The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-17
.STRANG: SPRING
I ALMOST. UNKNOWN !.
49,. --.------
IA Wonder Of Mature That Is to
Be Fonnd if1 the County
Of Botctourt.
.------ - ii
WATER FLOWS AT INTERVALS.
Fills a Basii1-1hcn Sinks and
" Disappears, b But Only
Temporarily.
IA Wonder Of Nature That Is to
WATER FLOWS AT INTERVALS
Especial 10 The Tlmes- Dispatch.)

Especial 10 The Times Dispatch.)
IA F1NCAsTLE, VA, September 1e.-1n
the bcstowment OF her varied and won
sdcrful. gifts, nature did not pass by tho
old county Of Botetourt without dropping
in her lap many evidences Of her inexs
haustible resources.
1t Is written OF u pool In the ancienL
city Of Jerusalem, Sat certain season,
an angel went down Into 1t and troubled
the water and whatsoever then--after the
troubling Of tho water. first. stepped In,
was made whole" (John w
This Is the only fountain Of the kind
referred TO In the sacred history and
was looked upon In superstttulous Won
der as Indicated by the Interpolation Ut
the copying scribe as quoted above. But
two OF these unusual phenomen III ,:c
county Of 13otetourt have been ebbng
and flowing for ages, unseen and almost
unknown TO hundreds OF people In the
State, and also to many who live only
short distance away and could visit them
at any time. One Of them Is four miles
northeast OF F'incastle, and the other
is at u distance OF twelve miles to the
southwest. with good roads leading 70
both. 8G
AN EXPLORING TRIP.
Though have often seen them and
drunk Of their waters, yet It Is difficult
always, to resist the temptation u Ia
q peat, when an opportunity Is offered. At
tho solicitation Of some friends visiting
Fincastle from Wilmington, N. c., who
were anxious to visit this natural won
der, was easily persuaded to make one
Of the party One great inducement for
going also-thoughs not the greatest, was
that my friends liberality and Kindness
z Of heart, levled upon his own pocket
book all the expenses of the trip. Un-
der such circumstances q refusal would
have been out of the questiOn--especi Chilly
when compliance was SO easy and alto
gether pleasant. After two hours drive
we stopped at point whore we had to
leave our teams and walk about two
hundred yards up the mountain on
grade Of some fifteen or twenty degrees,
overfa rough and unfrequented pathway,
when we were rewarded by finding the
object Of our trip.
The basin Of the spring--sonles5 seven
or eight feet In diameter, was perfectly
dry when we reached t,.nnd one who did
not know Of the phenomenon would never
suppose 1t 10 be, anything beyond wet
weather spring 1t being then about noon,
and having made all arrangements to
have dinner on the ground our lady
friends very soon had all things ready,
and fourteen of us sat down TO splen.
did repnst that would have been credl-
table to the table Of a prince. Just as
K we we're CLOSING aL&tile lioui " = 49,
there came the sound of rushing waters,
and we turned our attention at once
to the basin and sawait rapidly FIJI With
clear and sparkling water, Iand a. strea m
flow down the ,.sideg:ofi3the mountain,
sufficiently large Z, t}turpsa MI -
y s.ANlli.ANDs ipIsts PPEARSED.
The water continued to flow for thirty
minutes when jitIcominenced sinking and
disappearedans suddenly as II came. It
vac haa,tiful 10 1oo. II nom as II came
Eurgling fresh and cold from natu1;,s
fountain, and we repea tedly drank Of IT
as long as 1t could be dipped lromtthe
spring. Of course f,wa concluded thatsall
{ was over for the day, and finishing our
dinner commenced making preparations
for returning home; but In about thirty
minutes after the bottom OF the basin
had become entirely clear OF water, an
other sound came, and with II the water
came rushng In again and we enjoyed
the privilege of seeing It flow the second
time within less than two hours.
And this occurred, too, while we were
X discussing the question Of cause We
were thinking that the phenomenon was
the result of natural syphon HI! a i:.'#
In tho mountain by which a concealed
basin was emptied periodically as 1t illled
to overfiowng. But this second flow fol-
lowing in such quick succession, seems
TO be opposed to that theory. at any rate
there is no question that the spring Is
q wonderful natural curiosity, and II II
was properly attended to and made not
ONLY more accessible, but more attractive
by having suitable buildings and other
conveniences. 1t would have many moro
visitors, and In the hands of a suitable
man for the business could be made
a paying institution, and a place of gen
eral resort. gslis,
/ r. L.