Evening star., 1935-01-14

cred with sand. Divers found that
they could go from cabin to cabin
along the old companionways.
Fifteen guns of the Charon, sunk
by sudden explosion, have been
raised and will be exhibited at York
town. In addition, a great deal of
material has been obtained, including
one old English rum bottle, which now
rests on the desk of President Roose-
velt
Several ship beams have been OBJ
tanned, samples Of the kitchenware
and cabin furnishings, and a stove
used on shipboard to heat metal for
the casting of bullets.
Tavern Being Restored.
The one restoration which has been
carried foreward is that of the Swan
Tavern which was destroyed by an ex-
plosion in 1862 Much information
has been obtained concerning York
town both from the county records and
from old insurance records Of the early
homes. In distinction from James
town, Yorktown had a continuous ex-
istence and is important not only from
the viewpoint of military history, but
as an important Colonial commercial
and shipping center.
Both Yorktown and jamestown are
described by National Park Service
archeologists as scientific gold mines "
The third major project now under
way Is that on the scene of the Seven
days battle south and east of Rich
mond, when the fighting extended
during week from the battles of
Mechanicsville to Malvern Hill and in
cluded some of the bloodiest of the
Civil War. Here were the outer forti-
fications Of Richmond. a great system
OF almost impregnable earthworks and
intrenchments. After the war the
countryside was practically deserted
A pine forest grew up over the land
which had been soaked in the blood
Of thousands Of Union and Confed-
crate dead. The earthworks and
trenches were hidden under a thick
blanket of pine needles.
High Earthworks Evident.
The National Parks Service archie
ologists have attacked the problem of
relocating them for the benefit OF stu
dents and others by the same methods
used at Yorktown and jamestown
Here the 15-foot earthworks of Fort
Harrison, largest of the defenses. still
are standing, but hidden in woods.
The archeologists have been amazed
by the unexpected size and strength OF
these earthworks and trenches. Moth
ing approaching them had ever been
known on earth before and was not
to be known again until the Germans
and allies went into their long-in-
trenched deadlock on the western
front Their strength, however, might
have been surmised from the fact that
they stood up against all attack until
Grants final bombardment in 1865
when the South had only skeleton
forces left to man them.
After the excavations the dirt 1.
thrown back and the pine needle GOV.
ering restored. But the woods are
being thinned into a park-like appear.
! ance so that the visitor may follow
easily the actual progress of the great
battle.
Similar work is planned around
Fredericksburg, over the area in which
took place five great battles of the
Civil War-the first and second battles
of Fredericksburg. Charlottesville, the
Wilderness and Spotsylvania.
The National Parks Service plans
soon to undertake similar work on
the battlefield of Antietam, neal
Hagerstown.
The work still Is in its infancy
hardly a year having passed since q
definite national program of preser-
vation of historical shrines was de-
cided upon and the work entrusted to
the National Parks Service.