Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-28
bur OF THE DEPTHS.
SoxpEsruI wArgR.woRKs on LOOK
Lur MOUNTAIN.
Flcv OF Water Forty Feet Below
Ground-The City Council Troated
10 an Illumination.

kly opposite The eastern nose oil
cssin bend. about halF-mile west Of
Halfway House at the foot OF the
sn,ain. A wide and well-graded
IA leads from the valley road past the
jdcnce Of Mr.. Shultz, and along the
Tx Of the first bench to tho mountain
the point where the operations are 10
cgress.
In the vicinity all Is life and activity.
tn are seen emerging from shafts and
bnnels equipped in full miners rega-
with small miners lamps attached
their caps, and shovels, crowbars,
pd pickaxes over their shoulders.
+ uge piles Of stones have accumulated,
md Lighthouses and other small build
ings are erected about the mouths OF
the shafts.
The first shaft was commenced about
forty feet above the road. This shaft
was sunk merely as an experiment to
ascertain il the water in the mountain
could be reached. 1t will be remem-
bered that the discovery of the water
was made by party who explored the
barge cave, which is entered near the
waters edge near the Nashville
and Chattanooga bridge. This par
|ty, by dint of crawling and
creeping on all fours through
bitches, gulleys, ard over streams,
along fathomless abysses and near
yawning chasms, entered gigantic
dome-shaped chamber. from the roof Of
which poured, with roar like thunder,
. mountain stream, ice-cold and clear
as crystal. BY original experiments
with lighted balloons the altitude OF
the chamber was ascertained and the
stream was located. The surface Of
the mountain was then cross-sectioned,
levels were run, and finally spot was
located, under which the engineers
stated the stream would be found.
Mr.. Charles G. Anderson, young
gentleman late Of Nashville, grand
son Of Mr.. Cravens, who owns the
property, volunteered to undertake the
enterprise. He was jeered at as Wis.,
ionary and blinded by foolish schemes,
but regardless Of all Encouragement
and ridicule he began the task, and his
sforts have been crowned with the most
Splendid success.
Y The first work was to sink shaft at
sthe spot the engineers had located, to
ascertain il the water could be reached,
md when reached il it was in sufficient
quantity to be utilized. The surface of
the mountain at that point is solid lime
4 stone. hard as adamant and perfectly
compact. Undeterred by such obsta-
cles the work was begun, and day by
day the shaft went lower, until finally
II had been sunk about forty feet. 1t
was then that patienttoil was rewarded
and the gushing fountain in the bowels
the mountain was reached. The
water was found to be in even larger
quantity than was anticipated and the
work Of utilizing it next commenced.
1t was decided to drive tunnel from
the bottom of the shaft in a northeast
wardly direction to the surface of the
mountain. A force was put to work
inside and another outside. Tuesday
night the clangor of the picks of each
force could be heard by the other, and
Wednesday morning the toilers grasped
hands through the two drifts, now
continuous tunnel. The length of this
tunnel is perhaps two hundred feet. 1t
is about six feet high and five to eight
feet broad. 1t is cut through the solid
stone, and there is scarcely fis-
sure or broken spot in these massive
walls, floor, and roof of everlasting stone.
This is the present condition of the
works. The shaft, leading 40 feet in
direct vertical line from above, to a
double drift which opens into the mouth
of the chamber, into which the stream
pours and connects, in direct line with
the flow of the stream, with the tunnel
of stone, which opens on the face of the
mountain about so feet below the top of
the shaft. The shaft is entered by
strong ladders, with convenient hand
bars, and the descent is easy and per-
fectly safe. Imagine mighty inverted
SIS" and you have the general aspect
Of the work. The leg is the shaft; at
the point where the leg intersects the
arm is the roof Of the chamber, into
which the stream pours. The left arm
represents the natural flow OF the
stream from the bowels Of the noun
tain, and the right arm represents the
tunnel into which the water will be
conducted. OF course the tunnel-drifts
and shaft are not perfectly horizontal
or in a perfect straight line, but the
representation of the general forma-
ton.
THE VISIT OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
The members of the City Council ar
]. rived at the works about 3 p. NJ. Satur-
4 day. They at once descended the shaft
and inspected the stream. The water
lis as clear as any mountain spring, alb
<,solutely transparent, and icy cold. 1t
flows quite rapidly, the dimensions
being about four inches in depth and
two and one half TO four feet in width.
III QtSCIlDtS Scull-CHOio az tuO iVVe VI
Die shaft and then pours into the mighty
thamber. This scene is one of SURPRISING
: randeur, and was beautifully illumi-
nted by Mr.. Anderson with saturated
ettton-balls and colored lights. The
ohamber is dome-sbaped, fully $50 feet
iadepth. A huge boulder was pitched
ITO the inky blackness into which the
stssam poured, and seven seconds pass.
"a before it struck bottom. 1t fell
YIN q heavy thud, which was distinctly
S1f;ble above. Mr.. Anderson sus-
I Dded burning cotton.balls into this
& 1mber, and it was lighted up bril-
btly near the top, but oil was inky-
Ack in the fathomless depths below.
g stream seems to flow tardily before
3 reaches this mighty subterranean
recipice as if in horror, and then
nshes over the well-worn rocks,
Hurgling, kissing, and seething, and is
Z Iost in darkness. Explorers who have
sited the cave and observed this fall,
)ate that the water is partially dis
pated into mist before it reaches the
ktom. One Of the flaming balls was
pped into the chamber. 1t fiared
Ne ceilings bespangled with dia-