Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-24
Mistsllausulls 8eaains.
MOUNT MITCHELL AND VICINITY

MOUNT MITCHELL AND VICINITY
Scenery and Life In the Blue Ridge
About AshevilIe.
Follow the beautiful Swannanoa
river from Asheville for twenty miles
and the tourist will find himself in a
little cove shadowed by the tallest
peaks Of the Appalachian system. So
towering are the mighty slopes that
daylight is very slow in reaching the
cove. When Old Sol peeps over the
head Of Gray Beard in these autumn
mornings 1t is s:15 by the clock and
when he sinks behind the black crags
Of Craggy 1t is but 4:45. Without any
twilight at all, night descends and the
little bit Of heaven above is luminous
with the glitter Of the stars that In
this pure atmosphere shine with
transcendent lustre.
Through the gap that affords trail
to Mount Mitchell and from the sum-
NIT of a lofty peak Of the Black
Mountains, stream Of crystal water
comes dashing and leaplng over rocks
and boulders. 1t CLEANS like snow as
1t falls in from beneath the shadows
Of spruce and hemlock and as 1t
breaks into the sunlight reflected
from tiger lily tints Of the maple, 1t
sparkles like some gorgeous sunburst.
Falling from the brink-as soft as
carded wool-a cascade from the left
enters the North Fork. Fifty feet
below a dam ten feet high backs the
water up into silent pool, whose out
let is the intake Of the Asheville water
works. The water enters through a
small grating, the first reservoir, the
dimensions of which are 40 by 40
feet, and ten feet in depth. After fl
tering through pipes, 1t passes into a
smaller reservoir, from which 1t flows
in sixteen-inch terra Gotta pipe for
IS miles to Asheville. Both reservoirs
are partitioned and so constructed
that as the water flows from one the
other can be drained and thoroughly
cleansed from sediment
The intake is 485 feet higher than
the city square, while the reservoir on
the mountain ridge above the city Is
2S5 feet lower. This height gives
$50 pounds pressure on pipes made to
withstand q pressure Of so pounds
force Of inestimable value to the fire
department, but a constant source Of
trouble to the residential population.
The plumbers, Of course, reap the
benefit Of this havoc to pipes and do
rushing business.
Eight hours is the time consumed
by the water in its passage from the
intake to the city reservoir. In case
of obstruction air enters the pipe and
stops the progress of the water for
fourteen hours. AS the city's reservoir
capacity is only sufficient for twenty
four hours supply Of water, the
greatest care is exercised to guard
against accidents. Two men are en-
ployed to spend their entire time in
specting the eighteen miles Of pipe
lines so as to give immediate report on
defects. .@
The intake and surrounding water
sheds are protected by the vigilance
of two very responsible men, who,
with their families, dwell in the cove
and devote their energies to the care
Of Asheville's water supply.
Five thousand acres Of wooded
mountain land, on either side OF the
North Fork and Left Fork, are now
the city's property. The lumber mills
that a few years ago were greedily
engaged in demolishing timber have
been banished and the water sheds
are recovering from their devasta-
tions. Ferns, moses and galex leaves
cover the rich mould Of earth re-
tanning the moisture that trickles In
tiny veins into the larger arteries that
feed the streams, so that there Is no
possibility, even in great drought, OF
the water giving out
To the eye Of the unobservant the
business Of the wardens Of the intake
appears peaceful and poetic. To live
away from the feverish rush Of hu-
manity, amid the wild grandeur and
magnificence Of nature, with appar-
emily no occupation more arduous
than picking up chestnuts, squirrels
and apples. But 10! the winds blow
and the leaves fall and threaten TO
choke up the grated entrance Of the
intake, and a night and day struggle
with forks and rakes Is necessary TO
relieve the situation. More perilous Is
It still to battle with logs that come
swirling down the torrent occasioned
by some heavy freshet or cloudburst,
threatening ruin and destruction to
the intake. Even this, however, Is not
so severe a task as Is the ceaseless
hacking Of ice during the zero spells
of water, when Jack Frost determines
to take possession Of the reservoirs
and cut the pipes off from any con-
nection with Asheville. Clad In rub
ber suits the two stalwart mountain
men. with picks and axes, chop and
hack. Sometimes for three days and
nights, almost dead from exhaustion,
they work increasingly in an atmos-
phere more freezing than a Siberian
mine and are barely able to keep the
pipes from becoming choked.
When not engaged on these hercu-
lean tolls they roam around the barb
ed wire fencing to see that it is in
good order, they examine the posters
that give warning to trespassers; they
exercise police vigilance in driving on
intruders; for campers, greasers'
hunters and fishermen are allowed no
quarter on the citys property. All the
labor and life's blood Of these men
costs the city Of Asheville only ABOUT