The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1871-09-02
Letter from DeIGaUare Water GAP.

August 20, 1871
EDITORS UNION The opening of the Blue Ridge
chain of mountains for the passage of the Delaware
River, known the Delaware Water Cap" is one of
the most wonderful specimens of Natures handiwork
1t challenges the ingenuity Of man to discover the
the sharp of the railroad sailing the quiet
waters of the river walking along the Shady carriage
road or standing upon the summit of the mountains
themselves the impression conveyed the mind of the
behoder cannot be other than wonder and admiration
at the stupendous scene before him.
The Delaware River, after flowing many miles along
the base of the Blue Ridge, here suddenly finds them
cleft in twain, as tho purposey to afford it short path
to the Ocean The mountains in the immediate vicni
ty of the Water Gap nameS collect;y7v, the Ktta
tinny Mountains, and rise q S:ighsEhQs zen hun
bred feet above the level of r. Iouoo t for
Water Gap. The placid fs9 '"t
-hemmed ip by toweri
.ees IN lta as Semlocka; A2g2SIeoli'
me lofty minded eagle woulu seem d suiG. AZ
admre he to AMY lover aside from this are
scattered with great profason the wild gens the tiny
paths and all else to make indeed
a favored spot for the student of Nature.
Two points of interest to the visitor here are the
walks and carriage drives. The distances of the prin
cipa walks range from half mile to one and ahalf
miles They the Table Rock Moss Cataract, Danas
Bath, Calden's Falls Lovers Leap, Mt. Mnsi on the
Pennsy lvania summit, Mount TammaDy on the New
Jersey summit, Blockhead Mountain, Rebecca's Bath,
The Echo, Sunset Hill and Mount Caroline. The drives
from two to twelve miles, as follows Buttermilk
:
Fox HILL Crystal Hill, Castle Rock Lake of the Noun
tain, State Factories and Quarries, and New Jersey
Hills, circuit oftwelve miles.
Bathing, fishing and hunting occupy the time of
many persons. The atmosphere here is SOFT light
and exhiiratng that it is real luxury to inhale it.
There some half dozen public houses capable Of
odating about eight hundred visitors. Board
be obtained from ten dollars to eighteen dollars per
week Large companies of excursionists come here on
the cars from New York and Philadelphia, and remain
some six or seven hours and the day The
from New York is about hundred miles,
and from Philadelphia about eighty miles.
Here is a small village containing several hundred
inhabitants several stores stoce, two churches
Presbyterian the other Methodist.
The Delaware Gap Camp Meeting is now in progress
The ground is about quarter of mile from the viii
lage situated the slope of mountain mount Caro-
like the sittngs in gallery The accommodations are
rather poor considering the very rainy spell of weather
they have had 1t has raned every day since the meet
ing commenced, week ago.
On Sunday afternoon there about four thousand
persons on the ground. tremendous rain storm set
in and continued for several hours There being but
few tents the ground and those not sufficiently
constructed to prevent the occupants from getting wet
general stampede ensued lasting for several hours,
and it sight to behold groups of ladies walking
homeward through the drenching ran with heads un-
covered carrying their bonnets under their cloaks and
shawls and taking Natures shower bath in genuine
style.
Some years SINCE while the Methodists were holding
a camp meeting here, desperate in the neighborhood
determined to break it up. He accordingly summoned
to his aid large party of roughs whom he drilled
thoroughly for his helish purpose. He filled them
with whiskey and marched in regular order to the
camp ground After marching to the head the ground
they all marched down the main aisle and halted in
front of the preachers stand The chief man among
them then made speech full of blasphemy and obsceni
ty and then said they would retire for a short time
and soon return when they would commence the de-
moton of the encampment The preacher in charge Of
the meeting had wind of the purpose rowdes
and he had force selected and organized for the pur
pose of defeating them. As soon as the rowdy gang
had departed for short season. the preacher
to call the roll of his and had them stationed all
around, and every man had his rope under his arm,
and as the rOwdy party returned for the pur
pose of destruction the camp meeting party fell upon
them and with their ropes bound fast every rowdy in
the gang The desperate chief then began to beg and
the camp meeting committee released them upon the
payment of one hundred dollars Better had they
made them suffer the extreme penalty ofthe law. n.