The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-17
From the Mountains.

served. ~
From the Mountains.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM THE BATH ALUM-soME
OF THE CuRIosITIEs OF TIE PLACE-THE
SPRINGS, ETC.-A NEW BATH.HoUsE ooETEA
| pLATED--vlslT TO FAIR VIEW LODGE SUNSET
IN THE MoUNTAINs-A sLvERE sToRB AND
SOME OF IT'S EFFECTS, &C., &C., sc.
Especial Correspondence Of the Dispatch.1
BATH ALUM, August IA, 1874.
Colonel w. G. CarrlDgton and Major John
Poe, of Richmond, have arrived since
| wrote on yesterday. Colonel Darlington
| has been showing me some OF the cariosities
| Of the place, and the various springs, and i
! am surprised that the reputation Of the Bath
Alum is not more extended.
CURlosITJEs.
I have visited one or two very remarkable
| caves IN this vicinity, besides the renowned
| Blowing cave, which is on the road from
MilIboro' depot to the Bath Alum. Blow.
ing cave is about one mile west OF little
post Office Oh the side of the road, in a high
| ledge on the bank of the CoW-Pasture river.
The mouth of the cave is about thirty feet
above the road, which winds beautifully
along the sluggish waters of the Cow-Pas
ture. aud is about four Or five feet IN heigOt.
An old farmer living near here told me yes
terday that it had been explored about three.
| quarters of mile. He also repeated the
old yarn about small dog finding his way
out through some unknown passage alter
having entered on the roadside. stood IN
front Of the cave few minutes. but the
draught Of cold air coming out (Which, By the
| way, is strong enough nearly always to blow
handkerchief over into the road,) was so
great that visions of rheumatism warned me
| TO leave.
A country mile from the hotel is what Mr..
Baxter calls "Saltpetre Cave" The mer-
curry fell from 81 on the outside of the cave
| to So degrees on the inside when ] visited
| it Yesterday. The entrance is about 200 feet
| wide by 80 feet high. 1t resembles one of Mr..
rock on the Chesapeake and Ohio road more
| back some three hundred feet, and then
comes to point like a cornucopia.
Half mile from the hotel, and lying i'm
| mediately in fertile valley, through. which
flows creek of free-stone water (and, by
the way, | will remark that there is no lime
stone water here, rs far as / can learn).
| there is a most remarkable spring, which
shoots up with the water in space about US
large as mans hat quantities OF pure White
sand / visited the place this morning, and
saw the operation, Add to these caves and
springs any number of singular and beauli-
! ful formations of earth and stone, and the
reader will have some idea of a few OF the
curosities OF this wonderful place.
| THE SPRINGS.
The lawn. which lies directly in front OF
the hotel and cottages, occupies an area OF
/ oscr1,f fnn
lawn. Just below the public road and under
meath a slate stone cliff fifteen feet high. l
came upon the springs, six in number-two
stronq alum springs, one alum and magnesia,
| two fine chaly beate. which are said to be SUI
! perior to any in the State, and one spring
which should call plain, as it has no particu-
lar taste, except one that is not very pleasant
| to me.
| Besides this spring there is a very strong
chalybeate spring very near the cave just
mentioned, which has not yet been piped to
| the hotel. At present the water is brought
down every morning in demij ohns for the
use of the guests. The first day arrived
here I paid all my attention to Captain Free.
| mans department, and from the effects OF
| the dining-room gained six pounds. Since
| that time, being in fine health, / have been
less careful about diet and pitched into the
cbaly beate water. now find myself four
| pounds the lighter for such behavior.
OTHER FEATURES.
| The foundation for splendid new bath
house has been laid. The timbers are on the
roadside near at hand, and the establishment
will most probably be completed before the
beginning OF the next summer season. Ii
| will be arranged for hot and cold baths,
| A., t-t OF ut tra n-p luapc v
cent that here the water will be artificially
heated. This Improvement will render the
Bath Alum second to no watering. place in
Virginia.
But the Western Union Telegraph Com
PAW must manage to have one of their Owl
! GENERATORS at Covington for the benefit of the
Springs in this Valley. Yesterday the ope.
rator here waited for several hours before be
could get the telegraph man at Covington to
| take his messages. handed him message last
| night, and it was O'Clock to-day before he
| could get it off. 1t is true that during part
of the time the wires were down, owing te
A SEVERE STORM
| which ragged in this vicinity. Tt came or
about nightfall, though during the afternoon
the clouds were very threatening, and lndi
| Gated lust what we had. a thunderstorm
| in the mountains is no small affair, and it
| created the most intense excitement here
II came up from the northwest, and seemed
| to fairly leap across the Warm Spring noun
| tain. About half-past 8 tremendous wind
came UPON us, which we heard long way
| off. by the way. 1t roared through the for.
ests. making the most alarming noise, ano
finally burst upon the hotel, tore down and
snapped of trees, slammed the doors and put
ont the lights. destroyed the flowers, blew
down the telegraph poles, and did other dam
age, though not of a very serious nature. Inc
westward bound express train on the Chesa.
peake and Ohio railroad was delayed
about an hour by tree which fell across the
track, and which the engineer was Obliged
| to cut out before the train could go on to
the White Sulphur. Following the wind.
storm. we were visited by the lightning and
thunder, and the way these venerable bulls
did make the sound reyerberate was eau
ton. | felt somewhat safe, knowing that the
mountains around me abounded In iron ore,
which would probably be far more attractive
| to the lightning than would be-. But
never did take much stock In thunder.
storms, and hope this Is the last one !
shall have to endure while | am here.
SUNSET IN THE MOUNTAINS.
| People may talk about the Italian sunsets,
but sunset in the mountains Oh Virgins
exceIs ANYTHING have ever seen, ana am
sure those who witnessed what old this
evening coincide in every word In TINS para
graph. Accompanied by the Doctor, MI
Baxter, and q worthy citizen from NortG
America (Philadel phia, l believe, is bis Local
habitation), went TO the top OF iron hiaSe