Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-09-04
MISCELLANEOUS.
(From the knicksrJoeker for Juiy J

hNChDOOChr
CLIMBING THE NATURAL BRIDGE.
b. the oniy SURFING ness of that extraordinary tat
have some reason TO believe, that am The only sur
yyinq witness of that most adventurous ex plot OF climb
ing the Natural Bridge III Firgna; and believing thai
the particulars ought be put upon record have
lected the knickerbocker as the medium have often
times and for many years wIthstood repeated so!cila
tons do this for The following reasons, which give
lest il might be supposed by suspicious PERSONS
tina, had waited Tor the death Of the other alleged wit
nesse..
immediately after the adventure had been accomplish
ed, and while all the circumstances were fresh IN my
memory recorded them in a Of journal, kept TO re
cord yisiters Names by poor Patrick Henry, OF
color who kept the Bridge. This record referred to
BY Patrick, whenever visitor became inqnIsltve about
the circumstances. Some believed my statement and
Others dsbeeved IL but by far the greater humber dts
bel we'd il, he informed This far from being
pleasant to one who had never had his vsraclty toub
before. Blu, this was not al!
happened u be at the Bridge, time after the
event, when large company ~ respectable !ooaGg IA
dies and gentlemen had Just re;urrsd from under inc
Bridge and waiting dinner, has myself, al TIE
house the summit. 10 which have alluded h~ c"n.
verssiion, among this company, naturally tCrc$G upon
the event, does this tis and tn book
was referred to usual, f"r hs particulars. umedI
a,e!y gave Patrick the hin, that WISHED 10 remain tneog
in order that might hear for myself the remarks rp"n
my testimony. 1t is old saying, !ha, listener
hears any good Of himself and II turned DOT on This
occas!on. The company were unanimous ~ d,screditng
my testimony ladies' and all. Little did they imagine
same room with themselves. forthwith determined to
volunteer testimony about things out Of the
current of events; at all events determined TO
hold my peace until the public mind should settle down
into the truth as u generally t"es at last
That time seems to have arrived The public, with
out an exception, far as know has yielded its
dence 10 the united testimony Of many witnesses
Scarcely periodical IN the county, or oo0k oi travels.
but mentions the subject,
But there is another for coming forward at this
time. Tradition has got hold Of the story at the wrong
end In the very last number OF Magazine one OF
your contributors msrepresenis the matter-uninten.
tonaliy no doubt and Miss Marneau, in her Retro
spect of Western Travel undertakes detail the
whole affair, scarcely one circumstance Of which she
doea correctly Under these circumstances, think 4
discerning public will readily appreciate my
tivcs IN coming out over my signature indeed,
less were do So would be useless say any thing
al all.
think il was in the summer Of ISIS that James II.
Piper William Revely, William Wallace, and myself,
being then students at Washington College, Virginia,
determined 10 make jaunt to the Natural Bridge four
teen miles off Having obtained permission from the
President, we proceeded on way rejoicing. When
we arrived at the Bridge, nearly all Of commenced
climbing the precpi,ous sides, in order 10 immorlaze
our names, as usual
We had no, been long thus employed, before we were
joined by Robert Penn Of Amherst then pupil Of the
Rev. Samuel Houstons grammar school, in The mme-
dists neighborhood Of the Bridge. MIR Piper, the hero
Of The occasion, commenced climbing on the opposite
side of the creek from the by which the pathway
cends the rayinI lie began down the banks Of The
brook far, that did not know where he had gone
and only apprzed Of his wherea6nut, by his shout
ing above heads When looked up, he was
standing apparently right under the arch, suppose an
hundred feet from the bottom, aud that the smooth
side which is generally considered Inaccessible without
ladder. He standing far above the spot where
General Washington is said 10 have inscribed his name
when youth,
The ledge of The rock by which ne assembled to this
perilous height does appear from below he three
inches wide, and runs almost at right angles to The abu
ment Of the Bridge; of course its termination 10 far
down The cliff that side. Many of the written and
traditional state this be the side of the Bridge
up which he climbed. believe Miss Mar,neuu so states;
but 1t is altogether a mistake as any one may by
casting eye up the prec pIce that side The
no doubt originated from this preliminary exploit.
The ledge Of rock which he was standing, appear
ed narrow to us below, to make believe his 70
si,ion very perious one, and earnestly enreaed
him to come down lie answered Us with loud shouts
of derision At this stage OF the business Mr.. Penn
and servant left He would not have done so, sup.
pose, if he had known what was 10 follow; but up 10
this time, not Of US had the slightest that
Mr.. Piper intended the daring exploit which he after
wards accomplished. He after descended frora
that side, crossed the brook, and commenced climbing
the side by which all visitors ascend the ravne He
first mounted The rocks this side, he had done
lhe other-inr down The abumcnt, but not so far as
on the opposite side. The projecting ledge may be
distinctly seen by any visitor. II four
Eve feet from the pathway the lower, side, and
winds round, gradually ascending, until it meets the
hangs. Following this ledge to its termination, it
brought him to about thirty or forty feet from the ground
and placed him between two deep assures on each
side of the gigantic column Of rock which the aore.
mentioned cedar stump stands This column stands nul
from the Bridge separate and distinct, if placed
there by Nature purpose for observatory 10 the
wonderful arch and ravine which it overlooks huge
crack assure extends from it's base 10 its summit;
indeed it is cracked both sides but much per
eepbly side than the other Both these assures
are ckly oveIgrown with bushes. and
project into them from the trees growing the preci
eiPe II was between these that the before toned
ledge conducted HIM Here he stopped, pulled off his
coat and shoes, and threw them down 10 me And this
10 my opinion lsa sutcien, refua,ion of the story
often told that he wen. to nscribe his name and as
esnded 50 high that he found il more difficult to return
than to go forward He could have returned easily from
the point where he himself but the
he did thus prepare SO early and the ground and
after he had ascenoed than double that height ON
the other side, clear proofs that to inscrbe his
not, and to climb the bridge was. his object, lie
had already inscribed his name above Washington him
self, more than Fifty feet
Around The face Of this huge column and between
the cets, he now moved, backward and forward still
ascending as he found convenient foot hold When he
had assembled about hundred and seventy feet from
the and had reached the mint hers he ,lI,.