National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-11-10
VIRGINIA'S WONDER.
THE GREAT NATURAL BRIDGE,
How II Looks at the Present Time-A Splendid Dit
Of Word.Palnting By oath-The Surround
Ings Of the Great CurioSlty-Tho
Changes Of Autumn.

Leaving Williamson at eight o'clock and
passing down the tumbllng James in sight Of the
railroad builders on the opposite shore, we reached
Natural Bridge Station before eleven, and got out
at an old brick mill. stage with four horses
drove us right up mountain four or five hun
dred feet high by road crossed with limestone
ribs frequently, and mile a half from the mill
we caught the first sight of the bridge, looking
like an enormous railroad tunnel half sunken
In gorge. Here only, at the distance Of three
quarters of a mile, did II look like human con-
structioh
ITS INTERIOR SEEMED BLACK,
and the light ofday did not shine bluely through
it, We purposely forebore to 10 k at 1t again till
we should be close upon It. pretty little hotel
recently added to stood quarter of mile from
the bridge, upon slip OF hill which rose up to a
swell at the bridge-top. Here an old frame tavern
was built long ago. aud was said to be the Oldest
house In the county. Around It on the cleared
acolivitous Belds several log cabins were pitched
for laboreB or entertainment. A nice, new
double. porticoed dwelling, built fof cottage by
one OF the railroad people, and prettily painted
olive and red. Is close by the Natural Bridge. and
seven hundred acres OF partly cleared land has
recently been bought by one Of the aliases OF the
railroad company for $4,000. They have i'm.
proved Il more in . few months than in all its
previous history. and made park and will build
another hotel with
THREE HUNDRED ROOMS
The walk down to the Natural Bridge from the
little tavern enters frst an open lawn or field and
then low woods OF Or, walnut, and maple, whore
apath over lodges and shales OF limestone leads
,sther stoeply down to the bed OF large brook
owing over riven stills and masses Of blue limo
stone. with few pools OF rather muddy color.
About two hundred yards from the bridge an
abutmcnt starts each side upward from.th
n nil wi
SCENT continue even into and under tho arch It.
self to the height OF perhaps ninety feet. Above
the abutment moro solid, and. as IL WERE fluid
mass of rock rises upon the lower abutment, and
this goes to the further height of more than hun
dred feet and Is of an iron color, with dark.
muddy. blue MEETINGS or washes dripping from
II, and at the arch itself itself the vast jambs
are of
CLEANER AND rtLEn GRAY BLUE,
with brown iron ore extending partly across the
arch FROM the north, while the opposite jamb on
the south Is nearly oil OF reddish yellow tint.
quite up to the arch Intel. This Intel, or top of
the arch, seen from below, Is a noble concave of
gray stone. gigantic and bare, shaded with lighter
and darker grays, the whole presenting such a
scene of thickness, both upward and through, as
suggests some giant human agency like that of
the Titans OF fable. Grace and perfect ease are
even more conspicuous than Its strength. The
arch Is careless, rude, airy expert almost buoyant
yet prodigious and at one corner is tucked up like
the curtain Of an Italian balcony, showing whole
clouds beneath crossing the boundless features OF
Che sky.
SO HIGH rs THE NATURAL ARCH
that the rocks on the bank beyond II drop down
within the vision aud become less extensive than
the heaven seen above them, while anaked tree of
great size that further bank is like little stick
or toy crnciax. The spot at which stdnd writing
this is two hundred feet from the arch In the bed
of the creek. Above the hill or jamb ofsthe arch
grow various trees on the very edge of tho abyss
under II grow three poplar or elm trees over q
hundred feet high, no more considerable than
Christmas holly on cathedral altar The sides OF
tho hollow walls from which the arch springs are
partly clothed with trees and bushes, and shrubs
of large size start from their assures, while a
tendency in the rocks themselves to model into
tower forms continues as idle at distance enter
tained of the arched bridge to
SOME OF DoRE5 IMAGINATIVE CASTLES.
Advancing beneath the arch by the path and
bank of fallen rocks which takes up iivc sxths OF
the aisle below, all such similitudes as the above
are thrown away. The mighty twist of the bridge
then grows to the conception OF the path of the
gods Graceful as the curve Of the swans neck is
seen 10 be the spring Of the great southern arch
from the sialactal wall below, and terrific In It's
beauty as the form of the ocean swclls after O
storm. The bridge Is a little askew on swinging
from the right angle with its axis, but II seems
n
Ing from her shoulders. Not an idea of danger &C.
furs TO the aintest hearted looking up at that al
most
FEASIBLE bsAToMY OF MOUNTAIN SPAN,
as IL It was only yawning, and would at once
straightcn out and be more harmonious. The
suggestion ofarchitecture Is never present, and Il
mentioned here dsyIades the noble work of ma.
ture, which is luminous TO even a child with the
lesson of creation. 1t grew like bones in man, Il
stepped abroad II halted In so majestic an attitude
that there the admiring heavens arrested It for.
ever; but touched with the coal of life again, 4
will roll back It's glorious form and receive The
light upon lis breast Passing now quite through
to the North or upper side OF the bridge its twis
out Of the spherical Is seen to be reversely obliaut
TO that discerned from beIow-that is, It Iooki
exactly like the form a different obllauity bad
given 1t. 1t is the same slmilltude from an oppo
site course Here OH the lef looking down. Jagged
towers ornament the abutment and parapet as 4
in the days of dcmi gods archers drawing one O
these elm trees for bow might have
SHOT DOWN AN ENEMY
advancing upon it. These towers rise right out o
the brook, itself having crossed the bridge diagon
ally-and over two hundred feet high. once the,
were parts of the parapet. now so beautifully mu
tilated, like man. from whose side and rib wa
made woman. Under these towers the wate
flows still as the mirror of n dragon. obseurinr 1,
his breath. The brook from below runs along IN,
the eastern wall; below It steals along In,
western, as II II had felt the thin,
aboye, brooding over It, and dartet
like the fish beneath the ospreys flight. A coo
noise is made by the brook gurgling In the dryes
weather. Abizzard smiling In the distant sky 4
,,oonco,yobIy ,ho u,not,ast hi,d IN Al it,os d. IL