Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-07-08
From DE Eaiiipore Amerienr

curiosity.
LYScanune. Nav 81. 1890
Nv last letter left u nj the Natural Bridge
which we reached about sunset. We employed
what temanded Of daylight In hasly survey
OF IL, our first view being from the top ffom
part Of the preepcs which may he considered
as Kind OF wing wall 10 this natural structure.
The Natural Bridge, as you mhy read IN Jef.
ferson's Notes. Is thrown over clitt or
assure in the sido Of mountain. so deep. mar
row. and overgrown with large trees. that an
incurous eye might pass the road which runs
over the top of the arch, without being aware
of The profound chasm beneath especially as
the bridge is guarded on caoh'sde by aparape,
Of rocks, in whose cefls the oak the spruce
pine and the nrtor rita fnd root, Some large
trees which formerly sprang from tho very top
OF the arch, were lelled wheu this spot was
desccralrd by beng used sho,-tower
! THIS abomlualien, happily. exists no longer, or
] should have been as certainly disennhanted
as Rousseau once was hrRrlng IN some
solitary Swiss haunt OF his the click ola stock
ing.mili The pIcinresqueness OF The arch has
however been materially married by tins sacf
lree To look down into the rnvine. yon must
approach the hriuk Of the preeipice, which we
did AT a point where Il platform OF rock, three
or four feel square. lilile depressed below the
level of the BRINK commanded TO our let,, ancar
bridge aud on The right that part OF the elen
which lies above il. The sober light of evening
showed US distinctly. but In dep shadow. The
recess of tins woody raSine, AT whose boiidm
runs what Is called. by an Amerieanism,
creek bat which IA better English. IL hfook,
a tributary OF James lsrr. The depth III the
fssnre ~ estimated by some measurements al
two hundred and FIVE, by others at two nun
dred aud seventy leei the latter think much
the nearest 10 truth. II appears 10 me almost
double thai OF the ravine at the Falls of Ma
CARA, as seen from Table Rock. The measure.
ment might be easily made with simple string
and stone, as the lace oil the rasnne is In several
plsces Observation-Disclosures narrowness contrl-
huirs no dnubt, TO the apparent height, the
breadth belng at top only ninety ieei, which
dimlnishcs nj tie bottom TO forty -h,e. Inc
former dimension determines ,he length OF the
Bridge, thr breadth of which IS sky feet. bul
more al the ends aud its thickness, n tue
middle of the arch, is forty -" Looking down
for minute, says Mr. Jefferson, unto this Insure,
made my head ache Violently. Al any rate,
few persons can hang sufficiently lar over the
prrcipice 10 get IA clear view of the raV'ne,
without looking abou, Tor ,he support oil rock
OF "A tree and where the footing was moi
quite so level as the spot we first occupied. No
were glad To creep to the brink IN an humber
posture. This profound aud rocky glen,
though IN itself fine object IL one, no doubt,
OF frequent occurrence IN mountainous DIS
trrts. But when you turn 10 the towering aud
magnificent arch which spans II, surviving ~
''."' -, ~. s;,.s al IN. mounl.in
'' NV" - :; .l,.,,..,,,., Al. ,.,,l;,r a.
as''''s e,i w
- . '""'". ,.a do.o.,ed ,ybe, d.scond,ne
INTO the ,asine Ivy IA steep winding path, We
sto,d in font of the other and lower side oil
49, :" rh. a,ch l,.,, ,,s min, of vi,y
~ II ,,,o az In se.,n .lnnst Gilman
,.i ,;,,0 lnr. Eeyn,an marital and
'esr"'''''s ~ na..,en.ss and
s'"6 NV y, f.,,har 49,, AL i,,., -, H.
s'o"s'" - ,a,I, ,he 1,r,h., ,n.o,ne of m.
o"' ""'' " ~ 10, ;s,aa,l,r ,,,,v, Ar,i
: "''' ' - -, -; "a ,,t.
'''o' 's' - 1t 90, L... IG ~
-, - - M, >. ,..nl.r aud ,,nn,o,
i'' ~ or :, ,o,n,,d Co,hir arch
~ - F!';i ,l ,.t aooth., .sn.,,
- - :; l,,,oa,i., o, the :, ,,n., cid.
' -. %. 20 -. a., ,h. ,.,,,. van ,,,,,,
eT :. =, - l.. ,ven,e,, ,,, the .vs., !,
! ~ '"' :, -, id. sa,,iri,,ul,r arch
mas '''" 'o'o''e -, ,ia,,,,,.. i, =,
"o"'"" ~ ~. - p.;a,. :, r CO, "a ...n.
, ,,,a mar en- .,v .,.. n.
''''''' 90 ~ % ' ,h,, ,s,.I I.srrnt,,,ns =,
p' - p''' ,i'..,, p,,,h. ,.sen,ha nce which
"" '" ,.., :; =, ,h v.,,l,.d ,of
If so,nelofy cathedral The spectator, placed
immediately under the centre OF this mt urnl
vanlt. painfully slTnlns his eye 10 cnhrn,e lis
! height and us fooi' now ofcohe "o''''"c,
10 our eye IN Tue grey ih''' u, e''""g' s''"'e"
TO swell upward ~ SUI, more MY p''P"' 'o"9'
While we contemplated me '"o''e ''"S "'as,
nihceoily constructed ny mature, we 'e"'en'oe'
ed with admiration 'ha' nu""" 'h"'' VA" up
behVed pilrs not "hy e'nnd'ps ""' s'' P"Hs'"s
IT. The nave ct 81 fe'ef sP''" "e"'V "o
hundred feet from the pavement hs dome
nearly four hundred ne 'hlehness OIL 'hr
arch OF the Natural bnogr' al Tue 'op, " 'of'y
feet which, snOlfac'ed nom '"p nuhu'ca anu
seventy leaves Two hnnaieo a"h '""y io' me
elevation OF ms V1ut'' "n'cn ,e"'e' '"ues"
than thai OF me nave o' d. ''e' - '"' "e'D
less than thht OF lis dome AS We were 'e"s"g
the bridge ioT TIE hlshI, hnu 'uihfo 10 'ahe