The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-30


PAPERS OF THE CITY,.
MONDAY ....... :. -. :! DECEMBER 80, 1878.
sFrom the scio,o Gazette, Chillicothe, Ohio]
Tho Rfcnmond Excursion.
On Friday evening, October 25th, the
writer Joined the excursion party from De
troi., Mich, and other points In the North
west, which had left Detroit In the morn
ing, under the supervision OF Messrs. Eberts
and Hulett.I We: were soon under way,
and arrived at Portsmouth on time, and
were Immediately transferred to the steaEl'
ers Fannie Dugan and Scioto, which were
to convey us to Huntington, West va, the
western terminus Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad. - sss,.. ..se
The Scioto having made bad start ifoul
Portsmouth, was late in reaching huntlng-
ton, which we did, however, as .apouS
O'Clock on Saturday morning. here we
found those who had secured passage on
Tho nnnan quietly waiting and watching for
NC nc We we're soon comfortably seated In
the ears of a special train placed ut our dis
nosaI by the management OF the railroad. 1t
was soon discovered that our train, was to
run as an extra and to be entitled to the road,
O favor which was duly appreciated.
We left Huntington at 10 O'CLOCK ana
soon were made aware OF some OF the ar
ranpements for our enjoyment, understand
ingiy, Of the country through which we
were about to pass. We had with US Mr.
sam. T. DcFord, the northwestern passen-
GER agent OF the Chesapeake and Ohio road
St CINCINNATI; Captain j. G. Dame, the
southern agent at Richmond, who came TO
Huntington especially to see to the comfort
and pleasure OF the excurslonlsts; Mr.
Frank Binford, as agent OF the Virginia
Steamboat Company: and others whose
names have escaped us. These gentlemen
furnished all the information needed, either
orally or by printed matter, OF which they
had an abundance, and OF very satlsfac'
tory kind.
The scenery along the line Of the road
from Huntington to Kanawha Falls Is fine.
On either side the hills rise to considerable
height, at some points reaching an altitude
of 700 feet, and at this season OF the year
The foliage is splendid in its beauty: AS we
approached Kanawha Falls we began to get
a foretaste OF that which was TO come IN tne
way Of scenery Of the widest KIND, and
every one became anxious to geta view OF
the falls and their surroundings. These
falls are but a short distance below the juno
ton OF Gauley and New rivers. Their ap-
pearance was disappointment to many, as
they had formed an exaggerated notion OF
their magnitude. At this point we enter
1.-The mountainous portion of the line, and
we were utterly astonisbed at the grandeur
OF the panoramic views disclosed to our
gaze as we are whirled along. at a poin!
nine miles east Of Kanawha-Falls station
| the road crosses the New river Oil an iron
bridge nearly TOO feet in length, and on ouI
| left, towering 600 feet above US, are The
Hawks Nest cliffs, which were readily re.
cognized and pointed uttc us by Carter
jackson, of this city, who tramped oVei
that country on bis way to Ohio in 1885.
| r. AS we pass over this portion Of the roaC
| it becomes matter OF great surprise how
| nny man could conceive that 1t was at al
practicable to carry line OF railway through
such region. In many places the rocky
face, Of the mountains extended down tt
the Water's edge and lowered hundreds o.
feet tperpendicularly upward, and in order
] to make bed for the road the face OF these
points had to be cut away. But few year.
| back and the man who had proposed such
thing would have been considered fit sub
ject for q straightforward. But this is al
age Of progress, and the idea was not onl,
conceived, but the men to undertake tn
work came to the front, and to-day thei
work stands almost at the very head OF tn
achievements OF engineering in this country
a point of wonder Is how this has been &C
| compished on such easy grades. ss!.t
o We travelled through region OF the wild
est grandeur until night overlook us, and ~
were compelled, per force, to rest from view
ing the wonders revealed. -
1 1s,-1,k Ct,r,, ,fotr ir,fr
about Gordonsville, and active preparation
We're made for descent on Richmond
where we arrived at about 8 O'Clock.
RICHMOND.
After general cleanup and q goo,
breakfast The party divided np into smalle
squads, and went wherever their inclination
led them. Some OF them went to church
many attending st. Johns church (Episco
paD, which is situated on Church Hill, ant
is the place where Patrick Henry1in LII
made his celebrated speech, so familiar t
all OF us in our school-days, in which b
used the words, .Giye me liberty or Civ
me DEATH; some to- the Monuments
church, which stands on the site Of th
Theatre which burned in 1911, causln
I the loss of seventy-five lives. anon
them Governor Smith; while many other
spent the forenoon in visiting othe
points of interest in the city, anon
others Libby Prison, which :, had t
some of us 4 local interest, as twas ther
that some OF our citizens-Captain.W w. E
Douglas, Jr., and Lieutenant Edgar Highly
who made their escape through the famou
tunnel, and Captain Sam. Fl. Ewing, an
others-e enjoyed the hospitalities Of th
place as the guests OF the Southern Cor
federacy. In the afternoon carriage-rid
was taken, and many points OF interest wer
visited, among them Hollywood cemetery
where eleven thousand Confederate dea
are buried. A monG!uent in the form Of
pyramid ninety feet nigh, Of granite, hs
been erected TO th.ir memory. Several {
the hills were visited, from which magnif
cent views are TO be had. The State prison
the reservoirs OF the water-works, Gener'
Lees residence, St. Johns church, and v;
rious other points, were visited.
TIE JAMES RIVER.
On Monday morning almost the entii
party took passage on the steamer Ariel fc
q triD down the James river to Old Poir
Comfort and Fortress Monroe.
| WE were now on historic ground ~, ne
only with view 10 recent events, but t
those connected with the early history {
our country ANY attempt on our Part
give detailed description OF the man
points of deep interest TO the touris
would be ont OF place in the scope OF
article like this, and want OF space forblds
as tine subject IS a large one. Suffice 1t 10
our purpose to touch on "a few points tina
sug gest themselves. History tells us tha
Newport and Smith ascended the James
| far as Ricnsaond in,1607. The first point
\ ox,sS ID