Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-06-28
From the Baltimore american.
THE NATURAL Bird 6 E

II T. = n
The following letter of our correspondent from
VIRGINIA contains an account of his visltsSo this
great natural curiosity.
"LYScHBuRe, May 2lst, 1880.
NV last letter left US at the Natural tslldse,
,,h;cb we reached about sunset. We employed
,vhat remained of daylight in hasty survey otit,
our first view being from the top, from part OF
the nrecipice which may be considered as Hind
of wino-wall to this natural structure. lhe Ma
tural B,idge. as YOU may read IN Jeheison
~ Notes. is thrown over CLEFT or assure IN the
side of mountain, So deep, narrow, and over
grown with large trees, that an injurious eye
1isht pass the road which runs over the top OF the
arch. without being aware of the profound chasm
bsne,th. especially as the bridge is guarded on
zach side By a parapet OF rocks. in whose cleftsl
Tho oak. the spruce pine and the ar6or rs'@ mud
root. -SomsliSne txssssyhich formerly ssprans
q, from the yery tosF arch, were telled when
Stfis sbot was desecrated by heing used as shot
tower. This abomination, happiI exists no
Ioooer. or should have been as certainly dIsen-
-La1te1 ~ Rousseau once vas on hearing IN some
.lorv Sviss haunt Of his the click ct staC king
mill. The picturasqueness of the arch haszaow-
oyer been materially married Dy this, sacrhed5e.
To look down into the ravine, you must approach
the brink Of the preclp,ce, which we diu at
mint where platform OF rock. three or lour iee'
Ssonare. little depressed below the level OF the
hink. commanded TO our left near view OF the
,nnar mr. northwestern side OF the bridge. and on
,h r;oht that part of the glen which lies above IT.
Tho sober light Of evening showed us distinctly,
hut in deep shadow, the recess OF this woody ra-
-.;ns at whose bottom runs what is called, by an
Americanism, q creek, but which, In better en-
ol;sh. is brook, tributary OF James river. The
Sauth of ,he assure is estimated by some measure
49, AZ two hundred and five, BY others at two
hundred and seventy feet; the latter l think much
the nearest to truth. 1t appeared to me almost
double that of the ravine at the Falls OF Niagara,
~ sasn from Table Rock. The measurement
,a;oSt no easily made with simple string and
s,o1a az the face Of the ravine IS In several pia-
80 ,,,rnend;cular Its narrowness contributes
no doubt. to the apparent height: the preadth oe.
no 800 ton only ninety feet. which dimnishes at
.h s ha,,op 10 forty-6Se. The former dimension
determines the length of the Bridge, the orea.a
IF WHICH is sixty feet, but more at the ends; anu
- ,h;ckness. at the middle of the arch is forty
9. .ooL;no down for a minute, says MT 'ener-
con ..;nte this assure, made my head acne vlo:
isnt,v - At any rate, few persons can hang sur,
sn.,i, FAR over the precipice to get a clear view
~ ~ Zinc without looking about TOR the sup
=, wy os roct tree. and where the footing was
n"t oute so level as the spot we nrst oceuPea'
WV - dad TO creep to the brink in an humoie
nosture. This profound anu rocky s.sn, ~Ua
in itself fine object. IS one no doubt VI
in mountainous distric's. nu.
YOU tasn to the -tawezing ana nasn'ncen' ai'"