Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-18


feet. 1t occupies the southern half OF
Yancey county, to the east OF Bun
combe county, and is one of a number
Of high peaks forming the Black
mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge.
Mount Mitchell, or 'Mitchells peak,
as it is also called, took its name from
DR.. Elisha Mitchell, a professor of the
University of North Carolina, at Chap
ell Hill. In 1885 DR.. Mitchell explored
this wonderful mountain and measured
its height, giving to the world the first
information that its summit was the
highest land in eastern North Amerl-
ca, exceeding that of Mount Washing
ton, Of New Hampshire, by 41s feet.
Previous to 1885 Mount Washington
was considered the highest peak east
OF the Rockies.
DR.. Mitchell, professor of chem
istry, minerology and geology in the
North Carolina university at Chapel
Fill, was born in Washington, Conn.,
in 1898. He graduated with honors
at Yale college in 1913 in the class
with George E. Badger, Thomas +.
Devereaux> and other distinguished
southern men, and in January, 1878,
through the influence of Judge CASTOR.
was appointed to a professorship In
the Univertity of North Carolina, along
with DR Olmsted. another c'assmate
at Yale. He served the university well
for nearly 40 years. In making the fin
al survey which gave to the world the
information as to Mount Mitchels
true elevation above sea level, he lost
his life during the night of Saturday,
June 81, 1856, when he lost his way
in returning to his camp and fell over
a precipitous rocky cliff into small
pool, where his body was found
week later by searchers who had ex-
piored the mountain Businesses to To-
cate him. DR.. Mitchell was one of the
try and his death caused great sorrow
everywhere. His body was buried in
Asheville, but later removed and was
buried on the very summit of the great
peak on which he lost his life, and
which bears his name.
One of Many.
Mount Mitchell is one of a number
Of high peaks of the Black mountains,
spur of the Blue Ridge, about 80
miles long, shaped somewhat like a
giant fishhook, with the shank lying
parallel to the Blue Ridge and close
beside it. The inside of the curve is
toward the north and holds the waters
Of Cane river. The shank of the fish,
hook is thrown far out into the South
Toe river valley, whose waters rise
between it and the Blue Ridge. The
area Of a 10-mile circle about this
point contains about 100000 acres of
as absolute wilderness as can be found
anywhere in America, rugged, wild and
clad in dense forests.
Mount Mitchell and its companion |
peaks in the heart of the Blue Ridge, |
are claimed by geologists to be the
oldest mountains Of the world and
that this was dry land when Noah's
flood swept over Asia, that before
Abraham was Mount Mitchell was.
1t was here when the Atlantic ocean
extended to its base and the central
states were part Of the Gulf of Mex
leo. In solemn grandeur and prime
val solitude it has stood for ages,
mute, rugged and eternal.
The vast forests of spruce and bal
sam offer rare opportunities for the
lumbermen who about 10 years ago
built railroad from point one mile
east of Black Mountain to point near
the summit of Mount Mitchell, over
which thousands of carloads Of spruce
and balsam logs are brought to the
big band mills which cut 10000 feet
of board measure lumber per day. The
lumberman's axe and the forest fires,
which broke out in the numbering
operations wrought havoc on the fair
sides of the great mountain to such
an extent that Governor Locke Craig
in 1914 held a conference with Perley
and Crockett, lumber operators, who
magnanimously agreed to desist cut
ting lumber near the top until Govern
or Craig could secure legislation which
would enable North Carolina to pur-
chase the top of Mount Mitchell for a
state park. This legislation made ap-
preparation of $4,000 for the purchase
OF the top of the mountain and places
its control in the hands of the state for
the use of the people Of the state and
of
about 1900 acres has been secured.
Mount Mitchell railroad is one of
the great scenic mountain railways of
America and is % miles in length, ex
tending from Mount Mitchell station,
a mile east of Black Mountain, on the
Southern railway, in serpentine curves
and nine great switchbacks, to point
within few minutes, by trail of the
top of eastern America. The railroad
winds back and fourth along the face
of the mountain in it's upward climb,
skirtins great granite bluffs, spanning
rocky chasms, cutting through the
sharp ridges, making circle around
the wooded coves and hollows, the
little sturdy, but powerful seared en-
gines sometimes pushing, sometimes
pulling the train until the great covet
ed height is reached. The nine great
switchbacks on the railroad were
made necessary in order to maintain
the direction and negotiate the ele
vation. From the windows of the OBJ
servation cars the rugged grandeur
and beauty cf nature in the original
is spread before the eyes in constantly
changing panorama that almost takes
the breath away as the engine swings
around rocky bluff, which seems to
the one in the coach looking forward
as though the engine and cars were
racing to jump into the great chasm
a thousand feet below, when with an
extra show of power filings the dark
smoke a little higher into the clear
atmosphere and saucily darts around
the curve discovering to the eve of