Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-09-21

the springs. A heavy rain storm caught
them as they were portaging the canoes
over the Riverbank dam, but esconsed in
their canoes, In oiled coats and hats, and
with matches tightly closed, they sat out
the storm in perfect comfort. Mr.. Webb'5
canoe lying on the rocks below the dam,
while Messrs. Beall and Gibson still float
ed on the still water above. While at
Riverbank, the party were the recipients of
marked courtesies from the family of Mr..
E. L. Lambert. A very rainy night was
passed here, during which the river rose
very suddenly, several feet. and the camp
was all but afoat, and on Sunday morning
the canoes were packed. and the party
made the few miles to the springs ia quick
time, on a booming river. They took
their Sunday dinner at the springs, and
after dinner returned to the canoes. which
were tied up above the dam, accompanied
by several gentlemen from the Springs who
wished to see them shoot the dam. The
dam was an old one, and was somewhat
broken down in the middle, and over the
break, the water rushed in furious cata-
ract, with steep fall of several feet, fol-
lowed by a long line of heaving, foaming,
tossing pillows. With matches tightly
closed and aprons we'll drawn up, the
canoes
WENT OVER IN FINE STYLE,
one at time, the frankie in the lead, and
went plunglng, pitching and tossing down
the boiling rapid below, while the spray few
high above the heads of the crew and the
great waves broke over the decks in
sheets and rolled over the tightly closed
matches. They rounded to at the bank
below the rapid, amid the cheers Of the
spectators, and went into camp until Mon
day. Sunday evening was passed by the
party lying snugly in their respective
berths, reading by candle light, their per
fectly tight little tents securely bu toned
all around them, while, outside, the wind
howled and whistled through the trees
and the rain flew before it in driving
sheets, while above all the turmoil of the
storm, arose the deep. steady, dominating
roar of the river. as it fell over the dam
and rushed down the rapids above.
The party speak in the highest terms Of
the hospitality and attention shown them
while at the Bear Lithia. by both manage
ment and guests of this charming resort.
They took breakfast at the hotel on Mon
day morning, as the guests Of the MAJ
their camp by
LARGE PARTY OF LADIES AND
CHILDREN,
who evinced the greatest interest in the
camp, the canoes, and all the appoint
ments, and watched the packing of the
canoes and the departure of the little
feet with the greatest interest. By Mon
day, the river had fallen to low water
mark again, and Mondays cruise was but
repetition of Saturdays, the days work
ending with the successful passage of
Kemple's Falls, one of the widest and
, worst places on the rivera wild noun
| tain gorge, down which the river surges
and roars with great violence and fury,
for mile and quarter, over and among
rocks, lodges land fish dams, and where all
; the canoes received divers and sundry
severe knocks and thumps from the sunk
en- rocks, in spite Of the skill and care of
their crews. They camped for the night
at Newport Mills, and began Tuesdays
work by shooting the Columbian Falls-a
repetition of Kemple's Falls above, but
even longer, and which tested the nerve
and skill of the canoeists consider ably.
| They reached Massanutten at lunch time
and tied up here for the rest of the day.
Messrs. Webb and Gibson walked over to
Luray and explored the wonderful subter-
raneau recesses of the caverns, while
George Beall remained in camp and in
structed himself in the ways and manners
of polite society in the adjacent rural pop
ulation, as exemplified in the manners and
conversation of the neighboring pretty
girls.
BY this time, owing to the intense heat.
which necessitated their lying by under
the shade of the trees from about II to 4
| O'Clock each day, the rays of the sun being
| almost unbearable ON the water; the low
condition of the river which made their
progress slow, there being practically no
! current in the eddies-some of which were
very long, and which necessitated SO much
care and caution in threading their way
| through the mazes of the reefs and rapids,
| in which the river abounded, most of
which could have been passed right over
in their light draft canoes had there been
from IL to IS inches more water: and the
| persistent muddiDess of the water which
ruined their tishing--they had decided to
terminate the cruise at Riverton, and re-
turn home from that place. instead of
cruising on through to Harpers Ferry.
The four days. cruise from Massanutten
to Riverton was full of interest to the
voyageurs, but uneventful. Rapids, reefs
and falls made up the greater part of it,
some of the latter being very long and rough
-Bumgardner's and Kayser's Falls being
each mile and a half long. while Mccoy 3
Falls, near Rlverton. are nearly three
miles long. The milldams were fewer and
were mostly provided with shoots, all of
which were quite rough-the one at
Goodies dam affording the party some
thing of repetition of the adventure at
the dam at Bear Lithia.
HOMEWARD BOUND.
They reached Riyerton on Saturday
afternoon and remained in camp there
until Monday, when they returned home
via S. V. R. R., sunburned, bronzed and
delighted with their two weeks cruise of
one hundred and seventeen miles.
The Baldwin District Fair.