Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-08-15

Mountain. near Goshen, being the highes
peak in Virginia, 1850 feet above the sea
| The elevation of the railroad track at TIM
point is 1000 feet, and the climate is tina
which is usually found at the coast 500 miles
further north If capital should sometime
find its way to the top of Elliott's Knob,
would discover a table-land OF nearly on
hunered acres for the building of hotel TO
summer visitors unequaled for delightful tenn
perture and grand view, easy of access by
winding road up the mountains, and with al
immense spring flowing from its highest point
The atmosphere is devoid of dampness anc
exhilarating to great degree. What grane
summer resort could be made of Elliott:
Knob
The scenery from North Mountain to Cliff
ton Forge through the great valley of the Al
| leghanies, is of most rugged type, highly
pleasing to the sense of beauty. At Clifton
Forge there is remarkable scene where the
| Jackson River (headwaters of the James, has
cleft its way through the solid rock and lett a
great wall overhanging it on either side ;
| thence westward the barriers OF the Ailegha-
MES increase in ferceness. White Sulphur
Springs with its beautiful laid out grounds
| is passed, and the railroad skirts the placid
Greenbrier River, with its castellated cliffs
and lovely pastoral scenes. AS rule. the
which accounts in measure for the interest
its scenery imparts. But the exception is
found Just before the Greenbrier joins the
New River, where nearly ten miles in distance
is saved by mile and "a -quarter tunnel, Which
leaves the banks of the Greenbrier on the east
to Join it again on the west, the waters OF the
river flowing for nearly eleven miles from
portal to portal. AS the train reaches New
River, at Hinton, the canons grow holder, and
the train seemingly clings to the very cliffs,
the motntain streams tumbiing in cataracts
down the rocks so near the train as to send
their fresh spray sprinkling against the wind
ows of the moving cars. Boulders OF the size
of houses fill the river bed, checking the fury
of the mad torrent and creating succession
of rapids ledge of rock parallels the river
a thousand feet above it, and ever and anon
iuts out in peculiar and fantastic shapes, form
ing the appearance of castles, sentlnels, mas
todons and other curions figures Hawks
Nest on the bank of New River, is a grand
specimen of Natures curiosities. The Cliff
rises perpendcuarly 1900 feet above New
River, and its crest apparently overhangs the
railroad train, gigantic nest in appearance.
SO remarkable was this scene in its grandeur
that Chief Justice Marshall, then an engineer
was sent by one of Virginias early Govern
ors, by roadway across the mountains, to
make a survey of it. The New and Gauley
rivers unite to form the Kanawha. the cele-
brated Kanawha Falls being only mile from
their juncture. This is lovely water scene
and as the gamiest fish are abundant just be
meath the falls, and there is good hotel at
hand it is much frequented by the angler
Only a few hours, and the Ohio River is
reached, a stream SO attractive i'll its graceful
hills and fertile meadows as to merit the APP
pellation, 'sLa Belle Riviere." Along its banks
the route extends 100 miles to Cincinnati,
iron bridge across the Ohio, constructed by
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company,
and having the longest truss span in the world.