The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-11-15

| 1876 feet on one ledge of rocks of Ave benches:
| then a cataract of so feet then 20 the point at
which the wearied but now preten,ious
| "Crabtree." after it's brief but predestined
| life OF turhulance, becomes the peaceful bride
of tho gentle Tye. The nuptial scene takes
place over surface distance of 4S7 feet to q
fall of only fifty.
HIGHEST WATERFALL on EARTH.
1t will now DO observed that when their
! measurements are summed up in n surface
distance Of about 5000 feet this stream de-
scends from an elevation Of more than 1900
feet, and Is therefore the highest waterfall
| now known in the world The Yosemite OF
| California is 1900 feet high, and there are
! three ID the East which together sum up
I LAS feet OF course the volume OF water at
/ the Crabtrce Fall Is insignificant when com
/ pared with that Of many OF the great falls Ia
/ Europe and America. but although TINS is true
Z the testimony OF tourists ana travellers who
| have visited many OF these Is go strong IN ia
vOr Of tho attractions Of the former that
must be allowed 10 record the experience Of
at least one visitor 10 this interesting place.
After having accomplished the trip from the
extreme summit of the mountain he thus
gives vent 10 his emotions. ! am at the foot
of the great waterfall. / cannot compare il
TO any other. but rather with all others {
does not impress you with volume as does
Niagara nor like the Bridal Neil-a mere
thread OF water from the heavens, hurryng
| bursting into spray ere II reaches the canyons
below, nor like Iiyoli. Horaces favorite
haunt The Yellowstone and Yosemite i'm
pressed me as did Niagara with immensely,
one OF volume the other Of height, but IN
them both the pictures are prominent, per
petual. never varying. Hero the changes are
constantly occurring. as varied as the clouds
that uoat Justa above them often during storms,
wrapping them as If with mantle.
then sheets of water spreading out over
rocks from 50 to 125 feet in width,
coming down like wevelets, delicate
lace-like falls or in jets of spray; here and
there, 10 maddening torrents or laundering
waterfalls. Ny thoughts turned to the Devils
Bridge over the keuss in the IessnO. but
many could be thrown here over chasns
much more beautiful. The Falls Of Staub-
b>ch made no such impressi n on me. This
wonderful fall is two and a half times as high
and fifty times the volume Of water, &c.
ANOTHER DESCRIPTION.
Another writor equally as enthusiastic
gives his impression III the following words
Some two hundred yards from the path IN
"a dense forest the falls cease and the water
runs rapidly to tho Tye river at tho noun
tan's base Al first the falls are varying and
abrupt IN their course. winding down the
mountain side as tOrtuOus ID It's pathway as
serpents trail, now higher and straighte-
and still more grand until you reach
Shields cataract. Here all must pause.
The pOetical description of L0dore came
20 mind-yet this Is much tue larger
stream, giving you the little river loosed from
a mountain top, amid crags and peaks.
and. like a maddened current that 1t IS, It
PUSHES leaping, foamlng. bounding over rock
aud boulder until 10 reaches and ming les with
the larger stream below. When first you
compare the measured heights with the fall
you are viewing your impressions are that
they are not as high as are stated This Is
owing 70 the great height OF the
mountain. But as you ascend You
see tall trees. one starting SIS roots
in the rich black soil, whore the top of other
majestic oaks leave or and 70 on, tree a.tsr
tree you feel that they are higher than they
viii measure. and by the time the top IS
reached you feel as II they were 1000 feet in
stead of a little over 1000 feet perpendicular,
or 3 800 feet the way the water runs Passing
upwards my feelings could not be described
Immense bOuideTs, wOndrOus canyons, deep
gorees. and directly facing you always the
mighty falls, the cliffs all heaven-towering
these all need the hand OF master for por-
traiture" NC.
it is matter Of surprise that these falls had
escaped the attention of Mr.. jefferson. lie
seems not to have even ever heard OF them,
inasmuch as he makes no reference to them
in bis Notes on Virginia. One would have
supposed that man whose pursuit alter
knowledge especially of his own State. was
untiung and almost universal would surely
have found out 50 remarkable a natural phe-
nOmenOu.
in describing the physical conditions Of tho
State he uses these words The only remark
able cascade in this country is that of the
Falling Spring in Augusta il is water Of
James river. where it IS called Jacks u river
rising in the Warm Spring mountains, about
twenty miles southwest of the Warm Spring.
and lowing FROM that valley" THIS evidently
refers TO what Is at this day known as the
Falling Spring at the entrance of the same
valley.
Enough has been said to impress the reader
with tne rare attractions ol q place so little
known S. he general public. Tradition has
ID That It's quaint and homely name is derived
from "a huge crab apple tree Which me orgl-
nal settler found growing on the place ana
standing at the very spot where perhaps
breads anu other mountain sprites in ages past
presided at the birth of the mystic stream
ana there amidst rs own rugged cries first
sang its future fame. J..