Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-06-04

thick. THIS is the more remarka-
BILE from it's being a known fact
that the sun shines with all its force
from eight or nine o'clock IN the
morning until late in the evening,
on the surface covering the ice, but
the latter de6es its power. Mr..
Deeyers, who is the owner of the
property, informed the author that
milk, butter, or fresh meats of every
kind, are perfectly safe from injury
for almost any length of time in the
hottest WEI ther. II a fly venture
in, he is Immediately stiflened with
the cold and becomes torpid. If a
snake in his rambles happens to
pass over the rocks covering the
ice, he soon loses all motion and
dies. Christopher Heiskell, Esq,
informed the author that several
instances had occurred of the snakes
being found dead among the rocks
covering the ice. An intelligent
young lady at the same time stated
that she had seen instances of this
character. In truth, it was upon
her first suggesting the fact, that
the author was led to make inquiry
of Mr.. Heiskell. Mr.. Deevers stat
ed that be had several times remov-
ed torpid flies from his dairy into a
more temperate atmosphere, when
they soon recovered lite and motion
and flew off.
Nature certainly never formed a
better situation for fine dairy es-
tablishment. But it will probably
be asked by some persons, where
is the milk to come from to furnish
it I The time will probably come,
and perhaps IS not very distant,
when our mountains will be turned
to good account. Their sources Of
wealth are not yet known; but the
spirit of enterprise and industry is
abroad, and the present generation
will hardly pass away before the
most astonishing changes will be
seen in every part of our happy
country.
THE HANGING ROCKS.
These, or, as they are sometimes
called, "Blue's Rocks" are another
wonderful work of nature. They
are situated on the Wappatomaka,
abo1t four miles north of Romney,
the seat of justice for the county of
Hampshire. The author has sew
eral times viewed this place with
excited feelings Of admiration. The
river has cut its way through a
mountain probably not less than
five hundred feet high. BY what
extraordinary agency it has been
able to do this, it is impossible to
conceive, unless we look to that al
mighty power whose arm effects all
his great objects at pleasure. On
the east side of the river is a huge
mass of rocks which forms per
pendicular wall several hundred
yards in length, and not less than
three hundred feet high. The Op-
posite point Of the mountains is
more sloping, and may be ascended
by a man on foot. On the top of
the mountain is a level bench of
land, pretty clear of stone, and hne
rich soil, upwards Of one hundred
yards in width but, from the di1i-
Guilty OF approaching it, it remains
in a state of nature. II would, if
it could be brought into cultivation,
doubtless well reward the husband
man for his labors.
The public road, leading from
Romney into the great western
highway, passes between the mar
gin of the river and the great nat
ural well formed by the rocks. The
center Of the rocks for about eighty
or one hundred yards, is composed
of fine gray limestone, while on
each side arc the common granite
mountain stone.
The reader will recOllect that this
is the place where most bloody
battle was fought between contend
ing parties Of the Catawba and
Delaware Indians, noticed in pre-
ceding chapter of this volume.
One other natural curiosity re-
mains to be noticed, and that is,
what is called the "Butterhy rocks"
These rocks are to be seen in Fry's
gap, on Cedar creek, in the county
of Frederick. The whole mass of
rocks are intermixed with petrifed
flies, of various sizes. The entire
shape of the wings, body, legs,
head, and even the eyes of the flies,
are distincly to be discovered. The
rocks are of deep brown color, and
of the slate species.
The author will conclude this sec.
tion with brief notice of an ava.
lanche or mountain slide, which he
has omitted to notice in its proper
place. In The month of June, in
the remarkable wet spring and sum.
mer Of the year 1904, during most
tremendous and awful flood of rain
near the summit of the Little North
mountain, vast column of water
suddenly gushed from the eastern
side, and rapidly descending, with
its tremendous current, tore away
every tree, of whatever size, rocks
of eight or ten tons weipht. hurlinp