San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-08-10


choly wall of the boatmen's horn occa
sionally intruding, We travel on to thu
ragged backbone Of the Blue Ridge
Here, where the James River emerse'
from the mountains on the line OF Am
berst and Rockridge counties, the
scence is surprisingly picturesque
Overlooking Balcony Falls, the pyramids
shaped mountain throws in the might
its pointed shadow on the mingled wa
tiers of the james and North Rivers
like great spearhead to divide them
Where il terminates in the water II
falls in precipitous cliff, the rocky
face of which looked at once grand and
wierd as We saw it in the moonlight. A
branch of the canal, as we have said,
proceeds up the North River, while
that along the banks OF the James,
which we pursue to our destination
pa ,ses into wilder scenes.
A stage.road, coincident here with
the canal-either conveyance being at
the choice of the traveler-atfords a
succession of views of the most pictu-
rescue and romantic characters. Asthe
traveller enters the gap of the Blue
Ridge from the east, the winding course
of the stage coach carries him up the
mountains side until he has gained an
opening before him, while the blue
outlines still further west OF distant
m mountains in Rockridge bound his
vision. The water scenery is beautiful.
Lovely valleys debouch upon the
streams; there are peaceful shadows in
the steel-blue water; and on the broad
shoulders of the cattle on the banks we
see the drapery of the shadows OF the
trees beneath which they rest. The
fisherman standing leg-deep IN the
voter can see his face as in mirror.
On the North River the scenes are
ouieter. Emerging here, the traveller
soes q beautiful and fertile country
elevation hundreds of feet above the
James over the waters of which the
v;o.zao and rotton road hangs fear
fullv On every side are gigantic
mountains, intersected by black "a
vines. and a mountain rivulet, slight
and glittering from amid the prlmeVai
forest. dashes across the path, and leap
ING from rock to rock, goes joyfully on
its way. ,
The first view of the bridge is obtain
ed half mile from it at a turn IN Inc
stage road. 1t is revealed with the sud-
denness of an apparition. Raised
hundred feet above the highest trees OF
the forest, and relieved against the pur-
nile side of a distant mountain, whitlsh'
grey arch is seen in the distance as
nerfect and clean cut as the Egyptian
inventor of the arch could have defined.
The tops of trees are waving in the IN
teryal, and we are relieved from the
first impression that it is mans mason,
nv. the work of art, on finding tnat IL
snnnorts some fifteen or twenty feet OF
soil in which trees are firmly i'm
verdant testimony OF
Natures great work. Here too we are
Invested of notion which we belleve
is popular one that the bridge is mere
ly O huge slab of rock thrown across
a chasm, or some such hasty and vle-
lent arrangement. 1t is no such thing.
The arch and approaches to is are
formed of one solid rock; the average
width of that portion which forms the
Bridge is eighty feet, and beyond this
the rock extends for hundred feet or
so in mural precipices, divided by only
a single assure, that makes a natural
pier on the upper side of the Bridge
and up which climb the hardy frs as
cending step by step on the double rock
work till they over-shadow you.
This mighty rock, a single mass sunk
in the earth's side, of which even what
appears is stupendous. is of the same
geological character-ime stone cover
ed to the depth of from four to six feet
with alluvial and clayey earth. The
span of the arch runs from forty-tve to
sixty feet wide, and its height to the
under line is one hundred and ninety
six feet, and to the head two hundred