Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-10-26
The Pictured Rocks of Superior.
SCENERY OF THE GREAT LAKE.

SCENERY OF THE GREAT LAKE.
Among the many resorts about Lake Su-
perior, none are more attractive to the
tourist than the Pictured Rocks, situated
upon the south shore, some sixty miles
from Marquette.
From the Lake, writes tourist to the
Toledo Blade, and at distance, the So
called Pictured Rocks appear as huge sea
wall rising abruptly from the lakes mar
gin, extending many miles, and varying |
in height from fifty to three hundred feet. |
nearer, we find all manner !
OF unique formations and fantastic rocky |
reared by Natures hand.
There are the chimneys-tall, slender |
columns of rock, rising among the trees,
and so very like factory chimneys that one
almost expects to see dense columns of
smoke issuing therefronn.
Then comes the sail rock, composed of
gigantic slabs of sandstone, rising seventy
five feet above the water. This is few
rods into the lake, entirely detached from
the main cliff, SO that when viewed from
the east, at a distance, one takes it to be
schooner with sails set. The illusion is
complete, without the aid of imagination.
The so-cf.lled miners castle Gears strong
likeness to some ancient structure of
mighty days. Lofty towers, solid walls,
doorways, embrasures. all lend so much the
appearance of an old Norman castle that we
quite naturally gaze about in quest of a
grim, mail.clad knight who, after the most
orthodox story-book pattern, shall be
equally ready to welcome us with hearty
good cheer, or run-his lance through our
carcass.
But our Aladdin's lamp failed to bring
forth even the ghost of genus loci. So we
sail on, past mile after mile Of this vast sea
wall, where new beaeties meet the eye at
every turn, where hurrying streams dash
over the cliff into the lake below, forming
beautiful cascades, where fantastic walls of
rock carved, sculptured and stained in
many colors by Natures workmen-frost
and storm-all serve to keep US more than
interested, until we reach the chapel,
which is one of the main features of the
Pictured Rocks.
It is quite appropriately named. A bold
promontory jutting forward from the main
cliff, 3 single mass of sand stone about one
hundred and seventy by sixty feet, support
ed from the east side and rear by the cliff
and by huge columnar masses in front and
on the west side. Such is the chapel
Viewed from the city side, it conveys
the idea of soma vast and ancient temple
in state of ruin and decay. Dark ever
green's are mingled with column and pillar
with picturesque effect. Indeed, all along
the cliff from east to west, trees, mostly
evergreens, crown the summit, giving a
beautiful boz der to this rocky wall. One
may enter the chapel from the rear, but
the lake being calm, we may climb TIE
rocks in front, reaching the entrance at a
height of thirty or forty feet above the Wa
ter
Here we are, within temple not made
with hands. So very like church is this
huge vaulted apartment, with it's pulpit
and altar, all complete, that as we enter
we almost expect dapper little usher to
offer his services. No wonder the Indians
locate Manitou in the chapel and in their
crude way people it with ghostly forms. It
only requires Grecian birth. or location
in the Holy Land, with a fimsy tissue of
| monkish stories thrown about it, to rem
der the place classical.
| The heavy sea beating against the base
of the cliff, singing its majestic, never
ceasing anthem, fills the chapel with solemn
| music. Il is natures organ rivaling the
grandest tones heard within some cathe-
dral. The storm king with his winds and
waves is tho orator OF this temple. The
strong contrast carries us back in memory
to one of the old mission buildings in Gel
ifornia. A wild, weird sensation thrilled
US through the night, as we camped by the
long deserted mission, San Louis Rey, far
down the Pacific coast. The whitewashed
walls of the mission staring at us like some
giant ghost, the mournful cries of the
whipporwill, the grand Pacific signing and
sobbing upon the beach below as if
grieving over the sins of the land which it
washed, all spoke more eloquently than
did the bigoted, priestly fathers who once
ruled that land. So we cared not that
''The Mission is no more, upon it's walls
The golden lizards slip, or breathlessly
pause.
Still IS the sunshine brokenly that falls
Through crannied roof and spiderwebs Of
gauze;
No more the bell in solemn warning calls
| A hOler silence thrills, and overawes:
And the sharp light and shadow of day
/ 0utilye the mission Of San Luis Rev."
| The grand portal is a huge segment of
rock protruding into the lake from the
main sea wall, with bold. lofty front, and
a passase-way leading out upon either
side so that one may row beneath the vast
arch.
| Imagine yourself in room 400 feet long
| by $50 wide and 159 to 200 feet in height
| from the water TO the arched roof.
ALL too hastily must we tell you that to
row within this grand amphitheatre where
the waves play and dash about, where the
ever-varying shades Of light picture the
walls with grotesque forms, the deep en-
| erald Of the waters, the never ceasing mu-
sic of the waves, the strange, unearthly re-
verberations of ones oTn voice, altogether
| afford pleasure which one must expert
ence in order to fully appreciate the beau
| ties Of the place.
Grand Island lies to seward, within
eaSy view Of the Dictured Rocks Caup
ing upon a bold cliff, we have before US
the Pictured Rocks, tinged with royal col
ors from the setting sun, and pictured to
US as the far-off, shadowy shores of dream
land. where golden hopes are to be real
lied.
THEHUDsoN RIVER ON FIRE.-The New