The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-04-08
CUMBERLAND GAP.

GEN. MALONE AND HIS RAILROAD CON
soLIDATToN SCHEMES - ExPEGTA-
TIoNs blasted GRAPHIC PFC
TURE OF THE GAP-THE IRON AND
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.
CUMBERLAND GAP, Tenn, March So 1874.
To the Editor Of the Morriztown Gazette:
Cumberland Gap win naturally
suggest mingled thoughts of river.
side and railroad movements a
Kentucky outlook and q Virginia
terminus yet in view of the autopsy
of the Siamese twins we may be
justified in ascertaining whether this
wonderful physical conformation is
an extension of Yirginia's sternum |;
Kentucky's umbilical cord, or Ten
nessee's liver.
We had thought for long while
that DIR. Malone would have push.
ed his railroad thus far and opened
the Gap to the outside world. Alas.
for the power of lobbyism We
know not how many 8 Richmonds''
there were in the field; we doubt
not the pluck of a s. Pridemore !"
but we do know Of no more silly act
than recently enacted by the Vir-
ginia Legislature in yielding to the
Malone pressure. Ifw understand
the controversy, the frame work is
this Virginia permitted the con-
solidation of several railroads, under
the style of the Atlantic, MISSISSIPPI
pi and Ohio r. r., she gave up GER
tain bonds; 100000 of which was
to be expended in the completion of
the road to the Gap of the Cumber-
land. Eighteen months since an
elaborate survey of the routes was
made and all the preliminary nance
uvres gone through with. Gen. Ma
hone discovers Kentucky will not
meet him and assume a mastery
inactivity. Now all this at the first
glance seems enrapport; according
to Gunther, etc. But it occurs to
your stupid correspondent that it
was rather hasty action to-get these
bonds from Virginia before ascer-
tanning the feasibility of the pro-
jected road, the expenses of which
were to be met by these very bonds.
1t seems odd to allow Gen. Malone
the use of 100000 for twelve years
with no apparent application of said
funds to their legitimate object.
But then we don't run the road you
know!
It appears the Malone organs ex-
press pious surprise at the idea of
extending this great Virginia artery
to Cumberland Gap, a mere noun
tain, of dumping passengers and
freight in a mere wilderness. I have
searched around for scalps of the
pale face. for moccasins and other
traces Of Gap barbarism, but have
failed.
What is the Gapl It is as you
well know a depression in the Cum.
berland range first traversed by
Danl. Boone on his way to the
:" bloody ground" Trending south.
west by northeast; at the Gap the
western wing slopes gracefully in q
succession of knolls to the level OF
depression. On the eastern wing
the cliffs rise abruptly several hun.
dred feet to a tripartite crag known
as the pinnacle" From the sum
nit of the pinnacle, reached by a
wagon road, the tourist can enjoy 8
superb view of Kentucky on the one
slope and Tennessee and Virgins
on the other. Opening out from the
debris at the foot of the pinnacle is
an extensive, most interesting, anG
very curious cave. Some hundred
feet lower down the mountain is an
other, and more extensive cave
closed at present by the Virgins
State road ascending the mountain
| A trifing expenditure would reopeI
this palace of the gnomes to the in
spection of the curious. In the fla
at the base of the mountain. arr
| several strong mineral springs; sui
| phur and chalybeate. While as j
to add life to this cluster of. natura
attractions through the centre of th,
scape goes rushing and ripping /.
beautiful stream of the purest water
And this is the savage mountain
dreaded by the Lynchburg editor
Its wondrous attractions for the
tourist are carefully ignored as they
have studiously shut their eyes t,
the immense deposits of iron anC
coal lying on the very ground whicl
a railroad would make available ant
convert into a stream of wealth.
At present we have two iron furn
aces in Claiborne, one at Speedwell
(some twelve miles down Powell
Valley in charge of Messrs. A
Woodson, g. w. Rose and j. N
Harbeson. The other and the larg
est is at the Gap upon the site Q
the old furnace, run by the late Johl
G. Newlee and others. The latte
furnace is smelling an average 0
three ton per day. 1t is run b,
Messrs. Peyton and Swap, wit
Tom Mosier as foundryman. 1t is
brilliant sight to see a run made q
midnight, the sparkling fashini
metal gliding here and there light
ing up with a weird halo the face
and forms of the spectators.
Messrs. p. and S. shipped o.
22d, sixty ton of the metal to Chat
tanooga. Iffavored by the elements
they expect to forward heavy shiE
ment in May or June. The iro
made at these works is considere
of the best quality, and of a fibr
best suited for the manufacture c
car wheels and other articles requil
ing tenacity or toughness. Tn
people are taking great interest !
the success of Messrs. p. and S.
feeling the Importance of the iro
business in our list of material r.
sources. Some twenty-six boat
passed down PowePs river on til