Evening star., 1940-06-23

oaANN By ThE NATIONAL DRAFTING SCI
WEVERTON CLIFFS CIRCUIT
HIKE
Approximately 21a miles.
Under the bluffs of South Noun
tain, so miles up the Potomac River
from Washington, is the tiny rail-
road settlement Of Weverton, Nd.
To the passing motorist Weverton
appears only as concentration of
freight cars with a single row of
soot-daubed houses crowded be-
tween the highway and the steep
sides of the mountain.
For the walker, however, Wever-
ton is the starting point of short
trip that offers an entirely different
perspective of the town and the sur
rounding country. From the top
Of the bluffs, less than thousand
feet above the village, the cottages
and putting engines and strings of
cars seem toylike, suitable fixtures
to decorate the base of Christ
mas tree. To the east are the trim
fields and orchards of Middletown
Valley and the Catoctin Mountains.
with Braddock Heights clustered on
the northeastern horizon. Across the
Potomac the fertile fields of Loudoun
County, Va, fade into the distant
Bull Run Mountains.
To the west, along the gorge that
the Potomac has cut through the
mountains here, is seen the leisure
ly shenandoah as 1t flows into the
Potomac. At this junction of the
rivers, the colonial town of Harpers
Ferry spreads over the slopes of the
Shenandoah Valley.
Quiet Bellies Stirring History.
Today there is little in this Quiet
community to remind one of its
early geographical importance and
tumultuous history.
Taking its name from the ferry
established there by John Harper
IN the middle of the 18th century,
the place increased in size and i'm
portance until the Civil War. At
that time it was the site of several
gun works-Halls, on the Shenan-
doah. and the Federal Government
arsenal, on the Potomac-where
f1lnt-lock muzzle- leaders were made
from the same Swedish iron that
Is so important in the present Eu-
fopean conflict. Federal troops de-
stroyed these mills in the Civil War
wnen the town was evacuated be-
lore the advancing Confederate
forces of Stonewall Jackson.
Earlier, in the spring of 1859. the
town was the scene of an event that
Is still commemerated in the song
John Browns Body" Brown, a
bitter opponent of slavery, and %
other abolitionists descended on
Harpers Ferry during the night of
October Is. 1859, and succeeded in
capturing the arsenal. Their plan
OF supplying slaves with the cap
tured arms and melting them to
revolt was frustrated however. by
the arrival of detachment of ma
rines under Col Robert E. Lee.
After two-day siege of the arsenal
the conspirators were seized. Tried
Tor rebellion at Charles Town,
Brown was convicted and subse-
quently hanged, thereby becoming
the subject of one of the more popu-
lar Civil War songs. The old ar
senal, now known as John Browns
Fort, still stands on the campus of
Storrer College.
Jefferson Rock Rare View.
Among other points of interest in
Harpers Ferry are the old Harper
House: the steps, hewn from solid
rock, that lead to the church. and
Jefferson Rock, the view from which
Thomas Jefferson claimed was
worth trip across the Atlantic
From the hard-surfaced U. S.
route $40, opposite the Weverton.
Md. railroad station where car NAV
be parked, the hike begins follow
Ing the concrete road north, lead
ing to Gapland. Turn right at i
mile into first dirt road. Here fol-
low the white Appalachian Trail
blazes to top of the ridge. Here
take side trail down through clump
Of pines to sheer cliffs affordine
magnificent view of the Potomac
River below. Return to the Appala-
chan Trail and continues for a short
distance to point where blue blazed
side trail leads to the right down
the mountain. This side trail should
be taken down to the highway,
which is followed back to the car
at the Weverton railroad station.
Since this is short walk, it is
suggested that the motor trip be
continued after the hike to Harpers
Ferry on route $40.
To reach Weverton, Md, take
route U. S. 240 from Washington
to Frederick, 43 miles; Frederick to
ton on U. S. route $40, ap-
] A"ly II miles, making total
so miles.
'mmarizing safety and
CT ~es may be obtained
at Appalachian Trail
Club non Trust Build
ing. OF cations available
include nj d special articles
on the Appalachian Trail in Mary
land, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
TRAIL DESCRIPTION
(See Map
(a) Railroad station at Wever-
ton, Md, where car should be