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Historical collections of Virginia

containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c., relating to its history and antiquities, together with geographical and statistical descriptions : to which is appended, an historical and descriptive sketch of the District of Columbia : illustrated by over 100 engravings, giving views of the principal towns, seats of eminent men, public buildings, relics of antiquity, historic localities, natural scenery, etc., etc.

Howe, Henry (1816-1893)

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

GENERAL OR OUTLINE HISTORY.

MISCELLANIES.

OUTLINE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA.

SCOTT.

HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Errata.

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464

SCOTT.

Scott was formed in 1814, from Lee, Washington, and Russell,
and named from Gen. Winfield Scott: its mean length is 24, mean
breadth 23 miles. It is drained by the north fork of Holston and
Clinch Rivers, each of which affords the facilities of boat navigation
in times of freshets. Big and Little Moccasin and Sinking
creeks, also water the county. The face of the country is mountainous
and uneven, and much of the soil is good. Iron, coal,
marble, limestone, and freestone, are found within its limits. About
60,000 pounds of maple sugar are annually produced. Pop. in 1840,
whites 6,911, slaves 344, free colored 48; total, 7,303.

Estillville, the county-seat, is 344 miles SW. of Richmond, and 40
from Abingdon. It contains 3 stores, a Methodist church, and about
60 dwellings. The Holston Springs are on the north fork of Holston,
4 miles from the C. H. The medicinal qualities of the water
are excellent, and its growing reputation, together with the improvements
lately made, draw a large number of visitors. The
water contains all the ingredients of the White Sulphur possessing
any medical efficacy. The principal difference is the existence, in
the latter, of sulphureted hydrogen. The uniform temperature of
the water is 68½°, which renders it a natural medicated bath of
the most agreeable degree of heat.

The Natural Tunnel is situated upon Stock creek, about 12
miles westerly from Estillville. That part of the description in
fine type, is extracted from the communication of Lieut.-Col. Long,
of the U. S. Army, published in the Monthly American Journal of
Geology for Feb., 1832:

To form an adequate idea of this remarkable and truly sublime object, we have only
to imagine the creek, to which it gives a passage, meandering through a deep narrow
valley, here and there bounded on both sides by walls or revêtements, rising to the height
of two or three hundred feet above the stream; and that a portion of one of these
chasms, instead of presenting an open thorough cut from the summit to the base of the
high grounds, is intercepted by a continuous unbroken ridge more than three hundred
feet high, extending entirely across the valley, and perforated transversely at its base,
after the manner of an artificial tunnel, and thus affording a spacious subterranean channel
for the passage of the stream.

The entrance to the natural tunnel, on the upper side of the ridge, is imposing and
picturesque, in a high degree; but on the lower side, the grandeur of the scene is greatly
heightened by the superior magnitude of the cliffs, which exceed in loftiness, and which
rise perpendicularly—and in some instances in an impending manner—more than three
hundred feet; and by which the entrance on this side is almost environed, as it were, by
an amphitheatre of rude and frightful precipices.

The observer, standing on the brink of the stream, at the distance of about one hundred
yards below the débouchure of the natural tunnel, has, in front, a view of its arched
entrance, rising seventy or eighty feet above the water, and surmounted by horizontal
stratifications of yellowish, white, and gray rocks, in depth nearly twice the height of
the arch. On his left, a view of the same mural precipice, deflected from the springing
of the arch in a manner to pass thence in a continuous curve quite to his rear, and towering,
in a very impressive manner, above his head. On his right, a sapling growth of
buckeye, poplar, lindens, &c., skirting the margin of the creek, and extending obliquely
to the right, and upwards through a narrow, abrupt ravine, to the summit of the ridge,

THE NATURAL TUNNEL.

The Natural Tunnel is in the southwestern part of Virginia, three hundred and fifty-six
miles from Richmond, near the line of Tennessee. This passage through a mountain is
about four hundred and fifty feet in length. A stream of water passes through it and a
stage road over it. The above is an internal view, taken near the lower entrance, looking
out upon the wall of rock beyond, shown on page 466. At the point where the figures are
seen, the roof is estimated at about ninety feet above the stream, and the strata is there
arranged in concentric circles, bearing a striking resemblance to a dome.

465

which is here, and elsewhere, crowned with a timber-growth of pines, cedar, oaks, and
shrubbery of various kinds. On his extreme right, is a gigantic cliff lifting itself up
perpendicularly from the water's edge, to the height of about three hundred feet, and
accompanied by an insulated cliff, called the chimney, of about the same altitude, rising
in the form of a turret, at least sixty feet above its basement, which is a portion of the
imposing cliff just before mentioned.

The following passages are from Col. Long's private journal,
which he gives in addition to the above:

The creek, which is about seven yards wide, and has a general course of about S. 15
W., here passes through a hill elevated from two to three hundred feet above the surface
of the stream, winding its way through a huge subterraneous cavern, or grotto, whose
roof is vaulted in a peculiar manner, and rises from seventy to eighty feet above its
floor. The sides of this gigantic cavern rise perpendicularly in some places to the height
of fifteen or twenty feet, and in others, are formed by the springing of its vaulted roof
immediately from its floor. The width of the tunnel varies from fifty to one hundred
and fifty feet; its course is that of a continuous curve, resembling the letter S—first
winding to the right as we enter on the upper side, then to the left, again to the right,
and then again to the left, on arriving at the entrance on the lower side. Such is its
peculiar form, that an observer, standing at a point about midway of its subterranean
course, is completely excluded from a view of either entrance, and is left to grope in the
dark through a distance of about twenty yards, occupying an intermediate portion of the
tunnel. When the sun is near the meridian, and his rays fall upon both entrances, the
light reflected from both extremities of the tunnel contributes to mollify the darkness of
this interior portion into a dusky twilight.

The extent of the tunnel from its upper to its lower extremity, following its meanders,
is about one hundred and fifty yards, in which distance the stream falls about ten feet,
emitting, in its passage over a rocky bed, an agreeable murmur, which is rendered more
grateful by its reverberations upon the roof and sides of the grotto. The discharge of a
musket produces a crash-like report, succeeded by a roar in the tunnel, which has a deafening
effect upon the ear. The hill through which this singular perforation leads, descends
in a direction from east to west, across the line of the creek, and affords a very
convenient passage for a road which traverses it at this place, having a descent in the
direction just mentioned of about four degrees.

In the view of the lower entrance to the Natural Tunnel, there
is represented an occurrence which took place many years since.
At this point the deep gorge, through which the creek passes, is
bounded on three sides by a perpendicular wall of rock over 300
feet in height, the fourth side being open to allow the passage
of the creek after leaving the mouth of the tunnel. The rocks at
this place have several small caves, or fissures, in which the nitrous
earth from which saltpetre is extracted has been found. One or
more of these are in the sides of the tunnel itself. A gentleman
informed us that the first time he visited the tunnel, some persons
were inside extracting saltpetre, and that the smoke belching forth
from its mouth and curling up the gorge, enhanced the natural
gloom and hideousness of the scene. In the late war, when saltpetre
was very scarce, the small fissure in the wall of rock—at
that place over 300 feet high—shown in the view, attracted attention,
and it was determined to explore it. An adventurous individual,
by the name of George Dotson, was accordingly lowered
from the top by a rope running over a log, and held by several
men. The rope not being sufficiently long, the last length, which
was tied around his waist, was made of the bark of leatherwood.
When down to the level of the fissure, he was still 12 or 14 feet
from it horizontally, being thrown so by the overhanging of the
wall of rock. With a long pole, to which was attached a hook,

466

he attempted to pull himself to the fissure. He had nearly succeeded,
when the hook slipped, and he swung out into the middle
of the ravine, pendulum-like, on a rope of perhaps 150 feet in
length. Returning on his fearful vibration, he but managed to
ward himself off with his pole from being dashed against the rock,

Lower Enirance to the Natural Tunnel.

when away he swung again. One of his companions, stationed
on the opposite side of the ravine to give directions, instinctively
drew back, for it appeared to him that he was slung at him across
the abyss. At length the vibrations ceased. At that juncture
Dotson heard something crack above his head: he looked, and saw
that a strand of his bark rope had parted. Grasping, with both
hands, the rope immediately above the spot, he cried out hastily,
"Pull! for — sake pull!" On reaching the top he fainted. On
another occasion, the bark rope being replaced by a hempen one,
he went down again and explored the cave. His only reward
was the satisfaction of his curiosity. The hole extended only a
few feet.