Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-10-10
From HE Winchester { F1rg.) Gazette.
Mr. Bowen,

W.T. bOWSD,
There is still, find, difference of opi-
Mon respecting the cause OF the breach
lately made in the North Mountain few
miles above StuYer's town. Some ina
CINE that the WAGER occasioning it, burst a,
once from the caverns of The mountain :;
while others, ~ nix, with more probability,
suppose it proceeded from u water spout !;
which, falling near The top of the noun
tain, in It's descent hurried trees, soil, rocks
and every thing in us course along with it,
his breach III the side OF the noun
tain makes It's firsI appearance about $50
yards from the top, in Two tracts so or 80
ieet wide, which at The distance Of 90
yards unite and form one channel from
fifty tn six.v yards wide to the bottom of
the mountain.
In beginning to ascend from the bottom
OF The breach, nothing strikes with more
advertisement than the prodlgious velocity
with which trees, rocks * every sort OF re
ssting body seemed TO have been hurried
than so or SO feet, in the height of the
opposite sides OF the current. This, how
ever, you are able TO account for, as you
gradually a,cend to the top, and then turn
your eye towards the bottom of the noun
tain. La the first 400 yards of descent, the
falling mass seems to have preserved a
direct Course and level surface but, as in
:his distance il must have fallen perpen-
dicularly at least 500 feet; the water,
earth, trees and rocks all sweeping down
together must have acquired ali immense
vel nd IL, H. 4
greatest impeluosity, il strikes against and
shoots up the side Ola rising ground, from
which recoiling and passing through a
straight Of little more than 100 feet, ar-
cordiOg TO the Law OF swiftly running fluid,
II is forced up the opposite side Of little
valley to an incredible height. In this
place the difference in altitude Of the cur
rents opposite sides is greatest. 1t seems
to have disdaired the lowest ground, and
ambitious in destruction, triumphantly to
have ranged along the emineuce and IT.
resistibly 10 have Frustrated and swept G.
very thing away.
Alter crossing and recfossing a little
valley, the stream appears gradually to
have recovered its level as II lost its force :;
OF which, however, an astonishing proof
remains yet TO bc taken notice of /; a rock,
as generally estimated Of more than FIVE
tons weight, was brought down and i'm
moveably lodged in Mr.. Funkhauser's
meadsw, a mile and a half or perhaps two
miles from the commencement of the
breach.
Had this water proceeded from the ca
veru OF the mountain, as some suppose, il
could mot have passed away aud disappe ar
ed so suddenly as it is known To have
done, and the channels by which it issued
would still be discovcrable. OF these,
however, there is not the least appear
ance, and so sudden was the fall, descent
and fight Of the water, that ia less than
five minutes after it had passed there was
not even the appearance Of flood, and
the whole breach, sixty yards wide, and
in some places forty feet deep, was in a
very little time entirely dry.
Let US suppose then that it proceeded
from the atmosphere, as already suggest
ed in the substance Of a water spout. We
know that fluids, IN their ascent or descent,
acquire a whirling motion. Light or va.
riied air in ascending to the upper regi-
ons Of the atmosphere, occasions whirf
winds; AND cold or condensed air, the equi-
lIhrium which supports il being Destroyed,
descending from the upper to the lower
regions Of The atmosphere, naturally as.