Evening star., 1936-08-30

as one OF the nneSt playground!
militia, and in 1779 it was burned by
a raiding British force under Gen.
Matthews. Again in 1887 it was de-
stroyed by fire.
During the Civil War the town was
occupied by Union troops U862) and
was strongly fortified. 1t was besieged
by the Confederate Gen. Longstreet in
1853. Recalled by Lee, Longstreet
withdrew from Suffolk on May 3, too
late to take part in the Battle Of
Charlottesville.
Suffolk Is almost on the border Of
the Great Dismal Swamp, which
covers an extensive area in South
eastern Virginia and Northeastern
North Carolina. Here, indeed, is a
paradise for hunters, fishermen and
naturalists. Bear, deer and innumer-
able other forms of wildlife are abun-
dant.
The Dismal is a timbered area in
q vast morass, threaded by canals
and bitches. The main artery of
travel is the Dismal Swamp Canal,
which runs from Deep Creek, Va, to
South Mills, N. c., and is deep enough
for steamers of small size. 1t Is also
entered by the Washington Ditch.
which starts about five miles from
Suffolk, and connects with Lake
Drummond, in the heart of the
swamp. Hunting and fishing camps
are found around the lake.
Shortly after leaving Suffolk be
on the lookout for route So. which
should be taken to Portsmouth. This
city, county seat of Norfolk County,
is just across the Elizabeth River from
Norfolk, and connected with it by
bridge and ferry. Just west of Ports
mouth stood Fort Nelson, which was
captured and destroyed by the British
in 1873. This point was again forth
fed in 1861. In that year the city
was occupied by Union troops who
burned the Navy Yard when forced to
, .etreat. Portsmouth dates from 1852,
and was named for an old English
seaport.
TO-DAY Portsmouth is an impor-
tant industrial city, with large
manufacturing plants, including one
Of the finest cotton seed oil reflneries
in the country. several fertilizer
plants and coffee importing and
roasting plants.
There are many fascinating places to
visit here. There is. for instance, the
United States Navy Yard, covering
2l3 acres. The British operated q
naval base here before the Revolu-
ton. and since 1900 it has been a
United States base. For a number of
years it has handled more construc-
ton and repair work than any other
yard. BattleShips, cruisers, destroyers
and submarines frequently can be
seen here under construction or re-
pair.
Other points Of interest include
the United States Naval Hospital and
park, on the Elizabeth River, site OF
Fort Nelson in 1872: Trinity Church,
Court and High streets, erected in
1862, the oldest building in the city;
and the Confederate Monument, Sit
uated close by.
By all means take the ferry from
Portsmouth to Norfolk, for the ride
offers you magnificent view of one
Of the worlds finest harbors. The
price is very reasonable, only 25 cents
for car and driver and a nickel for
each additional passenger.
Try to spend at least two hours in
the city. Why? Norfolk is the termi-
nus of many transatlantic, coast
wise and river steamship lines, with
a large foreign and domestic trade.
The harbor is accessible to the largest
ships, with a channel 80 feet deep.
Guarding the entrance are Forts
Wood and Monroe, the latter across
Hampton Roads at Old Point Com
fort. Trade is principally in pea
nuts, In which Norfolk leads the
world; coal, in which it leads the
country; tobacco. cornstarch products,
grain, cotton, oil, oysters and fruit.
| One of the largest coal stations in
the world Is located here. Industrial
products include hosiery, cotton and
silk textiles, ships and boats.
Norfolk and Portsmouth together
form one of the most important naval
stations in the country. The Navy
Yard is at Portsmouth, the naval
base at Norfolk.
Be sure to visit st. Pauls Epis-
copal Church, built in 1893, and one
of the few buildings left after the
burning of Norfolk by the British in
1776. In its ivy-clad wall is embedded
a cannon ball fired from the enemy
fleet. 1t is in an excellent state of re-
pair and is still in use. The church
and burial ground are inclosed in a
brick wall
THERE are many other points of
interest which you can locate
easily with the help of any of the
numerous guide books. By all means
take glance at the naval base near
Ocean View. Here $4,000 naval re-
cruits were trained In the World
War. and over SO per cent of all re-
cruits are now given their first train
| Ing. InlS Is the base OF operations
for the Atlantic and scouting fleet.
On the reservation are the Hampton
Roads Naval Air Station and the
submarine base. A replica of Inde-
pendence Hall is on the Willoughby
Bay front.
From Norfolk take route So to Vir-
gina Beach, about 20 miles away. In
order to avoid confusion, which might
easily develop as result of the nu-
merous ferry crossings between the
major points Of interest, now is a
good time to line up your return
journey. A pleasant one is as follows:
From Virginia Beach, take route so,
which leads you across ferry to New
port News, thence through williams
burg, Providence Forge. Seven Pines