Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-04
THE LAND OF THE SKY.
Where to Find Cool weather-NOrth
CarOIIna's summer Resort

Where to Find Cool WeSther-NOrth
CarOIIna's summer Resort.
CLoUDLAND HOTEL, CLoUDLAND p.
o., N. c., Aug. III write from place
where hot weather is unknown, where
heavy blankets are necessary every night,
and where the guests gather around the
parlor fire in the evening to discuss the
events of the day. Here the mercury
rarely rises above 65 deg, and never
above 10 deg. We are actually in among
the clouds. Those cool and stately Wis
itors are upon very friendly and intimate
terms with us, and sail up to the very
doors Of the hotel and wrap us in their
folds at short notice. Sometimes they
will spread out far below like a lake
Of silver and gold, but other times
with rumbing thunder and flashing
lightning. One, black as night, will roll
past within stones throw, pouring a
deluge into the valley. A fine, large hotel
has recently been erected here bv Gen. j.
i. Wilder capable OF accommodating AGO
guests, and from the piazza seven States
are visible, viz: North anu South Caro-
Una, East ana West Virginia, Kentucky,
tennessee, and Alabama. We see 1876
miles in one direction, 100 in another. 100
In another, etc. In all, we overlook So
600 square miles of country. There are
over 100 mountain tops In sight below,
each being over 1000 feet high The only
one that overtops us Is Mt. Mitchell, dis
tant 40 miles, but which seems much
nearer. This house being on the extreme
top OF Roam mountain is the highest habi-
tatlon east OF the Rocky mountains, being
1894 feet above sea level, 4,600 feet higher
than the hotel on Lookout mountain, Ga,
4,4OO feet higher than the Catskill Noun
tain house, and 200 feet higher than Mt
Washington, N. H., being far superior 20
the latter from the fact that the summit
OF Roam is covered with grass, etc, while
the fir trees stop only about hundred
yards below, many, in fact, growing along
the ridge Itself. The whole mountain is
covered with the pink and red rhOdoden-
drOn, and IT Is from the brilliant masses
OF these beautiful flowers that the noun
tam takes its name, and these, though
acres In extent, are not the only flowers.
Every day new rare and beautiful va
rieties are brought in-plnk, purple, and
red salvias-forgetme-n that can he
gathered with a scythe, orchids of the
most exquisite tints, aud many others.
In fact, the vegetation is the same as that
at the lower end of Hudson's bay. and
belongs to an altitude III this latitude 1000
feet above the present height of the noun
tain. Biologists and bOtanists abound
among the guests, and all dav they are
at work. The walking is good tor two
miles and half along the ridge. ANY
one wishing to walk further than that
must walk down the mountain.
The hotel is y miles from the railroad
depot, which distance is now covered by
line of hacks, but next season Gen.
Wilder proposes to build an ''incline,V so
that the guests can be hauled up In car
by his stationary engine already here.
There is one patch of rhOdodendron
near the hotel of over 200 acres, winch,
with It's solid mass of blossoms, 10 unsur-
passed. The single flower is similar to
our cultivated pink azalia grown by the
florists, and grows In clusters Of ten or
twelve tiowers-the clusters being so
close to one another as 10 almost conceal
the leaves OF the plant. They grow from
9 to 10 feet high, and so thick as to be
almost impeDetrable. The climate is
strangely equable; in fact, the reports
would not be credited at Washington
until at the request of Gen. Wilder
government officers were sent here, where
they have remained all summer The
range of the mercury is from go to 70
deg, though it has fallen TO SO deg, since
my sojourn, once or twice. Cool, bracing,
fall-like air make brisk walks pleasure.
This place is easily reached by the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad
and a little narrOw-gauge road from
JOhnsOn's City. Parties are here from
Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Gin
cinnati, Philadelphia, Boston and many
other points. The living is simple, as
we'll as the dressing Of the guests. The
hotel Is new and comfortable.