Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-09-30
HARPER,S FERRY.

- HARPER'S FERRY. 81
The scenery around rhe village Of Har.
per's Ferry on the Virginia Shore OF
the Potomac River, is among the most
wild and grand we have ever seen not
excepting the Niagara Falls. The great
cataract is not there, but all the other ele-
ments of stupendous and terrific grandeur
present themselves on every haud. MIR.
Jefferson thought it was worth a voyage
from Europe to view this scenery. Cecil
ogists number this place among the many
in our country where an immense lake
has broken through its mountain barrier,
and found an outlet TO the ocean. The
great Blue Ridge, in which The gap has
been made for the passage of the waters.
corresponds in its geological formation on
the opposite shores o&the Potomac. The
rock is The same, and the jaeger Projec-
lions, from the base to the summit, indi-
cate the violence Of The disruption by
which they have been separated. The
altitude OF the peaks also correspond,
though the ascent is more precipilous on
the Virginia than the Maryland side.
The actual heigh, Of the mountain, mea
sured from the river, we do not know !;
but it makes ones head dizzy 10 look up
to the top of its brow on the Virginia side,
from The point Of rocks on the other
side of the Potomac through which a
passage has been cut, or rather blown, for
the baltimore and Ohio Railroad" and
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which
run side by side at this place, until they
reach point nearly opposite the village
Of Harper's Ferry, where the railway
crosses the river, aud pursues its way
through Virginia until within few miles
of Cumberland, its present eastern termi.
nus, it crosses the stream again, into Ma
ryland,
llarper's Ferry is a thriving place, NOT
only from its situation on The canal aud
railway, but from The immense armory
which the General Government had es-
tablished there long before either of'kese
great enterprises had been thought Of.
The water power is immense and unfail-
ing, aud the manufacturing of arms is
carried on 10 great anounIi n aud e an DO
almost indefinitely extended. Weare mol
aware that any cannon are cast al this
place; thodgh our stay wa. TOO short TO
allow any particular observations. On
one occasion we were kindly conducted
through ihe various an ! mighty establish
nieuts, but rerollect no fuundery fnr cas
ling those engines Of slaughter. which
have become, in modern times, the prin-
cipal reliance Of armies.
The Shenandoah River, having collec-
ted lis tribute from the innunerable
streams by which THE piue country on the
western side of the Blue Ridge, in Virgin
ia, is drained, disembogues its waters into
the Potomac at Harper's Ferry but
neither the principal nor tributary stream
is navigabIe, except for RATS in lime Of
freshels. Both rivers have rapid deceul
from their sources in ,he mountains, aud
moreover fow over rocky beds. But a
fiue canal. from tidewaler at Georgetown.
and Alexandria in 'he District of oum-
ola, has nearly reached Cumberland. at
the foot ofihe Allegheny Mountains, and
will soon be completed to that place to
which town the railway has already
reached. and has also a stem stretching
away TO the town Of Winchester in Yves.
tern Virginia, and another to Frederick
City 10 Maryland. Both canal aud rail
way are designed ultimately to connect
The Atlantic Ocean with the waters Of lhe
"Greast West"
The grea, Cumberland Valley, which
stretches itself out from the Potomac
River. nor,hward through the states OF
Maryland and Pennsylvania, and south.
ward through the state Of Virginia, and
lying between :he Blue Ridge aud The
Allegheny mountains, commences at the
junction Of the Shenandoah and tile Poto
mac. 1t abounds with limestone, and
forms one of the most fertile regious Of our
country. 1t is, undoubtedly, exceeded in
depth Of soil iby some districts west Of the
Alleghanies, but no part Of the United
States produces larger crops OF wheat, or,
in some part of it. of Indian corn, aud
grass. Wheat, however, is The great sta.
pie, and the average product, per acre, is
not, perhaps, equaled in any portion ol
the Western States. ;, The great labor and
expense of transportation to market for
merIy lessoned the value Of lands in the
Virginiau portion oflhis valley. hui now 9
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail:
way offers ready conveyance for all jig
rich productions TO the Monumental City
or 10 the canal, by which it is Sent tt
Georgetown and Alexandria; while the
immense mines of iron and coal in the
mountains near Cumberland already be.
gin to pour their treasures into these cities
by the same couveyances. The ore isrich
and the bituminous coal is said TO equa
the fines, specimens in England.
+ From tle Ne,o Orleans Pieayune.