The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-08-31
The Great Natural Bridge.

Inc most interesting picture IN tne
dull waste of our old school geography
1.-The interest in it being heightened by
its association with Washington and
Jefferson, and the wonderful climbing
exploit narrated by Elihu Burritt-was
of the National bridge. The writer Is
glad to be able to report for himself
that visit to it did not dispel single
boyish allusion, and has to confess that
pictures utterly fail to give any ade-
quate ideas of the grandeur of this freak
of nature, or the noble beauty of the re-
gion of which it Is only one of the at
fractions. We left the railway at
way-station one sparkling exhilarating
morning, and mounted the top of a
coach for the drive of three and hall
miles. The road, rising and descending
follows small stream through culti-
waited hills, up gradual ascent ia :,
length brought us to an elevation OF
about 1000 feet above tide-water. Here
in a slight depression among the hills,
but commanding an extensive view, are
new hotel, capable OF accommodating
three hundred guests. Above the hotel
on one side is the acknowledgements
Mount Lincoln. and on the other the
open summit of Mount Jefferson, from
both of which the prospect is very ex-
tensive. A road crossing the stream
before the hotel ascends slight hill and
passes over the bridge. which is not Wis.
ible from this point. The roadway is
ninety feet wide, and protected by low
bushes and evergreens on each side, so
that the traveller could pass over il
without seeing it, though the chasm is
visible on either hand.
The bridge is, in fact. thrown over o
narrow, deep chasm, something like o
mile in length. We descended to it by
a steep path in the forest, passing Oh
our way very pretty cascade, and two
of probably the largest arbor-vit@ trees
in the world. Both are superb veter.
ans, fiuted and twisted, with branches
broken and beaten in the storms of cen.
turtles, and the larger has the circumfer.
ence of eighteen feet. Their age is
estimated at fifteen hundred years.
Reaching the bottom of the ravine, we
came to the rocky bed of another stream
clear and shallow, and turning to the
right the gigantic arch burst upon oui
sight, giving us genuine shock of sur.
prise. 1t is so massive, so high, sc
shapely, the abutments rise so solidly
and spring into the noble arch with
such grace and power! We were moi
prepared for its majesty. The impress.
sion deepens as we advance and stand
under it. Through the arch is the blue
sky, over the top is the blue sky, great
trees try in vain to reach up to it, bush.
es and vines drape and soften its out.
lines, but do not conceal its rugged
massiveness. 1t is still in the ravine,
save for the gentle flow of the stream,
and the bridge seems as much an EN-.
blem of silence and eternity as the pyr.
amids.
A description says that it is wide
enough TO span Broadway and high
enough to throw shadow over the
spire of Trinity church. Its span is,
believe, about sixty feet, and its height
including the thickness of the arch, is
2l5! The arch is quite regular, and
both arch and abutments are smooth as
if cut with chisel. On one side, about
twenty-five feet above the stream, are
natural tablets or smooth surfaces, upon
which are cut and scratched with sharp
instruments hundreds of names. Among
them is that of George Washington. To
ascend to this place seems a perilous
and almost impossible feat. To reach
it up the smooth rock from below is i'm.
possible. 1t was gained Ivy working
along by the side, where certain inc.
qualities in the rock afford n precarious
holding. l confess that this exploit
gave me new feeling about the father
of his country, as / saw him in magma
ton, in his stocking feet, clinging by
his finger-nails and eyelids, working
along that perpendicular ledge, risking
his life to carve in an inaccessible place
his immortal name. But then he was
not the father of his country when he
did it. On the opposite face are names
also, and very high up is the very slight
ledge which Henry Piper, the student
whom Burritt has immOrtalzed, attained
in 1918, and from which he rescued
himself by an almost incredible feat OF
climbing.
The rock of the bridge and of the jut-
ting buttresses above is superb study
of color, scarcely equalled in any rock
color know for variety and beauty OF
tone. But one singular freak deserves
special mention.
Exactly over head, on the highest
spring of the arch, is the figure of a
gigantic spread eagle. 1t is the eagle
of our coat of arms. The head, the
spread wings, the claws with the ar
rows, are all perfect. 1t seems to be
formed by discoloration of the rock,
| rather than by lichen. However it is
| made-and it could not be more striking
| if it were painted-it is ancient. The
French engineers who made a survey
and measurement of the bridge during
the Revolutionary war noticed it with
wonder, and in their printed report they
drew from it a happy augury of the sue
cess of the Americans in the. struggle.
What makes the figure itself more re.
markable is that discolored patch un-
der it is very fair representation of q
crouchinp lion. Letter to the Hartford