Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-09-23
Although these slopes descend far fro,

Although these slopes descend far from
the stream 80 or 80 feet perpendicular,
leaving below the foliage a vast rock tun-
mel to penetrate Vending our way along
the shore of the stream, that seems to
sparkle as it rolls. we pass "Glen Alpha" !"
and enter majestically grand and sub
lime portion of the Glen. The precipices
tower in bolder. darker, and more lower
ing outline; the water rolls more rapidly,
while in front it leaps with wild fury
from the third gallery, and falls rolling in
silvery column from great height into a
foamy caldron, dashing up clouds of spray
in faky mists. and sending down echoes
through the chasm Behind the column
of this cataract, and beneath the beetling
brow of the rock over which it rolls. is a
deep and sullen looking basin, stirless,
surgeless, motionless, its waters are un-
troubled by the plunging turbulence with
out, and its gloomy surface sheens with a
hue of death. Here, as story states, some
syren dwells, tended by Genii habitants
of the cave.
We surmount this department by two
lofty stairways, and gladly climb to the
longed for path which leads US to the
Mountain House. Here all that the men,
tai or physical being can long for or de-
sire, is not alone available. but served
with grace and ease which makes the
luxury more amiable. This House is
large, and admirably adapted to the pur-
poses for which it was erected. Sitting
rooms, dining rooms, ball rooms, picture
galleries, balconies, esplanades, bars, res
taurants, ct hoe genus onenes, all seem,
however, to exist in consonance, for neith
er the beauty of the Glen, the richness Of
the viands. nor the comforts of chalet, can
exceed the hospitality of the Master.
Above the Mountain House we descend
again into the throat of the Glen, and en-
ter the Cathedral" which is an amphi-
theatre looking opening. The foliage
ceases, and the cliffs rise perpendicularly
nearly three hundred feet. Here the ST.
lurian strata is not rent, and only the
stratifed rock has been disturbed The
department widens semi eircularly on eth
er side. forming an oval shaped theatre,
some 600 feet long by 400 wide, hemmed
by cliffs 300 feet high.
The width of the cliffs apart in this
place is acconnted for by. I've. canaes =.
FIRST. the slate Is here mingled with con-
g1omerate or breccias. and iron Stone
Secondly, the falling of the upper third OF
the precpice along Glen Alpha and up
ward to the Cathedral. When the latter
fell and had been carried away, the loos
ened material-formed of shale, new sand
stone, and breccia-went bodily away with
the augmented torrent, until the aperture
at the Cathedral gave as free an exit to
the food as the sloping channel below.
1t is evident, however, the waters be-
fore this time did not even cut through
the presen! mouth, but ran over the side
of the present Glen to the north, washing
over the hillside that is now the cemetery,
on the southern shoulder; for the height
of the igneous rock below, and the solidi-
ty of the sedimentary rock which overlies
it, could not have given way as soon as
the mingled stratas here. And it was
only when this widening of the channel at
the Cathedral and along Glen Alpha oc-
Cured, (perhaps induced, amongst other
things, by the great shock it must have
occasloned, that the volcanic action which
rent the solid granite and the upper form
ations had been precipitated. Bubble
stone are here found at the bottom of the
metamorphic rock resting on the silurian.
They prove the magnitude of the volcanic
throe this region experienced iu those
days, these rubble sand stones having fall
en- through the metamorphic formation,
than which they were weightier,) until
they reached granite. 1t also proves the
proximity of both irruptions, since these
rubble stones must have fallen through
the metamorphic strata before the latter
had completely cooled.
At the head of the Cathedral we find
the first gallery of the waterfall was 40
feet above its present plateau. This sus-
tains our theory of the Glon having had
two maratime epochs-one~while yet the
Lake was but subsiding, when its waters
poured over the southern slope of the
cemetery bill and the other when it had
thoroughly fallen, when the water sheds
had all given way, vast embrasures had
been worn. the range had become honey
combed, and finally the mountain convuls-
ed by natural and volcanic throes stimuli
taneously heaved up, collapsed and burst
Above this department a thousand streams
pour over the southern precipice. The
rock is eaten away, and there is standing
room behind the little cascades When
the sun reaches the latitude Of the Glen
and shines along its vista. beautiful rain
bows arch those trickliug streams, and
add mystic beauty to the scene.
Quantities of silceous earth abound 10
this Glen, carbonate of lime. and mineral
matter; the action of the latter upon in
crusting water produces through the Glen
some mineral springs, strongly impregnat-
ed with iodine, sulphates, aud magnesia.
In one place the sulphur spring is SO
strongly inpreguated as to be highly med
icinal. Ii is curious how the same mine
raj and herbaceous phenomena occur at
the opposite Glen, near Havana.
1t is to be regretted both these Glens
are not in the hands Of one man. The
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