Rock Bridges occupy the same pre-eminence amongst the sublimities of
nature, that artificial bridges maintain amidst the labours of man.
Both alike inspire us with admiration, though we are enabled to obtain
but unequal results as to their respective origins. The bridge, built
by human hands, is, indeed, a triumph of the perfection of skilful
contrivance; the strength and beauty of the arch are among the most
simple yet exquisite results of science, wonderful as they may appear
to the untaught beholder: but how shall we explain the formation of
stupendous rock-arches across deep ravines and rolling torrents, in
countries where none but the wild and picturesque forms of nature rise
to gladden the eye and heart of the inquiring traveller? Of the latter
description are the natural bridges which abound in the State of
Virginia; as Rockbridge, which gives name to the county in which it is
situated, and the wild and fantastic bridges of Icognozo; all of which
are more extensively recognised among the wonders of creation than the
specimen here presented to the reader.
This Tunnel is in Scott county, Virginia; but was so little known beyond
its immediate neighbourhood, as to induce Lieut.-Col. Long, (U.S. Army,)
to communicate its description to Mr. Featherstonhaugh's _American
Journal of Geology and Natural Science_; and the following narrative
of the Colonel's Excursion will be read with interest:--
"During the past summer, I visited a remarkable natural bridge in Scott
county, Virginia, to which I have given the name of Natural Tunnel, on
account of its striking resemblance to artificial structures of that
kind.
"The immediate locality of this tunnel is upon a small stream called
Buck-eye, or Stock Creek. This last name owes its origin to its valley
having been resorted to by the herdsmen of the country, for the
attainment of a _good range_, or choice pasture-ground, for their
cattle. The creek rises in Powell's mountain, and is tributary to Clinch
river, which it enters at the distance of between two and three miles
below the tunnel. The aspect of the surrounding country, and especially
of that to the northward of the tunnel, and constituting the southerly
slope of the mountain just mentioned, is exceedingly diversified, and
broken by elevated spurs and ridges, separated from each other by deep
chasms, walled with cliffs and mural precipices, often presenting
exceedingly narrow passes, but occasionally widening into meadows or
bottoms of considerable extent. The mural precipices just mentioned
occur very frequently, bounding the valleys of the streams generally in
this part of the country, and opposing ramparts of formidable height,
and in many places utterly insurmountable. Such are the features
peculiarly characteristic of _Wild Cat Valley_, the _Valley of
Copper Creek_, of Powell's and Clinch rivers, and of numerous other
streams of less note, all of which are situated within a few miles of
the Natural Tunnel.
"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 _revetements_, of the character above intimated,
and 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--two
or 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 debouchure 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 grey 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 buck-eye,
poplar, linden, &c., skirting the margin of the creek, and extending
obliquely to the right, and upward, through a narrow, abrupt ravine,
to the summit of the ridge, which is here and elsewhere crowned with
a timber-growth of pines, cedars, 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.
"Desirous of illustrating this paper by a front view of the Natural
Tunnel where the creek issues from it, I have, with the assistance
of a particular friend in this city--to whom I am indebted for the
accompanying drawing[1]--been enabled to furnish a sketch which very
faithfully represents some of the appearances I have described. The
embellishments last mentioned, however, viz. the chimney and its
accompaniments, could not be comprised in the landscape.
"The following passages are from my own private journal:--
"Saturday, Aug. 13, 1831. Having ascended Cove ridge, we turned aside
from our route to visit the natural bridge, or tunnel, situated on
Buck-eye, or Stock creek, about a mile below the Sycamore camp,[2] and
about one and a half miles from a place called Rye cove, which occupies
a spacious recess between two prominent spurs of Powell's mountain, the
site of the natural tunnel being included within a spur of Cove ridge,
which is one of the mountain spurs just alluded to. Here is presented
one of the most remarkable and attractive curiosities of its kind, to be
witnessed in this or any other country. The creek, which is about seven
yards wide, and has a general course 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 thirty to
seventy or 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 150 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.
"The rocks found in this part of the country are principally sandstone
and limestone, in stratifications nearly horizontal, with occasional
beds of clay slate. A mixture of the two former frequently occurs among
the alternations presented by these rocks. A variety of rock resembling
the French burr occurs in abundance on Butcher's-fork of Powell's river,
about twenty miles northwardly of the Natural Tunnel. Fossils are more
or less abundant, in these and other rocks. Fossil bones, of an
interesting character, have been found in several places. Saltpetre
caves are numerous. Coves, sinks, and subterranean caverns, are
strikingly characteristic, not only of the country circumjacent to the
Natural Tunnel, but of the region generally situated between the
Cumberland mountain, and the Blue ridge or Apalachian mountain.
Bituminous coal, with its usual accompaniments, abounds in the northerly
parts of this region; and in the intermediate and southerly portions,
iron, variously combined, often magnetic, together with talcose rocks,
&c. &c. are to be met with in great abundance.
"The mountains in this vicinity--long. 82° to 84° W. from Greenwich,
lat. 35° to 36° N.--are among the most lofty of the Allegheny range.
Several knobs[3] in this part of the range, among which may be
enumerated the Roan, the Unaka, the Bald, the Black, and Powell's
mountains, rise to the height of at least four thousand five hundred
feet above tide."
Mr. Featherstonhaugh remarks, that the Natural Tunnel has not been
worn through the rock by the long-continued action of running water is
evident, not from the cavernous structure alone of the general country,
but from the form of Powell's mountain, in a spur of which the Tunnel
passes transversely.
Mr. Featherstonhaugh further concludes the Tunnel to be a natural cavity
in the rock, for, if such had not been the case, "it is evident that the
stream would have been deflected from its line; would have followed the
base of the hill, and have turned the extreme point."
Little is known of the geology of the country in which this Tunnel is
situate, notwithstanding the popularity of the natural bridges of the
State. The rock before us would appear to belong to that class which
geologists commonly term Perforated Mountains, which some suppose
to have been bored through, in part, at least, by the persevering
industry of man. "Such phenomena," observes Maltebrun, "are, however,
mere eccentricities of nature, and differ from caverns only from
the circumstance of having a passage entirely through them. The
Pierre-Pertuise in Mount Jura, and Pausilippo, near Naples, are
instances of this kind. The Torghat, in, Norway, is pierced by an
opening 150 feet high, and 3,000 long. At certain seasons of the year,
the sun can be seen darting its rays from one extremity to the other of
this vault. Near New Zealand is a rocky arch through which the waves of
the sea pass at high water."[4] The latter, one of the Piercy Islands,
will be found engraved and described in _The Mirror_, vol. xix. p. 145.
[1] See the Cut.
[2] This designation has been given to a spot in the Valley of the
creek, where formerly stood a hollow sycamore (platanus
occidentalis) tree of an enormous size, the remains of which
are still to be seen, and in the cavity of which, whilst it
stood, fifteen persons are said to have encamped at the same
time together.
[3] Out-liers of any particular ridge.
[4] Physical Geography, book viii.
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