The steamer passes too near the west bank to
give a view of the magnificent plateau with parade ground
and Government buildings, but on rounding the point a
picture of marvelous beauty breaks at once upon the vision.
On the left the massive indented ridge of Old Cro' Nest and
Storm King, and on the right Mount Taurus, or Bull Hill, and
Break Neck, while still further beyond toward the east
sweeps the Fishkill range, sentineled by South Beacon, 1,625
feet in height, from whose summit midnight gleams aroused
the countryside for leagues and scores of miles during those
seven long years when men toiled and prayed for freedom.
Close at hand on the right will be seen Constitution Island,
formerly the home of Miss Susan Warner, who died in 1885,
author of "Queechy" and the "Wide, Wide World." Here the
ruins of the old fort are seen. The place was once called
Martalaer's Rock Island. A chain was stretched across the
river at this point to intercept the passage of boats up the
Hudson, but proved ineffectual, like the one at Anthony's
Nose, as the impetus of the boats snapped them both like
cords.
Some years ago, when the first delegation of Apache Indians
was brought to Washington to sign a treaty of peace, the
Indians were taken for an "outing" up the Hudson, by General
O. O. Howard and Dr. Herman Bendell, Superintendent of
Indian Affairs for Arizona. It is said that they noted with
cold indifference the palaces along the river front: "the
artistic terraces, the well-kept, sloping lawns, the clipped
hedges and the ivy-grown walls made no impression on them,
but when the magnificent picture of the Hudson above West
Point revealed itself, painted by the rays of the sinking
sun, these wild men stood erect, raised their hands high
above their heads and uttered a monosyllabic expression of
delight, which was more expressive than volumes of words."
Northern Gate of Highlands
Sir Robert Temple also rises into rapture
over the northern gate of the Highlands.
"One of the fairest spectacles to be seen on
the earth's surface; not on any other river
or strait—not on Ganges or Indus, on the
Dardanelles or the Bosphorus, on the Danube
or the Rhine, on the Neva or the Nile—have I
ever observed so fairy-like a scene as this
on the Hudson. The only water-view to rival
it is that of the Sea of Marmora, opposite
Constantinople."
Most people who visit our river, naturally
desire a brilliant sunlit day for their
journey, and with reason, but there are
effects, in fog and rain and driving mist,
only surpassed amid the Kyles of Bute, in
Scotland. The traveler is fortunate, who
sees the Hudson in many phases, and under
various atmospheric conditions. A midnight
view is peculiarly impressive when the
mountain spirits of Rodman Drake answer to
the call of his "Culprit Fay."
"'Tis the middle watch of a summer night,
The earth is dark but the heavens are
bright,
The moon looks down on Old Cro' Nest—
She mellows the shade on his shaggy breast,
And seems his huge gray form to throw
In a silver cone on the wave below."
It is said that the "Culprit Fay" was
written by Drake in three days, and grew out
of a discussion which took place during a
stroll through this part of the Highlands
between Irving, Halleck, Cooper and himself,
as to the filling of a new country with
old-time legends. Drake died in 1820.
Halleck's lines to his memory are among the
sweetest in our language. It is said that
Halleck, on hearing Drake read his poem,
"The American Flag," sprang to his feet, and
in a semi-poetic transport, concluded the
lines with burning words, which Drake
afterwards appended:
"Forever float that standard sheet,
Where breathes the foe but falls before us,
With Freedom's soil beneath our feet,
And Freedom's banner streaming o'er us."
It floweth deep and strong and wide
This river of romance
Along whose banks on moonlight nights
The Highland fairies dance.
E. A. Lente
Just opposite Old Cro' Nest is the village of Cold Spring, on the east bank, which receives its name naturally from a cold spring in the vicinity; and it is interesting to remember that the famous Parrott guns were made at this place, and many implements of warfare during our civil strife. The foundry was started by Governour Kemble in 1828, and brought into wide renown by the inventive genius of Major Parrott. Cold Spring has a further distinction in having the first ground broken, about three miles from the river, for the greatest engineering enterprise of the age—"The Water Supply of the Catskills," when Mayor McClellan, in June, 1907, began the work with his silver shovel. A short distance north of the village is
Undercliff (built by John C. Hamilton, son
of Alexander Hamilton, but more particularly
associated with the memory of the poet, Col.
George P. Morris), lies, in fact, under the
cliff and shadow of Mount Taurus, and has a
fine outlook upon the river and surrounding
mountains. Standing on the piazza, we see
directly in front of us Old Cro' Nest, and
it was here that the poet wrote:
"Where Hudson's wave o'er silvery sands
Winds through the hills afar,
Old Cro' Nest like a monarch stands
Crowned with a single star."
Few writers were better known in their own
day than the poet of Undercliff, who wrote
"My Mother's Bible," and "Woodman, Spare
that Tree." On one occasion, when Mr.
Russell was singing it at Boulogne, an old
gentleman in the audience, moved by the
simple and touching beauty of the lines,
rose and said: "I beg your pardon, but was
the tree really spared?" "It was," answered
Mr. Russell, and the old gentleman resumed
his seat, amid the plaudits of the whole
assembly. Truly
"Its glory
and renown
Are spread o'er land and sea."
When freedom from her mountain height
Unfurled her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night
And set the stars of glory there.
Joseph Rodman Drake
Storm King
The first European name given to Storm King
was Klinkersberg (so called by Hendrick
Hudson, from its glistening and broken
rock). It was styled by the Dutch "Butter
Hill," from its shape, and, with Sugar Loaf
on the eastern side below the point, helped
to set out the tea-table for the Dunderberg
goblins. It was christened by Willis, "Storm
King," and may well be regarded the El
Capitan of the Highlands. Breakneck is
opposite, on the east side, where St.
Anthony's Face was blasted away. In this
mountain solitude there was a shade of
reason in giving that solemn countenance of
stone the name of St. Anthony, as a good
representative of monastic life; and, by a
quiet sarcasm, the full-length nose below
was probably suggested.
The mountain opposite Cro' Nest is "Bull
Hill," or more classically, "Mt. Taurus." It
is said that there was formerly a wild bull
in these mountains, which had failed to win
the respect and confidence of the
inhabitants, so the mountaineers organized a
hunt and drove him over the hill, whose name
stands a monument to his exit. The point at
the foot of "Mount Taurus" is known as
"Little Stony Point."
The Highlands now trend off to the
northeast, and we see North Beacon, or Grand
Sachem Mountain, and Old Beacon about half a
mile to the north. The mountains were relit
with beacon-fires in 1883, in honor of the
centennials of Fishkill and Newburgh, and
were plainly seen sixty miles distant.
This section was known by the Indians as "Wequehache,"
or, "the Hill Country," and the entire range
was called by the Indians "the endless
hills," a name not inappropriate to this
mountain bulwark reaching from New England
to the Carolinas. As pictured in our "Long
Drama," given at the Newburgh centennial of
the disbanding of the American Army,
That ridge along our eastern coast,
From Carolina to the Sound,
Opposed its front to Britain's host,
And heroes at each pass were found:
A vast primeval palisade,
With bastions bold and wooded crest,
A bulwark strong by nature made
To guard the valley of the west.
Along its heights the beacons gleamed,
It formed the nation's battle-line,
Firm as the rocks and cliffs where dreamed
The soldier-seers of Palestine.
It was also believed by the Indians that, in ancient days, "before the Hudson poured its waters from the lakes, the Highlands formed one vast prison, within whose rocky bosom the omnipotent Manitou confined the rebellious spirits who repined at his control. Here, bound in adamantine chains, or jammed in rifted pines, or crushed by ponderous rocks, they groaned for many an age. At length the conquering Hudson, in its career toward the ocean, burst open their prison-house, rolling its tide triumphantly through the stupendous ruins."
Pollopel's Island
Pollopel's Island, east of the steamer's route, was once regarded as a haunted spot, but its only witches are said to be snakes too lively to be enchanted. In old times, the "new hands" on the sloops were unceremoniously dipped at this place, so as to be proof-christened against the goblins of the Highlands. Here also another useless "impediment" was put across the Hudson in 1779, a chevaux-de-frise with iron-pointed spikes thirty feet long, hidden under water, strongly secured by cribs of stone. This, however, was not broken and would probably have done effective work if some traitor to the cause had not guided the British captains through an unprotected passage. The State at one time contemplated the purchase of this island on which to erect a statue to Hendrick Hudson. For some reason Governor Flower vetoed the bill. It is now owned by Mr. Francis Bannerman, an energetic business man, who perhaps some day may see his way to promote a monument to Hudson on the splendid pedestal which nature has already completed.
Cornwall and Idlewild
Cornwall-on-the-Hudson.—This locality N. P. Willis selected as the most picturesque point on the Hudson. The village lies in a lovely valley, which Mr. Beach has styled in his able description, as "an offshoot of the Ramapo, up which the storm-winds of the ocean drive, laden with the purest and freshest air."
Idlewild.—Where
Willis spent the last years of his life is a
charming spot and rich with poetic memories.
E. P. Roe also chose Cornwall for his home.
Lovers of the Hudson are indebted to Edward
Bok for his realistic sketch of an afternoon
visit. The "Idlewild" of to-day is still
green to the memory of the poet. Since
Willis' death the place has passed in turn
into various hands, until now it belongs to
a wealthy New York lawyer, who has spent
thousands of dollars on the house and
grounds. The old house still stands, and
here and there in the grounds remains a
suggestion of the time of Willis. The famous
pine-drive leading to the mansion, along
which the greatest literary lights of the
Knickerbocker period passed during its balmy
days, still remains intact, the dense growth
of the trees only making the road the more
picturesque. The brook, at which Willis
often sat, still runs on through the grounds
as of yore. In the house, everything is
remodeled and remodernized. The room from
whose windows Willis was wont to look over
the Hudson, and where he did most of his
charming writing, is now a bedchamber,
modern in its every appointment, and
suggesting its age only by the high ceiling
and curious mantel. Only a few city blocks
from "Idlewild" is the house where lived E.
P. Roe, the author of so many popular
novels, as numerous, almost, in number as
the several hundreds of thousands of
circulation which they secured. There are
twenty-three acres to it in all, and, save
what was occupied by the house, every inch
of ground was utilized by the novelist in
his hobby for fine fruits and rare flowers.
Now nothing remains of the beauty once so
characteristic of the place. For four years
the grounds have missed the care of their
creator. Where once were the novelist's
celebrated strawberry beds, are now only
grass and weeds. Everything is grown over,
only a few trees remaining as evidence that
the grounds were ever known for their
cultivated products. A large board sign
announces the fact that the entire place is
for sale.
Cornwall has been for many years a favorite
resort of the Hudson Valley and her roofs
shelter in the summer season many thousand
people. The road completed in 1876, from
Cornwall to West Point, gives one a pleasant
acquaintance with the wooded Highlands. It
passes over the plateau of Cro' Nest and
winds down the Cornwall slope of Storm King.
The tourist who sees Cro' Nest and Storm
King only from the river, has but little
idea of their extent. Cro' Nest plateau is
about one thousand feet above the parade
ground of West Point, and overlooks it as a
rocky balcony. These mountains, with their
wonderful lake system, are, in fact, the
"Central Park" of the Hudson. Within a
radius of ten miles are clustered over forty
lakes, and we very much doubt if one person
in a thousand ever heard of them. A
convenient map giving the physical geography
of this section would be of great service to
the mountain visitor. The Cornwall pier,
built by the New York, Ontario and Western
Railroad in 1892 for coal and freight
purposes, will be seen on our left near the
Cornwall dock. This railroad leaves the West
Shore at this point and forms a pleasant
tourist route to the beautiful inland
villages and resorts of the State.