Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1871-04-05
GEORGE F. POWELL.

Died, at his residence at Summer
Hill, WreXham, North Wales, Great
Britain, Prof. g. F. Powell, on Monday,
January Is, 1871.
1t is but seldom that Death, in the
fulfllment of his appointed mission,
wrests from the midst of an admiring
public one whose loss is so universally
regretted as he whose exit from life is
above recorded.
The death of great men to whom ma
ture has been lavish in the bestOWment
of her choicest gifts, and who have con-
seerated their talent to high and noble
purposes, is to be regarded at all times
as q calamity; but when the portals of
the tomb are opened for the reception of
one whose character realizes our high
est conceptions sofintelleetual greatness,
and who is cut down in the fun glow of
glorious promise, ere the zenith of his
ambition or his usefulness is reached,
our sorrow at the separation is all the
more poignant; for we feel as if sOme-
thing bright Or,eheering had been taken
from our own eXistence-as if some
cherished object, whose influence touch
ed a spring in our nature that called
into action its divineF attributes, had
suddenly and unexpectedly vanished
from sight. ...0 ..-
Prof. Ct. +. Powell, more extensively
known in Europe than America, as the
Rising Poet and Prince of Song, was
born atSummer Hill, WreXhan, North
Wales, and at the time Of his death was
about six and thirty years of age. Of
his early life, little is known to the
writer, save that when a mere child he
gave undeniable evidence of the re-
mGrkable musical talent with which na-
fuTria N1urA him
his friends by the inpromDtu
performance of some difficult piece of
music in the most effective and brilliant
At an early age he was placed !
for musical training at the Royal Acad. /
emy of Music, London, and after four
years nOVitiate in that nursery of much |
of the best talent in the kingdom he
found himself occupying an exalted po-
5itiOn among the prOudest of the art in |
Europe. After some time spent in visit |
ing the principal academies on the con-
tinent, less to receive instruction than |
TO learn the application of principles he /
had already acquired he came to the !
United States, and finally took up his |
abode at BellefOntaine, Ohio. Here he |
determined to establish his future home; |
but, after remaining a number of years, |
his indefatigable application to study 1
had so seriously Impaired his health /
That he was induced to return to Europe,
in the hope that change of climate
would restore him to his WOnted VigOr.
Il was during his stay in BelIefontaine /
that many of his most signal tFiumpbs
which raised his name TO the highest
pinnacle of greatness in the musical
world, and established his fame through
put Europe as the best composer of the
Ege, were achieved. Though still quite
young, he unhesitatingly threw himselfl
into the arena where was arTayed the
best musical talent of the Old World,
IND in successive contests was inVaria-l
Dly awarded the palm Of victory. The
Prince of Wales, in appreciation Of his
musical genius, conferred upon him the
title of 'PenCred Gualia, by which title
n all his subsequent productions he was
known. p. .-#s.E ~
Not only in this field of action did his
genius shine pre-eminent, but in the
of pOety it took an exalted
stand. Several of his poems are pro-
lOUnced by the best critics as among
he finest productions in the English
language.
Among those eIiciting the highest en-
,Omiums from the press, may be men
Toned 'TriumPhs of Thought and
Night, the latter dedicated to the Hon.
W. Z. Gladstone, NJ. P, from whom the ]
most fiattering acknowledgements
we're received, in appreciation of its
merit.
On his return to Europe as he landed
rom the vessel which bore him to his
native shore, he was met by an en-
husiastic cOncOurse of his friends and adj
uirers, who hailed with rapturOus iOy
he temperance of their favOrite in {
heir midst, and made the welkin ring ID
With their glad shouts of 'Pencred ,
4ualia foreverl Welcome, welcome
lOmep In his progress home, wher-
yer his presence became known. the q
of the multitude greeted !
i'm on every hand. Prince and peas /
mt joined in the joyous welcome, and
heir COmmingled plaudits attested how
eep and universal was the public esti- u
nation of his genius. r
But however gratifying this demon u
tratiOn Unpopular adulatiOn may have o
cen, his restless ambition would not s
1ffer him to repose upon the laurels he u
adj won. For q brief time he Il d
scluded himself from the public gaze t
nd placed himself under the care Of an II
physician for medical treat y
lent; yet even then he did not refrain b
'Om his habitual routine of labor, and g
7hen the tOcsin of war sounded its @
otes on the continent, and the gather q
lg storm burst with hurricane violence q
yer France and Prussia, he suddenly Il
roke loose from all restraint, and with "
ealth still unrestOred hurried to the b
,ene of contest, to lay the foundation, G