The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-27

ton are all that have arrived during 'Re
week. ..
s. Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
A New Mountain ROad-Ets Scenery
gaasa Grand Mountain Falls.
Hot SPRINGS, July "a, 1868.
4 snake story concludes this letter, as
partial compensation to, those who may
wade through it! e.
Having Just returned from an expeditions
Journey on horseback along the route OF the
new turnpike from Covington to this lovely
Valley, will give you some account OF IT.
THE NEW MOUNTAIN ROAD.
!, BY far the most attractive mountain road
in Virginia will be this road, from Coying-
ton TO the valley of the Warm Springs
when it is finished. Whether it will be
completed in time for some of the mountain
travellers to take it on their return home
remains to be seen. There is now o great
deal of work to be done, though the con-
tractors are in hopes that it will be traversa-
bic for stages before the close of the season.
Leaving Covington by the valley Of jack
sons river, the road gradually rises above
that clear and lovely stream until, some two
and g. half or three miles from the town, 1t
strikes the mountain and follows its way,
dug out of the steep mountain side, from
whence the traveller looks down upon the
river, hundreds of feet below. Skirting this
mountain activity for four or FIVE miles, the
road reaches o summit, and Immediately
descends to the valley Of Falling Spring,
with it's wonderful falls, mile distant
From the time of striking the mountain un-
til the summit alluded to is attained, you
have the valley of Jackson's river in view.
You seem to look upon land OF beauty and
peace, from which the world is shut out.
You feel as if you belong to this excluded
world, and were, as merciful privilege,
permitted to look upon the valley as it re-
poses serenely between the tall mountains,
it's fields of waving grain, it's teeming mea-
dows and fat herds giving token of the
abundance which blesses with contentment
and thrift the inmates who dwell in the en-
powered cottages of the plain. You see the
flowing river winding its way joyfully
plicating their beauties. The successive
views thus presented by this beautiful val
ley are not equalled on any road have
travelled. .--,, -
Bidding adieu to this panorama, SO rich,
so lovely, you descend by an easy grade
through grand forest the Falling Springs
valley Just before reaching it the falls
burst upon your view, presenting one of the
widest and grandest Of sights. The whole
broad precipice, with its eight descending
streams, falling from eighty to one hundred
feet, is fairly seen, and is really enchant-
ing. 1t will be hard for the traveller to
Journey by this grand curiosity without
pausing awhile and descending to the ra-
vine below, to look upon it. This great GU.
riosity is seven miles from the Healing and.
ten from the Hot Springs.
Immediately the road crosses this stream
it passes to the east Of the singular noun
tain range which bounds the Warm Springs
valley on the west and separates it from.
Jackson's river. This mountain has five
several gaps, through which flow as many
strearns-including one each from the Heal
ing, the Hot, and Warm Springs-which
lose themselves in Jackson's river. The
road, which had been scanned into the western
acclivity of the mountain, now skirts its east
ern base and loses sight of Jackson's river.
But the Warm Springs Mountain bursts
upon us in all its beauty, and we enter that
exquisite valley which has been admired as
amongst the loYeliest scenes of earth since
it has been known by civilized people. 1t
is needless to attempt particular description
of the pleasant scenes through which the
road then passes. They are destined to be
improved and beautifed by wealth and art,
and to become more and more the objects
Of admiration. We may pass on rapidly
from that exceedingly fertile and plctu-
rescue vale of the Falling Springs to the
"=Happy Valley" not q mile distant from
the Healing Springs. "A large stream here
bursts from the foot Of the mountain, and
affords the motive power for considerable
mill about fifty yards from where 1t energies.
The valley along which 1t hnds Its way to
Cedar creek (which is one of the sappers
and miners that has worn gaps IN the
mountain) looks so sequestered and placid
that it we'll deserves the name Happy"
The road being brought to the Healing,
there joins the fine turnpike which unltes
all the famous springs of the Valley.
1t is the best graded road in the noun
tains, and viii stfcrd q new and invaluable
source of pleasure and recreation to travel
lers in the mountains. @,E
And now few words about y i F
THE FALLS. l. w.s
AhO WdtcT tudt uVWS .OfSI VIZ ptOS@f
rises only about a quarter Of mile FROM
it.. The source is called Falling Spring
from the fact that its waters SO soon go
headlong down the falls. 1t might have
had a better name. It's volume is largG "a
considerable CREEKS never diminisl red,
and the water has mineral properties. Its
deposit is large, and forms caclerion ;
tufa, which appears in vast quantities along
the stream at the foot Of the falls and at
points in the neighborhood, where it may
be inferred at other days the stream must
have taken it's way and rolled down its 4
waters. Nearly mile on the road from
the present falls there is a precipitous wall
of stone, which shows that waters once
poured down its face. Ages were required
to wear down the gap in the mountain to
its present level, and in that time this fall
ing water has had many ways and cut in
Vulnerable capers.
But we have only now to deal with the
falls IS they are. Above and below and
on each side Of this grand curiosity the
forest and underground lend great beauty
o the scene by their luxuriance and deep
;reen shade. The trees are gigantic, and
he foliage as lovely as possible. The land
n the gap is level, and mas width of one
undred and fifty yards where the road
rosses it, and the road crosses about a.
undred and fifty yards above the falls. ]
BON after passing the road, the stream is \
yided into several parts among the stout j