared a threat to the very
existence of Ocean City, cut into
this towns slim hold on earth and
drove sweeping seas across the
southern section of the community
to merge the ocean with the bay. To-
day, that storm is Ocean Citys bene-
factor-to hear these friendly people
recount it.
Access to the Sea.
Nowhere could a more genuinely
buoyant optimism stamp a people on
the verge of a new vacation season
than it has here. The reason: For
years Ocean City has seen sportsmen
travel past its very doors for sea-
fishing points many miles south
and it knew it had some of the best
deep-water fishing grounds on the
Atlantic seaboard just off its beaches;
for years Ocean City wanted an inlet
that would give boats access to the
sea from its bay behind tits COM
mercial fishermen had to launch their
small boats through the ocean surf;
for years, it sought some means of
prolonging its vacation season beyond
the boardwalk and bathing months
other coastal communities offered rec
reation almost the year round
IS Then came the storm. Neatly
r though it was ranked among the
years disasterS-without loss of a
: single life, the gale-poWered seas cut
the desired inlet across Ocean City at
probably the very spot which engi-
neerS and city planners would have
chosen-in the midst of the CONNER
cial fishing settlement. The cut made,
man had only to protect its shores so
that the perpetual seas could be kept
within bounds to form a usable inlet
and not become just a sweeping
deluge which would inundate the
whole sand strip that bears Ocean
City. And that is precisely what man
is doing. Take a look down there at
that treStle and-but just a minute!
Washington is not quite that handy
to this dramatic undertaking here.
Many Routes Available.
A glance at the road maps covering
the area between Washington and
Ocean City bewilders, in a way There
are SO many routes which the traveller
may choose. First, he must decide
whether he wants to drive the whole
distance. If he does, he must go
through Baltimore and thence on
around the head of the bay through
Elkton and down the famous old
Eastern Shore. Or he may elect to go
by way of the Annapolis ferries and
reduce his driving mileage. This re-
porter has been both ways, but it re-
mained for the people of this place to
select for him the preferred" short
route.
Here's the way that goes: Follow
route No. so to Annapolis. 1t leads
out from Bladensburg, Md, and lies
through 80 miles of rolling, curving
country. There are some rough spots
in that road and a bad bit of crown
ing in places. Nevertheless, good time
can be made. At Annapolis, the
Eastern Shore-bound motorist will
find the ferry slip smuggling in the
shadow of the Naval Academy walls.
If time is to be saved, this writer ad-
vocates the Annapolis -Matapeake fer
ry, rather than the Annapolis -Clai-
borne boat. The running time is only
40 minutes across the Chesapeake Bay
and the fare, for car and driver, is
$3.50 to 50, depending upon the cars
wheelbase The lower rate is for any
car up to ia inches Additional pas
sengers are carried on this ferry for
80 cents.
Confusion can be saved here by a
, little knowledge of the system As
you approach the ferry slip. you'll be
directed to take one of the two or
three lanes of cars to wait for the
boat But, the silent sage who in
structed this writer to take the curb
lane neglected to say he should get
out of his machine and walk to the
little ticket Office at the wharf to pay
the necessary charges in exchange
for the ducats collected as the car
drives over the ships gangway.
Eat Before Sailing.
;. If you leave Washington without
your departure meal, don't rely too
sanuch on the ferry boats dining
Saloon" Large as these boats are, the
only facility for dining" is maga-
zine stand that sells sandwiches, soft
drinks and candies. Better leave early
TOTJRS