Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-06-25
Sinking Valley-A Wonder
full Natural Curiosity.


full Natural CURIOSITY.
A correspondent of the
Philadelphia Press says [
have visited all our fashionable
resorts, and I must say that l
never conceived o.a place SO
entirely beautiful. 1t far sur
passes them all. 1t is known
as Sinking Valley, and is loca-
ted in Blair County Pennsyl-
vania. 1t may reached by
coming on the cars to Tyrone,
or Union Furnace stations, on
the line of the Pennsylvania
railroad. Thence, it is only a
mile or so into the valley
Mountains inclose it on all sides
making it appear as if nature
were jealous of her beauties,
and desired to protect the ia
vored inhabitants from contact
with the world outside 1t has
a resemblance in outline to a
large pear. The soil is remar-
kably fertile, and the inhabi-
tants are near all wealthy, or
at least in easy circumstances,
Although a farming commu-
nifty, one rarely gets into one
SO generally intelligent. Per-
sons from the city, with their
polished etiquette, would be no
losers by the contact with its
society. It's name, Sinking
Valley, is indicative of its
character. A large stream en-
tiers it from the upper end, and
flows for no considerable dis
lance until it sinks into open
ings in the earth many of which
appear to be unfathomable. =
After a short distance it reap
pears, only to sink again in
! the same manner. But by far
the most remarkable curiosity
is a cave which is entered by
this stream. The entrance is
something like Is feet high, by
40 feet wide. 1t is nearly a
mile in extent, and may be
penetrated for a long distance
in an upright posture. Curious
stalactites and stalagmites may
be obtained, formed by the
dropping of water from the
roof. Beautiful coruscations
flash in the torchlight, like
diamonds. Toward the fur
ther extremity of this under
ground passage Of the stream,
the cave terminates, and the
water sinks into large cleft in
the rocks, only to rise again,
boiling and surging in a very
violent manner in a deep basin
thes ides of which are perpendi-
cular. From this basin it flows
under the hill through an arch
that is we'll worthy the pencil
of an artist. It's exit forms
that curiosity-of which almost
every one has heard--Arch
Springs. This we regard as
one among the greatest natural
phenomena in the country. 1t
is cut through a hill Of solid
limestone, in such manner as
to suggest the work of art
AT its entrance it is II or Is
feet in height, and one might
easily pass through in a boat.
How such a perfect work could
have been effected in a natural
manner, is wholly unaccounta-
BILE. So large is the stream here
that a very large grist mill and
a saw mill are driven by it;
yet a great part of the water is
not used. After flowing less
than a quarter of a mile far
ther, it falls, with a loud roar,
into a large cleft in the rocks
after which it's course is known
to no mortal man. Perhaps
it goes to swell the volume Of
some subterranean river, upon
whose banks are built no cities
and the murmur of whose
waters are heard by no human
ear. 4" Ua1, eHHlI ..--
Nature here seems to have
endeavored to surpass herself
in the production Of. freaks. l
might 60 on with the descrip-
ton of the scenery of the val
ley, but [ would only exhaust