Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1838-11-21

risk Of falling into TIC lake. | "lmoS
wished that the drowsiness produced by in
tense cold, would begin 10 affect me but
did not feel in the sljgh,es; degree chilled
and the temperature of the air was in reali
~ above freezing. had lain ony few
minutes when heard the howl of volt
The sound was indescribabIy delightful ,o
my car, and sar;eI up with the intention
Of Fastening TO TIC spot from whence i;
seemed TO proceed bu, ,hopelcss as my sit.
uaton then was, my heari shrunk within
me when contemplated the dangers
would encounter in making such an attempt
My courage failed, and | resumed my
former position, and ls'cncd to the uudula.
tions of the wa'crs as th' V undermined and
bea, agaas; the lower pIrt of TIC ice on
which | lay.
About midnight ::!a storm ceased, and
mos, Of &c clouds gradually icrsook the
sky. while the risin: moon d;speIct the
darkness that had previously prevailed.
However, thick haze covered the heavens,
and rendered Ter light dim aud ghastly,
and similar TO tha, shed during an eclipse.
A succession Of noises had continued with
little interruption for several hours, and at
las, the ice beneath ne began 10 move.
started up, and, on looking around, saw
that the whole surface Of the lake was in a
state ofagi'ation. My eye became din,
and stretched out my arms to ca:ch hold
Of some object, anl felt as il all crea,e
things were passing away.
The kissing, grinding, and crushing, pro.
duced by the different masses Office coming
into collision, were tremendous. Large
fragments sometimes 90. wedged together,
and impeded The progress Of those behind
them. which, being pushed forward by OH.
ers still further back, wcro forced upon the
tod of,he frs, and fanas,ic-shapcd pyra-
,nids and towers could be indstinctiy scer
riseine among The miss ofnighl, and mo-
raentariiy changing their forms, and finally
disoreanizing themselves with magical rap,
idty and fearful tumul,. At other lines
an immense mass Of ice would start up in
a perpendicular position conli' =" glran-
ing in the moonshino for little period aud
,aen vanish like a spectre among ihc abyss
oc waters beneath i. The piece Of ice on
which had first taken my position happen
cd to be very large and thick, but o;hcr
fraencn.s were soon forced '0oHc II. ahd
formed a r.ouod six or seven !ec' high, on
,hc top Of which | stood, contemplating Tic
nwful sccnce abou, M, and feeling as Il |
no lonror had the loas, conncxion with the
world, or retained any thing hua.H CT
earthly in my composition.
The wind, which was prc:iy s'rons' drove
the ice down tie lake very fast. Ny a!arms
and anxties had gradually become less ia
tense. and was several tines overcome
by sort of s:upor, during The continuance
ofwhicI, imagination and reality combined
their dis1rac,ins influences. At one time
fanclcd that the snow sill dr!i;ed as vioIen-
Nv rs ever, and tina, distinguished through
IS bazy medium band of Indian cl:i2!s
walking pas, upon tho surface q The
Jake. Their steps were noise!eSs' ana
they went along with wan and dejcc:cd
look and downcast eyes, and paid 10 aticn.'
ton 10 nv cxciamu'ions and cn,:ca,rs Tor
relief. Atano;ocr thought was foaing
in The middle Of the occcan, and that q
blazing sun famed in the cloudi"ss sky, ana
made The ice which supported me, melt SO
;as, ,ha, ,cari streams Of wafer pouring
snm lis sides, and fyil mysulfevtry moncl.t
descending towards the surface Of the b'i-
lows. | was usually Weakened from such
dreams by some noise or violyn' coneussion'
but always relapscd ic;o them Whenever
the cause Of disturbance cease 10 operate
The longes. and las, Of these slunbc's
was broken by a terrible shock, which my
ice island received, and which threw me
from my sea, ard nearly prec'ptat. me
into the lake. On rega'nng my former
position. and looking round, perceived
10 my Joy and asionshmcni, thai was IN
river. The wafer between me and The
shore was still frozen over, and about thirty
wards wide consequently the fragment on
which stood could mol approach any near
er than this. Alier moment ol irresolu;
lion, | leaped upon the frozen surface, ano
began to run towards !hc bank oflhe river
NV fee; seemed scarcely TO toac'' !he Icr
so great was my terror lest it should give
way beneath nc; reached The shore IN
safety, and dropped down completely cx"
haused by fatigue.
RAILROAD Ds - General GAINES has KIND
u furnished US with diagram Ola system
OF railroads, Planned by himself, 10 eNen(
over the United States. An Inspection o.
the dag,am shows Kentucky and Ienneset
20 be the centre from which railroads branrl
GU, TO all points of the Union, connec'n!
tor Instance. New Orleans with PoriIan'
in Mainc Buffalo and Pittsburgh, IN NeV
York; Dctro;:,in Michigan Chicago, II
llI;no;s. C ,arlcstnn. in South Caro-. .lla, L or