The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-12-03

INC
ADDISON, WEBSTER, Co, WA. !
November Is, 1874. J
Editors OF the Register:
As an unfortunate citizen of the CITY
of New York, Iwish TO detail TO Your
readers the circumstances Of the death Of
Mr.. Phineas Barton, OF Philadelphia,
which, IN some respects, are 30 unnatural
and mysterious, and my position so Pc
/ culiar, that / wish 10 lay the facts before
the putlic, and to ask the suspension of
public opinion, and 10 invite science and
scientific persons 10 come 10 my rescue,
and 70 examine for the benefit OF science,
as well as myself, the mysterious cause Of
Mr.. BartOn's death.
! am q resident OF "Vesey street,
I New York, and have been connected in
searching for iron and other minerals for
some wears; and have not only become
very fond Of il but financially have been
fortunate. Often l have taken long
journeys to satisfy myself about peculiar
ores, D. in this instance \ gentleman
! well known in New York and IN West
| Virginia. and VINO has been interested il
contemplated railroad through
/ West Virginia, believe n
Colonel ByIne and Judge Camden
are Directors. brought with him
to New York, peculiar ore found, lie
said. in Webster county, Vest Virginia
on high mountain, and on its very
pinnacle, and known on the map Ot
7 West Virginia s. Terror PiHnac!.
named. Is We afterwards learned from
/ various wonderful and mysterious noise
and unexplained lights, that We're often
heard and seen on its summit. No one
in its locality ever thinks ofasccndrg IL.
During the late war the Federal sol
diers thought these tales were 10 intim!-
date then, and that rebels Were hid on
/ its top, anu attempted 10 ascend 70 sur
prise them one night. when they we-~
driven back awe struck and deMura!ized
and it is a well known fact, and history
! will 80 record il. that the ''>tSte o: Web
, ,;er is the only part OF the United
States, that was never conquered. Ter
ror Pinnacle Is d black barren knoh
and can be seen for Iniie>-and like il
antipode, Mount Ararat, it has really
been assembled by none. After eXaLnin-
/ ing the ore | was struck with it, singu-
/ laritv, that l determined 10 visit the
Pinnacle and see for myself. Mr.. Bar
ton has often accompanied mv on such
explorations. and after writing him the
! facts. he insisted on going with me. On
1 the 9th of November. 1874. we !ctt
/ Philsdeiphia, anu landed i'll ClarksbuTg
I on the sth, an hired horS-, .: McBan
went BY the way Of Weston. and took
! the near route. a. advised by the Hon.
NJ. Benz Ell, 10 Addison, the county seat
! of Webster county.
From this point We were directed TO,
: a. We learned for the first tiu".i the
! noted placc-Terror Pinnacle. Various
and wonderful tales were told u, and We
/ were advised not 10 ascend II.
Superstition has woven many strange
! ana mysterious legends about ii. one
/ tina; near the 18th Of each November
great noises and lights could be heard
/ and seen on its summit, and some ayerred
/ that sulphurous odors were percepub!e
and that on the memorable night OF the
/ 18th Of November. 1888, when the never
I 10 be forgotten shower Of meieors were
seen. this mountain tlazed like an I'M
| mcrse bonfire. 80 great Is the awe Gre
/ ated BY this mysterious phenomenon that
/ few ever attempt 10 ascend Its height,
even in daytime and never at night.
Situated. as il Is. nearly fifteen miles from
! anv habitation. We arrived al
Addison on the morning OF the l2th, we
determined to pnsh forward and spend
/ the night Of The 18th on it summit. Al
though repeatedly warned by the oldest
/ hunters. We thought it but an idle tale.
/ We set out, and after rugged walk. Tor
! il is too rough 10 ride, We discovered the
pinnacle, about 8 o'clock, living III >"ti-
! tsrv grandeur high above all other e!eva-
lions, and here let me say that Webster
county has the highest elevation Of any
! portion Of West Virginia and that Terror
Pinnacle is the highest mountain or pm
psele in the county. We arrived az the
base of the pinnacle about o. clock and
commenced 10 ascend. Soon We dIScoV-
cred formations so strange and new 10 u
. that We became much interested - We
assembled and examined many pieces OF
strange looking ore that had evidently
rolled down il side; such rs | darr say
no geologist had ever seen before.
Every conceivable shape. size and color,
were represented. many round. faitened
grew, red, ash aud copper co!9Ts, ~. We're
found. What struck u most was
,hst many had hole through or 10 one
side of the centre, a. If they had been
hurled into the air whilst in q moulicn
state, and bv centrifugal force had form
ed the opening. We slowly ascend'd,
and As We got higher they increased IL
number. Now and then, We couid s.e
huge rocks buried into the SIDE 81 the
mountain. but nearly ali had this pccN'i"r
central hole. They seemed II be NIX
ture of verious ores; iron, copper, Z1nc.
sntjmony and other minerals were rec"c-
med. As We nearei the top We began
I, realize the height OF the mountain.
We found ourselves high above ali o.A'T
mountains Of noie In West Virginia.
The Blue Ridge WAS plainly seen IN 'i''
aim distance: Droop Mountain was near
or to Us; the Saltpond mountain, II
Monroe county, was also v'slt.'' ana NJ /
BARTON thought he could discern ROM
IC,kou, mountain. near Chattanooga IN
Tennessee. Ii was grand sight, and We
had forgotten our minerals, N ''h'e'.,'
r,s,inr the beautiful scenery, when sud-
denly we heard rushing sounc, IKE 'h'
passing Of shell through the AIR; II last,
~ hut : moment. snd sti WAS silent. Soon
s;,nilsr sound was heard. Ii was Eo~
50 O'Clock, November 18th We had
,.acbcd the top. and the exercise
had shsrpened our spPet''es, and
We ate our lunch aud prepared tC
70 soepd the night After our repssi ",
,r;,psssad ,he most gorgeous sunset
ever beheld-the sky was Perieci!! '!vA'
the atmosphere perfectly transparent ah !,
communicated my thoughts rap'G'I 4
NJ Barton. when he exclaimed: We
az in the me;eoric belt that strikes GU
sar,b NJ this time every year, aud I'M
tai'u " o,3 / said ..ly, u =