The Republican., 1925-07-09
! SAYS BEAUTY SPOT ON
, YOUGH Is THREATENED
State Game Warden Protests
Proposed DefOrestatiOn In
Garrett County.

who has visited Swallow Falls, one of
the very few beauty spots yet remain
ing in Garrett county, is taken from
last Saturday mornings Baltimore
Sun, the article having been written
in view of the fact that Swallow Falls,
according to letter written by the
State Game Warden, f. L. LeCompte,
may be completely destroyed by the
proposed deforestration of the river
banks bordering the falls and the plan
now under consideration by a power
company to fiume the stream:
The Sun article and the letter writ
ten by Mr.. LeCompte follow:
Destruction of one of Maryland's
chief beauty spots, visited annually
by thousands of persons, is threatened
seriously by the proposed fuming of
the Youghiogheny River in Western
Maryland, according to a letter re-
ceived by Arthur B. Bibbins, of the
Maryland Academy of Sciences, from
E. Lee LeCompte. State Game War
den.
The letter has been sent by Mr..
Bibbns to the State Forester, the di-
rector of the United States Forest
Service, the secretary of the Public
Service Commission and the United
States National Park Service, in the
City of Washington.
The letter follows, in part:
81 had the pleasure, in company
with Mr.. F. W. Besley, State Fores-
ter Of Maryland, of visiting the Swal-
low Falls and Muddy Greek Falls, To-
Gated on the Youghiogheny River, in
Garrett county, Maryland on June 8,
and | assure you, although we have
in this country falls much larger,
there are none which can surpass the
natural beauty and grandeur of the
two herein named.
Swallow Falls comes down the
ledges of the Youghiogheny River,
forming a beautiful swimming pool,
at the foot of which stands Swallow
Rock, about fifty feet in height, twen-
ty in length and ten feet wide, with
vegetation and trees growing on the
top.
Muddy Creek Falls has drop
from the creek to the river of sixty
seven feet and nature has provided
the ledges in such q manner that one
,could step from ledge to ledge as on
a rock stairway were it not for the
water coming down over them.
The territory adjoining the river is
a beautiful park, | should say. Of
about 300 acres, 200 of which are
covered with virgin timber, chiefly
hemlock. Thousands of campers 90
yearly to view the falls and enjoy
the great out Of doors. We were in
formed that on each of the first two
Sundays in June there were at least
1000 visitors.
1t is reported that the Grand Ma
sonic Lodge of Pennsylvania sold this
beautiful virgin timber to some lum-
Der people who anticipate cutting it in
the near future.
Virgin timber of this class in this
State is very, very scarce and it does
look like an outrage that lovers of
outdoor life should allow it, especially
lying in the position it does, to be de-
stroyed by an ak.
1t is also reported that a power
and lighting company anticipates
fiuming the waters of the river, di-
verting them entirely from the river
bed to their power plant.
The article above was supplemented
on Tuesday by another story appear
ing in the Sun, based upon an inter-
view with State Forester F. w. Bes-
ley, and was as follows:
If plans of the Youghiogheny Pow
er Corporation are carried to compile
tion, Swallow Falls, on the Youghio-
gheny river in Garrett county, will be
no more, and twenty acres of virgin
hemlock forest, which makes the set
ting of Swallow Falls and Muddy
Greek Falls, will be cut down, F. W.
Besley, State Forester, said yester-
day.
The land, including these scenic
spots of Western Maryland, now is
held in trust by the Grand Lodge of
Masons of West Virginia and Penn
sylvania, and was decided to this or
ganization by the late Mr.. Krug, who
owned the land Mr.. Besley said The
land, he explained, has been used for
about two years as a State park and
recreation reserve and is visited every
year by thousands of persons.
eve think it would be a calamity if
this forest were cut down and the
beauty of Swallow Falls and Muddy
Creek Falls destroyed" Mr., Besley
said. This section is the only one
in the State, perhaps, where the orig
inal natural condition of the landscape
has been preserved. Persons from
many States have commented on the
beauty of these falls.
"The Youghiogheny Power Corpo-
ration plans to divert the river above
Swallow Falls and carry the. water
Through a pipe to a point beyond
4 =wallow Falls on the river to the COM
: pany's power plant If this plan is
carried out, Swallow Falls will dry
up. Muddy Greek Falls will not be
affected, however, in this way.
"But l have been told that the pow
er company will acquire strips of land
on both sides of these falls and that
the forest of virgin hemlock will be
cut down.
"The land adjoins Skipnish State
forest in Garrett county, and is about
seven miles from Oakland. 1t has
been preserved as a part of the orig
inal forests of Maryland. Some of the
hemlock trees attain a height of 120