Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-06-23
A NATURAL CURIOSITY.
The Wells Falls of Tygart's Valley River.
Near Grafton-An Interesting Descrip-

The Wells Falls of Tygart's Valley River
Near Grafton-An Interesting Descrip-
ton.
| Special to the Register.
Grafton, w. Va, June H.-In our
little Mountain State there is probably
as many natural curiosities as there are
in any other State in the Union. Many
of them have been brought prominent
ly before the people b. the press, and
many of them are not known by thu
country at large, at all. but are only
known by the few who live nearby
them. The subject Of this article is
one of the greatest natural curiosities
in the State. ard l might say in the
United States. and yet it is scarcely
| known Of outside Of the county where
il is located. There never was an art
| icle written for the press concerning
it. It is what is known as the Wells
| Falls. They are located on the beau
tiful and picturesque Tygart's Valley
river. midway between here and Phil
ippi: that is about II miles from Graf
ton. ana are easily accessible. as the
p. G. O. Railroad runs by them. Many
neople that live but few miles from
the falls who never visited them have
Often heard of them and supposed they
| tcOl their name from some person by
that name. as there are several people
~ the name of Wells in that county
| tBarbour).
The river for six miles above the
falls is very rapid and the beautiful
clear water comes rushing, foaming
and dashing down over the rocks and
the many miniature falls like a mad
dened. seathing torrent. 1t passes over
these falls. which is a precipice about
fifteen feet high, and then passes on
down the river for about eight miles
similar to- that above the falls, and then
is spreads out into beautiful wide and
smooth stream which lasts for about
seven miles below Grafton and then 1t
again pitches over the Valley Falls, a
precipice about 26 feet high.
But now to return to the main sub
iect of nv article. The wells Falls, y
for the reader of this article will want
10 know why they are one of the nat
ural curiosity. They get their name
from the fact that there in a hard con-
glomerate sand stone is an almost in
Vulnerable number of wells. They
range from one foot to ten feet in diam
eter and are generally almost round,
and they range from one foot TO almost
bottomless deep. Some have been meas
,red 10 the depth of fifty to one nun
dred feet deep, and there are others
that bottom has never been found.
when the river is high, it is a very ex4
citing scene to see it at this point. Tho
liver is so swift that it will carry large
cocl,s down over the falls and big logs
will 90 down, almost seeming to walk
end over end. The river has to be very
low for 2 person 10 be able TO see and
ovamine the wells. as when the river
is even at an ordinary stage OF water
thew are covered up. But when the
river gets low like it is now in this
month they can all be seen and exam
mod The sides of the wells are per-
| foct1v smooth and almost perpendlcu-
lar are always full of water, let the
rivar he high or low. and persons walk
inc, around over the falls have to bt
| ,.oTv careful lest they make mis-
s+on and plunge into one Of the wells
&c The rock at that point is smooth and
The wells are all over in it and person.
are very apt to mistakeoueof them ant
| taka n TO be a small puddle OF water
There are many theories about how
+hosa wells came to be there, whether
nIaced there by nature or man. One
Of the possible. plausible theories about
tbor, is that they have been caused b!
80 ro,,nd boulders. Of which there ar
many at this point in te river. be
coming imbedded in the rock bottom
and the action of the water in~turinl
and moving il for thousands of years
have worn the holes to their presen
denth. But if this be true, why ar,