Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-06-27
From Wheeling to Washington
over the Ii. a. o. Railroad.
Magnificent Scenery-Delightful
Ride.
From our Special Correspondent. ]

From our Special Correspondent.
WASHINGTON CITY, June Is, 1878.
A daylight trip from Bridgeport to
Washington City, over the Baltimore
d. Ohio Rail Road, is so full of interest
to the obServant traveller, that all he
has to do is to sit at ease, with sense
OF greatest security, and drink in to
safety, from eXhaustless fountains OF
delight the majestic beauty and start
ling magnificence of the ever changing
grandeur of one of the lovliest of pau
Dramas of the great architect of nature.
Unfolding by swift degrees inspiration
is added to the enjoyment. Stretching
away on and on though defile and
tunnel, over mountains and bridges,
past cascades and crags, beneath the
shadow of the grand old mountain
lifting his majestic head to heaven and
yelled with the snowy mist of the
morning, on the verge of the yawning
abyss we are whirled onward amidst
a maze of pleasing adventure and rO-
mantle delight HlwaSs.beginning, never
ending, ever developing unchantment
of view--'Where Heaven itself brought
down toearth seemed fairer thanabove.'
We had heard of the thrilling interest
that attaches to jaunt over the B. &
o. r. r. to Washington, to all-but to
US a stranger to the destinations Of the
trip it was all the more pleasurable.
And then, when we contemplate,
not only the surprising beauty of ma
ture all about, above and beneath US
the froWning old monarch mountain
o. ohnya IIa aDH tho nrcainiao, honoofh n
US, as disregarding each we so gaily
fit along, meeting at every turn new
scenes of enjoyment while they vanish
away to the rear in gloomy deile,
and call to mind that our long
train OF elegant cars laden with
precious freight of human lives is
transported with such precision and
satfey past through and over all obstruc
tions by mans genous we must ad-
mire and adore alike the power of the
great artist who created these magnifi-
cent mountains and valleys, and en-
dowed man with power to overcome
all their obstacles.
'sThe hand that made US is divine"
We left Wheeling on the A. NJ.
train dined in Cumberland, supped in
Washington and was comfortably
ensconeed in the Capitol by 9 P. NJ.
peering into the faces of Cougressmen
as they wrangled and yelled, whooped
and jumped for a nod of recognition
from Sam Randall.
The early morning was beautiful as
we turned our faces eastward leaving
the fertile valley of the Ohio and glid-
ed swiftly up the romantic and historic
valley of Grave Greek, and are soon
lost to all evidences OF advanced civil>
ilzation, affording strong contrast to
the condition of society just hehind us.
"Surely one half the world don't know
how the other half lives" Here and
knoll ready to take their last tumble, or
squat low in the valley, from all of
which, however, peek and peer, living
evidences, in shape of children's heads,
that however much these people are
behind in other things they have not
neglected one important injunction of
scripture. The women folks are usual
ly seen cuItivating garden sass" in
patches of from 20 feet square up to q
feet surrounded by rail fence. How
they live is question "no fellah can
find out" and while we wonder, they
disappear back in the gulches. But in
compensation we have the grand old
pines of the centuries though whose
branches natures wild anthem had
rung out in praise of the great
Creator, alike of themselves and the
poor peasantry, unheard by man,
while far down amid the deep recesses
of their lonely abode glowered the cold,
damp, dark, gloomy solitude.
These all fit by like spectres, while
the elements without evidence a
terrible storm and :heedless of all,
our gallant train sped away, onward
and upward, the scenery becoming
still more barren and magnificent as it
increased in wildness and roughness
and then silence, de5olation and awful
grandeur seem to reign supreme, only
relieved by the pulsations of the great
artery of commerce and pleasure, our
grand railroad, which still with wond-
rous safety and dispatch, leaps Ike
1GaZelle, past its mural ramparts.
Black storm clouds gather and thick
er above US, rolling their masses across
the mountain tops and hang low down
amid the gOrges, adding to the savage
wildness of the scene. Now comes the
vivid lightning and peal after peal Of
Heavens dread artillery, rain descends
in torrents, cataract leaps down q
chasm in wreaths of whirling spray,
"blowing its trumpet from the sleeps"
here and there breaking into silver
links as it plunges over its undertaking
rugged course, forming altogether a
resounding through the cid forests.
.EGadJa - r1,bara
seems to worship her maker with an
organ anthem of storms. The storm
king relaxes his power and in most
beautiful contrast the rainbow appears
spanning the valley and resting upon
opposite mountain peak, overshrdo
ing our gallant ''iron horse" and train
as onward we glide past cottage, mill
and, not least, the ever faithful watch
man who through storm and tempest
we never missed from the post of duty
The historic Cheat river valley the
Yosemite of the east, with all it ro
matte freshness and beauty is passed,
the Glades, Oakland and Deer Park,
at 200 feet elevation are also reached
and soon summarily dismissed. By the
way, these famous resorts we were
told are but poorly patronized this
year, owing doubtless to the prevall-
ing cold spring. The magnificeuce of
this mountain scenery is inspiring, ,and
fills the soul with a sense of glory and
power which lifts,it involuntarilyfrom
"nature up to natures God," and frees
it from the environments of ordinary
life, elevating it from one sublime
height of holiest thought and admira-
tion, till, like their SUBMITS it is led
onward and upward to the better land,
and is filed with a sense of sublimity
akin to the ecstacy of enchanting mu-
sic. A new landscape of rare attrac-
ton offers. The mountain solitudes