Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-04-03
A National Calamity.
DESTRUCTION OF THE FAMOUS YATrp,.
BRIDGE OF VIRGINIA.
lFrom the Lexington lva.l collegisr

Editors AS the regular newsnsnss.
have all been issued for the week -
as / am an old student, l ask for ..
freedom of your columns as a mean y
communicating a phenomenon Of ~.
most extraordinary description, that l.. l..
just thrown this community into -
widest excitement. Last Tuesday ers-
ing, as was returning with Mr.. Poo.
of this place from visit to friend
the other side of the bridge, observsS
upon glancing over into the chasn
vapor issuing from some crevices -
the western side of the bridge, and b
tected peculiar odor In the ATM.
phere. Mr.. Poague, upon having biss'
tention directed to the matter, was mi
tive that he could detect something -
the sort himself. We were at a los :.
conjecture the cause of this unwo6,s;
disturbance in the chasm below. Tns-
returning home and informing n,
friends Of what we had seen, We war.
informed that our vapor was a mar.
mist. and that if we smelt somgtbirs
unpleasant, it must have been a polersf
for these animals are most plentiful X
that locality. But having occasion n
ride over to the bridge early this mon
ing. | found things in this quarter in -,
most sadly excited condition; for sbsr1
a mile before arriving at the hotel
thought I could discern in that neigb.
borhood heavy clouds of smoke hsSg.
ing intensely black around that pant Il
the horizon. AS / neared the spot .bs
smoke became denser and blacker. sJ3
when got to the hotel / found eTery.
body excited and everything in the VIII
est confusion. The negroes who oorr
DIV the deserted premises near the bride
on the brow of the hill, had moved dow
to the hotel, so great was their terru
and every one was making ready to q.
part at once. From below the brdgs
volumes of smoke were rolling c0ntir.
ually, except when interrupted by lei;
of black fame, which occasionally fst
ed up to a great height. The sHrfao.
of the ground is warm for some distanfs
around, and is steaming very visibl7
The peculiar smell l noticed on Sund5y
last is now perceptible to all. The rocs
on the western side Of the bridge las
been cracked by the heat, and large
masses have fallen into Cedar Greek
| As vet, the arch, as well as can be seen
/ in the intervals between the volumes Of
smoke. is intact. Occasionally. how
| ever. we could distinguish the crashing
sound of boulder as it dashed into he
water below. The negroes say that lie
/ first intimation they had of any thing Of
! the kind was last night about ewi5
/ o'clock. A boy walking across the I1ligs
was frightened by a bright light shoe.
| ing from the side of the bridge. Heasi
/ in terror and aroused the rest Of Them,
mediate neighborhood. Every one TG
1 almost petrified with terror. ! hayeils
/ reached here from the bridge, and shall
/ return as soon as / can get anOibg
horse. Everything here is about t0sl1
! for the bridge. IF you will lay tbs
statement before Prof. Campbell Of or
geological department, he can, d0ult.
less. from his extended acquaintaaE
with the geology of our country, throw
light upon the cause of this eXtraor9i1-
airy phenomenon. Can it be due 10 e.es
trfcfty? have refrained from all e-t11
at description, as 1 am in too great
hurry TO return. Yours truly,
J. BARRY MCCLrER
Upon the receipt of the above lettg
from Mr.. McCluer, which was delivered
into our hands by our college friend
! Poague. we were utterly astonlshed 81
the possibility of such an Occurrence
! However, we hastened to lay the STATE,
ment before Prof. Campbell, whom We
found in his laboratory busily engaged
in chemical research. We append III
statement he was kind enough to g,Tt
US:
STATEMENT OF PROF. JOHN L. CAMP
BELL.
Being engaged a number Of wears SCI
in the geological survey of this reg1-
from the Blue Ridge as far west as tl-
Kanawha deposit of coal, il was my do.
ty to investigate particularly the res0U-
ces which an all-bountiful PrOTidelc5
had YOgchsafed our own country. d
course, my attention was directed o
that wonderful geological arch. wliL
at the same time strikingly displays tls
handiwork of omnipotence, and gives
name to Rockbridge county; ! refer q,
a matter of course to that great nstl.
raj curiosity which every year ATTRACTS
to our shores visitors from all parts Of
the land. In examining critically d.
formation, ! discovered that the bItg
was composed of mountain lime, viii
large assures filed with grahamiia
which, as is well known, is a kind q
bituminous coal or asphaltum. deposits
in seams in formation of this pecu-G
kind. The grahamite was not Of col-&
set on. fire by any one; such an 2a
would necessarily be impossible as o.
Tending against the laws Of omnipOts1
construction. At some distance ab5r
the high water mark, detected sulpll
rous deposits and traces of metallic OK
ides. The action of sulphur on the me-.
tallic oxides, even in small quantities u
the presence of water, will. generate hes,
to a degree abundantly sufficient TO e
mite a mass of as combustible a natlr
as the grahamite. The water, take Il
was supplied by the thawing OF ne
snow and the unprecedented rise OF Os.
dar Greed in the early part Of last week
So / am inclined to consider the cauS
of this great chemical action, and do d.
lean toward attributing it, as suggesi5-
by Mr.. McCluer, to the action Of electr,
city. / have a section of the geOlogca
formation of the bridge, which VS.
carefully prepared a number OF yes.
since, as above limited, access to whll
may be had at any time by all wishi-5
to examine into the causes themsel7H
Very respectfully,
J. /. CAMPBELL
The above account of the cause 5i
the great national calamity (for noting
less assuredly can it be called,) appeah
to us very satisfactory, except that d.
mention is made of the peculiar sl15-
that Mr.. McCluer speaks of as benz
plainly perceptible. This, we supposs
is really included in the statement; .
seams of asphaltum frequently Oli-
from some cause or other in ore bans
of a peculiar odor, probably that q {;
carburetted hydrogen. There Is goy-
deal of excitement in town and coun!
about this unprecedented, or rather Ta y
occurrence, and many have alrea-.
| started to the scene of the great slyI1'
ranean combustion.
RAILWAYS AND BANKs.-Last YEA
$40, 900, 900 was expended II cOnstTl9.r
ing 1913 miles OF new railroads, ana y! y.
whole cost of building the 70.17o nil5s
of railway in the United States Is GU
! mated at 81. 436. 63S. 749. At first glalleI