Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1858-02-11
For the BELLEVUE Gazette.
Natural Chapel Discovered in
1854.

This solitary shrine is approached by
means of a rugged and rock-sirewn path.
way, leading from Cowan's Depo, 10 the
summit Of one Of the Cumberland Noun
tains, which is 1000 feet above the leve
of the surrounding country, and about
5000 feet above the level Of the sea.
Created upon a small platform Of rocks,
beneath the shadow Of the frowning preci-
pices Of this Mountain that lifts It's Titan
head into the very heavens, the rear Of
this natural building projects almost with.
in the shelter Of a singular, natural cav
ern, the walls Of which have been partly
secured from moisture by the hands of
the Almighty, thus furnishing accomoda.
lions for an altar hidden in the deep Sc
clusion Of the subterranean recess the
window of the little church Of the wilder
ness, for such is the literal Specification
Of its name, looks out upon one Of the
grandest and most varied prospects to be
found even among the most picturesque
groups Of mountains in,he world. From
the peaceful repose Of the lake, whence
the water steals gently away with many
a w nding curve through the rich pasture
lands from the deep, green foliage of
many u sheltered glen and valley, the eye
turns abruptly upon rugged and storm
trenched precipices, upon cloud piercing
and inaccessible peaks, in strange and
startling confusion the lower grounds
glowing in all the pride of summer; the
pine clad uplands sombre and mournful
in the widowed vesture o. autumn, aud
the tall summils white, as with age, in
wintry d~esolalion. All seasons and all
varieties of land, of sky and water, are
represented at one view in this eptone
Of nature. When the chapel bell is rung
al the appropriate evening hour by the
solitary recluse of the mountain shrine,
Just as the blink Of the glaciers begin to
cast over The darkness Of the valleys into
strange, ~unearlhly twilight the sound of
the vesper hymn rises from within the
lonely cavern, as If the sordid earth itself
poured forth from its deep heart the notes
Of praise the voices Of the mountain
shepherds catching the burden of the
strain, carry it from cliff to chi, and from
dell to dell, until it dies away in the dis
/, lance like Il rulreating echo, giving notice
, to he low-lands that the tolls and world
f cares of the day are past, and rrefacing
|, by a heart-melting devotion, the season
$ Of repose. This thought often intrude:
. itself upon my mind: Can architecture.
j. skill, and all the genius Of the artist
f erect a church to God, so grand, so wor
thy Of the AGthor of our bcirg, as hi
0 own awful and magnificent temples, rear
O ed by the earthquake and fashioned b,
u volcanoes, deep in the bosom of the eter
h nal hills /; can organ-peal compare il
i, deep solemnity with the loud tongue,
d thunder speaking of infinite power
among the solitary mountains! Whe
/. listening to the eloquence o. some learn
ed divine, expatiating upon human nothing
,e ness and the inetlabIe glory Of the Deity
Is from the gold-decked pulpit, by the glow
is ing and mystic light Of stained gIas
windows, | have mentally calculated
How weak the swelling organ note, con
of pared with one wild thunder tone fror
II, Gods own mountain cloud throne, re
le spending to the yesper hymn from tn
.. lone tenan, of the cavern, as he stand
Of self-immolated by the altar of the littl
st church of The wilderness.
il w. w.