The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-10-31
A HOLE In CHEAT RIVER!
A 3OO-T0n Rock Rolled Down the
Mountain Goes Through
the Rivers Bottom.

KINGwooD, w. Va. Oct. ~
About fifteen miles north of this
place, along Cheat River, can be seen
some of the most rugged and inspir-
ing scenery to be found anywhere in
West Virginia, if not in North
America east of the Rocky Noun
tains. On either side of the river
for probably half mile, there is a
perpendicular wall of solid limestone
about $50 feet in height. From the
top of these walls, or cliffs, on the
east side of the river, the craggy and
timbered mountain, with slope of
about 60 degrees, looms up more
than 1000 feet. Near the top of
this mountain has stood for unknown
ages great rock, measusing 20 feet
from the top to bottom, and avera-
ging about Is feet in thickness. 1t
contained about 9,4s6 cubic feet of
hard, fint-like limestone, and allow
ing 100 pounds to each foot, the
weight of the monster was $4,000
pounds or 324 tons Just below and
against the lower side of this rock
was large oak tree which seemed
to be the only support the rock had
to keep it from dashing down into
the river.
/ first heard of the rock few
days ago from a party of Kingwood
young men, who had been down in
that region examining an extensive
cave which they explored from an
entrance near the back of the river
to a considerable distance in the
mountain, without finding either be-
ginning or end, for in some places it
went far down into the earth, and in
other places far back and into the
mountain. They said that it was
the intention of several persons who
lived in that neighbornood to cut
away the large oak tree that stood
below the rock and give the rock
start down the mountain. On last
Wednesday, the 7th, one of the party
received letter informing him that
crowd had been organized and that
the work would begin on Saturday,
the 10th. / went down on Friday
morning, and ON Saturday went to
the scene. There were about %
persons present from the neighbor-
hood. The work was done by a.
company of six men organized for
the purpose. The tree was cut down
and fell crashing ever considerable
precipice and lodged, but the great
rock stood unmoved. The next thing
to do was to find how much of the
rock was imbedded in the earth.
Digging and shoveling continued for
nearly two hours, and, owing to the
steep slope on which the men had to
stand, it was no easy work Great
care had to be exercised also, for it
was impossible to tell at what mo-
ment the rock might start thunder
ing down the mountain. 1t was de-
cided to be too dangerous to dig any
longer, for the rock was then appar-
emily in position to lose it's equili-
brium from the slightest touch. One
of the men pushed against it with
his hands, but its weight defed his
strength. A lever was cut, and the
fulcrum was erected. The lever was
soon bending beneath the united eff
forts and weight of several men of
no ordinary size. i was up the
mountain probably 20 yards from
the rock to get a good view of its
course to the river, and was watch
inf closely for the start.
"Now she goes'' came to my ears,
and l could see the top of the great
rock going out from the mountain
now slow, now faster, now &c crash,
then crashes upon crashes. The
scene presented by that rock tearing
and laundering down the mountain
can be imagined, but it cannot be
described. 1t had a tendency to con
found the sense and bewilder the
reason. Great trees were torn from
the earth and hurled into the air like
twigs in whirlwind, and the trunks
of mammouth oaks were torn and
slivered in quick succession. On
and on it went, making clean cut
road from the start. The mountain
trembled and the spectators stood
spellbound. The rock gained in
speed as it neared the river, which
was in view at the lower end of the
great limestone walls. 1t now struck
the last precipice, and after going
outward and downward for more
than 200 feet it fell into the river
with roaring sound.
After the dust and leaves and fiy-
ing pieces of limbs had settled we
could see peculiar action of the
water, but we were too far off to dis
cover the cause. A walk of more
than a mile around, as it was next
to impossible to 90 straight down
the mountain from where we were,
brought us to the river, but instead
of seeing the rock we saw the water
rushing from every direction down
into huge hole probably thirty feet |
square. During the half hour we
were there not less than ten saw-logs
were drawn into the whirl and disap-
peared.
1t is supposed that the cave ex-
tends under the river, and that the
weight of the immense rock coming
down with such force and rapidity |
caused the roof to give way. Wheth-
er or not the water will soon fill the |
hole up and the river flow on as be-
fore will depend upon the extent of
the cavern and the existence of an
outlet to carry the water from the
cavern to some other stream, or to |
some other part of the country.
| left that district on Sunday af-
ternoon, and the water was then still
rushing down the hole, carrying saw
logs and every other floating sub
stance with it.
w. C. b.