Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-11
miscellaneous.
4 Hole in . River.

| DW ISSSS
4 Hole in River.
THREE HUNDRED Ton Rock ROLLED
Down MOUNTAIN GOES THROUGH
THE BOrTOA.
About Is miles north of this place. along
the Cheat River, can be seen some OF the
most rugged and inspiring scenery to be
found anywhere in West Virginia. If not
in North America, east of the ROCKY
Mountains. On either side of the river
for probably half mile there is q perpen,
dicular wall of solid limestone, about 3oo
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 go degrees. looms up more
than 1000 feet. Near the top OF this
mountain has stood for unknown ages
great rock, measuring 20 feet from top to
bottom, and averaging about 18 feet in
thickness. 1t contained about 9, 4SO cubic
feet of hard, flint-like limestone, and, al
lowing 100 pounds to each cubic foot, the
weight of the monster was 64o, 900 POUNDS
or 324 tons. Just below, and against the
lower side of this rock was a 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 weeks
ago from a party of Kingwood young men
who had been down in that region exam
lining an extensive cave which they ex-
plored from an entrance near the bank OF
the river to a considerable distance in the
mountain without finding either beginning
or end. for in some places it went tar
down into the earth. and in other places
far back and up into the mountain. They
said that it was the intention of
several persons who lived in that
neighborhood to cut away the large
oak tree which stood below the rock, and
give the rock start down the mountain.
On last Wednesday. the It'll, one of the
party received letter which informed,him
that crowd had been organized aud that
the work would begin on Saturday, the
10th went down on Friday morning,
and on Saturday went to the scene. There
were about twenty-five persons present
from the neighborhood The work was
done by a company of six men organized
for that purpose. The tree was cut down
and fell dashlng over considerable prec-
ipiee 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 shovelling con-
tinued for nearly two hours, and owing to
the steep slope on which the man had to
stand, it was no easy work. Great care
had to be exercised, also. for it was i'm
possible to tell al what moment the rock
would start laundering down the mountain.
1t was decided to be too dangerous to dig
any longer, for the rock was then appar-
emily in a position to lose its equilibrium
from the slightest touch. One of the men
pushed against it with his hands, but It's
weight denied his strength. A lever was
cut and fulcrum was erected. The lever
was soon bending beneath the united
weight and efforts of several men of on
ordinary size. | was up the mountain,
probably twenty yards from the rock to
get good view of its course to the river,
and was watching closely for the start
"Now she goesn' came to my ears, and
could see the top of the great rock going
out from the mountain-now slowly, now
faster, now crash, and 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 ten
dencv to confound the sense and be
wilder the reasons. 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 shivered
in quick succession. On and on it went,
making a 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 lime
stone wall. 1t now struck the last preci-
pice, and, after going outward and down.
ward for more than two hundred feet, it
fell into the river with roaring sound
After the dust and leaves and flving
peculiar action of the water. but we were
too far off too discover the cause. A walk
OF more than mile around las it was next
to impossible to 60 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 disappeared.
1t is supposed that the cave extends
under the river, and that the weight OF the
immense rock coming down with such
force and rapidity caused the roof to give
way. Whether 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 afternoon
and the water was still rushing down the
hole, carrying saw-logs and every other
floating substance with it.-KingUood, ".
Va. Cor. N. Y. Sun
Uses to which Panpr NAV no puf