Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-11-30
PULASKrS CURIOSITY.

PULASKI'S CURIOSITY.
Much has been said about the ma
tural curiosities of Virginia, such as
tho Natural Bridge in Rockbridge
county, the Llray Cayerns IN Page
,zseonpty. or Mountain Lake inssG lies
;coanlS bat nc pen has sy ig
asilsticeSt 1.-THE pictussaa 18Th /; Isl
GfandsaF of the 6 Glass N gb55ff
Puiaski county, below tie mouth Of
Peak creek, near Towes ferry. which
with the exception of the Natural
Bridge, far exceed, in grandeur of
beauty and nobility of appearance all
these others put together.
Rising abruptly from the river to n
height of two hundred and twenty
five feet, its noble looks and majestic
appearance resembles n hugo wall of
ancient mason work. 1t is perfectly
smooth with the exception of ledge
now aid then jutting out over the
smooth, perpendicular surface of ll,p
Cliff, which is of almost snowy white
mesa. Adventures aud tourists oc
casionally attempt TO scale these
heights by the aid Of these ovcrhang
ing Lodges or steps, which look as if
some monstrous sculptor or master
hand had chiselled ia the clear, mar.
BILE like surface; but none of these,
with few exceptions, have ever sue
ceeded. for the attempt, afts leaving
these steps, is entil ely too risky.
Bat one of tho most remarkable
things sbout it is, away out on the
apparently smooth and polished sur
face of the cliff, standing out in clear
and bold type, where it is seemingly
impossible for human hands to have
ever touched, all the lines traced
with remarkable tGstinctness, espo
cialiy when viewed through tele-
Scope, are the the wo' dis: ~ am the
resurrection and the life" Then,
list to the left and little below is n
small cross which looks just as plain
mud clenr as if the painter had just
given the few finishing touches, which
III reality it did not seem to require
10 mako it to perfection. And now,
while you are meditnting aud allow.
ing your mind to drink in these won
dors, and probably while your imay.
ination is travelling onward away on
the vast sea of uncertainty. you hop
pen to lot your eyes wander down
toward the lower or northern end of
this fortress of ages to where the
color of the rock has now changed
from almost chalky Wilderness to n
dull gray or leaden color, your eyes
are suddenly arrested, not by any
gdostlike appariticn, but by one of
the grandest and most stupendous
scenes of nature perhaps your eyes
Will ever have tho pleasure and won
der OF beholding again unless you re.
sort to repetition of viewing these
magnificent scenes of old mother M
sure. There, standing out in beauti
fpi outline, not painted blsck as these
others seemed TO be, but with it's
surface Ginning as white as the pur.
est alaoaster, is large cross fully
Blk feet high, with all the marks of
che most skillful workmanship.
After leaving these curiosities we
ascend to the upper or southern end
OF what we term the "Glass Win.
dows,' and here the entrance to q
grand cave presents itself Descend
Ing rugged declivity you find your.
self under ground in u large room
surrounded en- all sides by huge
stone walls hung with sparkling sfal
actites, which give it very romantic
appearance. Then stretching away
in almost every direction AVID fnr in
to the interior of the ti, are vas,
halls and narrow galleries of grand
subterranean haults aud reverberat
ing grottoes. Even the shadows cas-,
cast by the lights of the explorers
have weird and ghostlike actions.
And now, while these statement,
Z may surprise The reader, they ar.
ling more than sound facts em