The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-04-10
A Description of Lookout Mountain,
Tenn

Correspondence of the VIRGINIAN.
AS the traveller or tourist approaches Chatta-
nooga, Tenn, over the Queen and Crescent
route from Cincinnati, after crossing the Ten
nessee River, he runs into the Lew depot of the
Queen and Crescent, East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia Railroad into the heart of the city
He then views the Lookout Mountain. which
ends in front of the city on the Southwest side
In all it's majesty, as the Massanutten Mountain
in Rockingham county, Va, ends near Keeze-
town.
The panorama then before him resembles a
half amphitheatre plain, extending back to the
immediate hills that connect Lookout Mountain
with Missionary Ridge, to which Dummy line
of cars now run to it's summit. Besides this,
from the centre of the city broad gauge rail
road of ID miles in length winds and curves in
its ascent until it reaches the summit of Lookout
to the southwest of an aerial hotel, just little
below the summit, at the end of the mountain
which hotel is connected with the city by cable
line Of X miles in length to the base of the
mountain, at an angle of Is degrees. Back of
this hotel is a plateau Of * miles in width,
which widens as it extends back in a south
westernly direction to lake seven miles dis
tant.
The lands ON this plateau have been bought
up by capitalists and divided into lots, some of
which have been sold for as much as $3.50 each
to build this aerial city of the clouds. The orig
inal intention was to supply this new city of the
clouds with water from this mountain lake by
gravitation; but as the quantity of water has
been decided to be inadequate at all seasons of
the year to supply its wants, the projectors and
proprietors have decided to supply it from the
Tennessee River at its base with water works.
AS the A. G. S. railroad leaves Chattanooga
and curves around the end of this magnificent
mountain between it and the Tennessee River,
it descends a valley of l43 miles long to Birming
ham, Ala. between Lookout and Sand noun
tains the traveller then comes in view of grand
scenery, not equal of course to Yosemite Valley
| in Mariaposa, Cal, or the grand Colorado can
yOns, but certainly in some respects more unique
in appearance than Balcony Falls or Harper's
Ferry: The distance is perhaps TX to 8 miles
from the road in the centre of the Valley to a
range of rock short distance below the crest
of Lookout, running horizontal with the same
for distance of 40 miles that is simply marvel
GUS to behold, resembling an ancient stone city.
For the first 10 miles it is horizontal with the
crest Of the mountain, until you come to view
another distance of miles, more grand, until it
ends in two ranges Of rock with an apparent
street between, running III diagonal direction
from the base to nearly the summit.
This breaks the normal condition of the range
which resembles ruined city, some of the
apparent houses have apparent bay windows.
Then comes in view short emile mountain
that hides Lookout for that distance, as Massa-
nutten shuts out of view the Blue Ridge to the
west, but taking up and carrying the same range
OF rock. At the end of this mountain is large
furnace in the distance that adds enchantment
to the view.
| Then looms up again in the distance old Look
out, and takes up and carries the same wonder
full range of rock for 16 miles further, until it
ends in broken hills near Fort Payne. But the
monotony of this last division is broken by two
cascades, that seem to have streets running ur
to them, which end suddenly against the cata
racts.
travelling friend behind me said to me while
| was taking notes, that the same wonderful
range of rock, or in other words counterpart
| extends along the southeastern side.
From the top of Lookout opposite Fort Payne
is plateau to the east The Fort Payne people
have built railroad to the top of old Lookout
to their coal mines of very steep grade, which
to view from the car window we passed
would indicate the use of cable to move theil
cars. J. Fl. p.