The evening times., 1897-05-22
EXPLORING MANASSAS GAP
National Geographic SOciety's Ex-
cursion to the Blue Ridge.
Delightful Outing Combined With
Scientific Investigate Ma jor
Jed Hotchkiss' Lecture.

The members of the National Geographic
Society and many of their friends left The
| city at 8 O'Clock this morning over tht
Southern Railway, for Manassas Gap, CI
the Blue Ridge, where they spent tht
morning and early afternoon in studying
the geographical structure of the region
The journey constituted the annual OK
cursion of the society, and was made fol
the double purpose of rusticating amid the
lavish charms of nature, and studying the
physical geography Of the Blue Ridge erd
Piedmont plateau.
The special train conveying the dis
UnguiShed students OF geography WIS Il
handsome affair of eight coaches, being
one of the most elegantly appointed trains
that ever drew out of the Union station.
II arrived at the Gap at 1880 o'clock.
En- route it took in many historic points
of interest, including the tneater of the
battles of Bull Run and Thoroughflre
Gap, one of the main routes for troops
moving eastward and westward during
tie late war. On arriving at Linden
station, the destination, lunch was ser :cd,
followed by brief sketches of the war
history Of the region, by Major Jed Hotch
kiss; and of the physical geography of
the neighborhood, by Mr.. NJ r. Campbell.
The excursionists had had their interest
I'm the locality reawakened last night by
Mr.. w j. McGee's lecture on the Blue
Ridge and Piedmont Plateau and by
Mai. Hotchkiss talk on Manassas and
Manassas Gap and they listened with in
terest TO the lectures this morning with
reference to these subjects 1t was eX-
planned that between the Bull Run Noun
tain and the Blue Ridge is a region OF
hills composed of granite and lava, the
beds Of granite when molten having been
forced in between the layers Of lava. In
the Blue Ridge these lavas reappear, form
ing SUBMITS in the ridge and the divide
at the head of Goose Greek and the Shen-
andoah drainage, on which Linden is To-
Gated, is underlain by similar lava fOrma-
tioa.
At 1 O'Clock the party commenced the
rough ascent of Mount Monterey, ON the
north OK the gap, 900 feet above the sta
ton and 500 feet above the sea. Some
of the party ventured the somewhat for
midable climb To the top Of High Knob, on
the south, 2, 400 feet above the sea. From
their points of vantage the scientists ana
their friends obtained a magnificent view
of the surroun ding territory. To the west
lay the Shenandoah Valley, stretching to
the northeast as far as the eye could reach,
and to the westward across to the North
Mountain Through it, meandering ip great
curves, could be traced the Shenan ,lOah
River and it's north and south bran hes.
Between the two latter streams were visi-
blethe strange forms of Massanutten Noun
tain, inclosing Il curye-shaped valley.
On tile east stretched the broken country
TO Bull Run Mountain and beyond that the
undulating surface ofthe PiedmontP Plateau.
The train VIII leave Linden at 4 O'Clock,
arriving in this city at 6 o'clock m. Ac-
companying the members ofthe society
Congressman GosvenoT and Cannon and
other invited guests.
The committee of arrangements We're as
follows: Henry Gannett, w J McGee,
David T. Day, John 3. Wight, Major Jed
Hotchkiss, DR.. d. c. Gilman, W. r. Clark,
Mrs Cha Hes d. Walcott, Mrs George West
inghOuse, Miss Elsie Bell, Mrs. Phoebe
Hearst, Mrs A. W. Grcely, Mrs. Eppa
Hunton, ir., Mrs. Arnold Hague, and Mrs.
George II. Williams.