The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-10-23

could possibly be from the New Eng
land States? Sd. We have abundant
water power-the finest in the world
and much of it SO situated that it
can be made available at much less
cost than those OF. New England
generally. I know of one. in this
I vicinity that has sufficient power to
run all the mills at Holyoke or Chico
pee, where nature herself has been
the architect, constructing an i'm
mense natural dam, race, &C., as
though 1T were expressly designed for
the site of large factories. It is,
without doubt, the finest in this sec
ton of country-nature having left
scarce anything for man to do, save
to adapt his machinery to it. The
most skillful milIwright could not
imagine combination of all the
requisite elements superior to this
one. Here we have o never-failing
mountain stream precipitated over o
precipice fully thirty feet in height,
with an Immense natural dnn, Of
solid granite; the land so situated
Immediately below the fall as to pre-
sent most admirable sites for the fac.
tory building. On the other side. n
beautiful hill to locate factory viii
lage, from whose crest magnificent
view of the Blue Ridge Mountains ia
presented, scarce three miles distant,
shutting out the North and North
west winds; surrounded by abundant
springs of the coldest water; cli-
mate subject to no extremes of heat
or cold; where doctors find it hard
to make living; where chills and
levers are not known, except when
brought from the low country, from
whence invalids frequently resort to
gain exuberant health from the pure
mountain air and clear natural foun-
tains; where there is also abundant
fine building stone. lime and timber,
just where it is wanted.
Little River rises among the noun
tains of the Appalachian chainn in
Pickens District, S. c., and flowing
along the Southern slope between
wooded hills and fertile and cultivat-
ed bottoms, unites with the Tamas-
sea Creek and other tributariess until
its volume equals twenty-five feet in
width by five feet depth at its lowest
stage of water. It is here suddenly
arrested, and its current brought al
most to a stand-still by this huge
rock dam, full twenty-five feet broad
on top. and almost level, stretching
directly at right angles across the bed
OF the stream for full one hundred
and fifty feet in length, causing the
water to back up and spread out to
near about the same width. Close to
the right bank there is a break in
this dam Of about twenty-five feet in
width, in the centre of which break
there is large rock projecting from
the immense rock-bed below, which
forms a central pier as of bridge;
the banks on either side are of solid
granite rock, and forms abutments
on both sides Immediately above the
dam. 1t is only through the break
before described, that the divided
waters take their leap down the rocky
chasm, within the distance of hun
dred yards, to a pool full thirty feet
below the level of the water, above
the dam. Standing in the centre of
this rock dam, you can dip your hand
into the stream above, while you can
drop a pebble into the river below,
q perpendicular height of thirty feet;
though the face of the fall is not per-
pendicular, but abounds in numerous
cascades, bounding, dashing and
foaming among the rocks below,
where sudden bend in the river
takes its further course out of view.
On your right hand, just below the
abutment rock, the land gently slopes
of to near level, and no one could
doubt that this is the spot for factory
buildings. The break in the dam,
with its central pier, could be locked
with flood gate, or could be walled
up with rock and cement in n few
days, placing the entire stream under
human control, by opening fume
or race behind and around the rocky
abntment before mentioned. And
here | would mention, that if an addi-
tlonal height of fall were required,
this could be readily increased to fifty
ieet by building upon the natural
dam from abutment to abutment. In
examining the spot where I propose
the race shcrld be cut, was sar.
prised to find natural opening of
proper dimensions in the rocks, and
extending near half the requisite dis.
lance, though it was choked up with
earth and rocks. This is what [