1880 History of Blair County - Johnstown, PA

HISTORY18 .OF ALTOONA AND BLAIR COUNTY.of pro^^perity burst, and the hoi)e.s of its stockholders vanished into>air.One hundred years a.s'o (ItSO) Sinking or Bald Eagle valley containedabout forty families, who lived in log houses. The plantationswere two or three miles from each other, so that when disagreementswith Indians occurred they Avere at tht'ir mercy, unableto concentrate in time to resist their attacks.Sinking valley is some three miles east of Tyrone. For beautyof scener}', historic interest, and natural curiosities, it deserves totake rank among the most interesting places in the United States,It is formed by a rugged chain of mountains on the east, called Canoeridge, and by Bald Eagle mountain on the west. It is extensiveand fertile, containing many highly-improved farms, mills, iron works,and an intelligent jxipulation.NATURAL CURIOSITY.The great natural curiosity of this valley is Sinking creek, fromwhicli it takes its name. This creek emerges from Arch Spring, andthen proceeds to lose itself, again and again, as it flows onward.Some of the pits through which the creek is visible, are several hundredsof feet in depth. Many of these openings are seen along thesinking stream, which at length appears upon the surface for a shortdistance. It then enters a large cave, through which it flows in achannel about 20 feet wide, for a distance of more than 300 yards,when the cave widens, the creek turns, and is plunged into a cavernwhere the waters are whirled and churned with terrific force. Sticksand large pieces of timber are immediately carried out of sight, butwhere they go has never lieen ascertained, no outlet for the watershaving been discovered.A stream flowing through Tyrone has characteristics somewhatsimilar to this Sinking creek—disappearing and again reappearing asit flows onward. Doubtless these singularities are owing to somepeculiar geological formation, as they are again repeated in Fishingcreek. Centre county, some 40 miles northeast of Tyrone.A few miles from Arch Spring is a narrow pass, in Tussey'smountain, which, for the distance of a mile, is cut like a westerngulch or ravine through huge rocks rising almost perpendicularly onl)oth sides of it to a consideral)le height. The early settlers namedthe pass "Water Street," and by this title it is often mentioned in therecords of colonial times.