The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-11-21

dressed stone lounu on the ground.
10000 trees were used in construc-
ting this unique creation. 1t
stood on the verge of deep rocky
gorge filled with a noisy torrent
where enhancing glimpses of the
Potomac in the distance came SHIN
mering and sitting up through the
trees.
On the night of November goth,
1890, this beautiful building became
filigree of fire outlined in glowing
silhouette on the velvety blackness
of the midnight sky and in one short
hour nothing remained but the rec
objection of what had been the most
unique cafe in the world. 1t is to be
rebuilt in stone.
Here we take carriage for cabin
John" and after driving. a couple of
miles or less, find ourselves standing
beneath the largest single stone arch
bridge in the world. 1t has spring
of 220 feet clear 1t spans roman
tic ravine $50 #. wide and los deep.
1t is built of granite blocks three
feet square and one foot thick, with
roadway coping of red sand stone
% feet wide. This bridge is con
tinuation of the beautiful Conduit"
road 15 miles in length along which
Washington's water supply is
brought in two huge pipes from the
vicinity of the Falls of the Potomac.
The pipes are carried through the
stone of the bridge and the escaping
moisture has percolated through the
seams in the masonry and formed
carbonate of lime stalactites along
the archway overhead.
Nothing more beautiful in mason
ry can be imagined than to stand be-
low and a little to one side of this
colossal structure and looking up
see how the great bow of granite
plants its mighty footsteps on either
side of the chasm and then seeming
to spurn the earth springs toward
Heaven, in one grandly majestic,
curving bound.
Alas the pity of it! that the puerile
passions of humanity should ever
have marred so grand work. On
an immense tablet set into the ma.
sorry at a dizzy height from above
and below were once carved the
names of the men who were Presi-
dent of the United States and Secre-
tary of War when the work was be-
gun in 1853. The name of Franklin
Pierce still remains but where once
appeared the name of Jefferson Da-
Wis is now seen only long smooth
deeply cut channel During the war
the red tape of the official depart
ments was invoked and the machin-
cry of Government set in motion and
some of the great minds that then
were, focused their fury on those
harmless characters and threw sop
to the Cerberus of hate by having
them hacked out of existence. Poor
pitiful spiteful human nature! 1t
is the same to-day as when the re-
stored Stuart had Cromwell's erumb-
ling carcass torn from the grave and
hanged in chains to a gibbet; and
yet we had had two hundred years
more of Christianity and civilization
than the world had then.
In the free glad surroundings of
Nature people become natural and
the artificial formalisms of society
drop from them like an i'll fitting
garment and they become spontan-
eous and impulsive. Every body
speaks to every body and there is no
stiffness nor conventionality
Those remarks are called forth by
the fact that very charming couple
who were doing" the bridge intro
duced themselves as Mr.. and Mrs.
Spottsword and by their cordial in
terchange of views and cultured
comments added greatly to our en-
joyment of a most enjoyable day.
Mr.. s. took position at one end of
the bridge beneath the span and gave
the View Halloo' which evokes a
most exquisite echo against the OPP
posite concavity. Following Cabin
John run which took its name from
an old hermit called John who lived
near by in cabin for couple of
hundred yards we come to the an
Client but still useful Chesapeake d
Ohio Canal extending from George
town to Cumberland. 1t was one
of the conceptions of Washington
and at the time of his death he
owned a large share of the stock. 1t
was covered with a fotilla of coal
boats, pair of powerful mules haul
ing taut each lengthy cable Here
amid those cramped surroundings
whole families grow up, live and die.
When the freshets of three years ago
washed the canal away, whole con-
voy of boats and boat families form
ed Il colony on the Water street OF
Georgetown and God alone knows
how they lived and what they suffer
ed during that time till the canal
was again restored and went into OBJ
Grafton few months ago. Only a
narrow tow path lies between the
canal and the Potomac which here
is full of islands and huge granite.
rocks against which the water
frets and foams IS if impatient of
being INSTRUCTED.
Returning we stopped at the Glen
Echo National Chautauqua grounds
and were fortunate enough to find
Mr.. E. Baltzley there showing a
friend through Mr.. Baltzlev is one
of two brothers who have set this
worthy enterprise in motion They
have built themselves elegant stone
mansions on one of the beautiful
bluffs which crown the heights. A
grand auditorium capable Of seating
10000 persons was in use all the past
summer. 1t is built of the native
stone, which without chipping or
chiseling, is picked up and set in
lime cement at all sorts of odd an
giles.
1t is a reproduction of the Roman
Colfisseum in architecture, but I'M
like that famous structure instead of
having the subierranean galleries for
the dens of savage heasts intended
to hang and mangle christians, they
are To be used as class ronms hy re
ligious associations. Some Of them
will be fitted up with fountains. rocks.
shells and ferns. A beautifully clear
stream "Minnehaha' goes laughing
through the gorge over and around