The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-06-04

anu totally devoid OF vegetation. / OBJ
served my position was far above any of
the neighboring peaks, and the view.
which was grand in the extreme, extend
ed over miles of the most chaotic scenery
the eye ever gazed upon. The edge of
the sun was now just dipping behind the
western hills, and the light emanating
from Its bosom, crowned every prominent
object with soft, golden radiance, which
was made more distinct by the broad,
deep shadows cast to the eastward. whilst
here and there some rock or boulder.
polished by centuries of sunshine and
tempest, reflected the light like bril-
liant gem surrounded by an opaque set
ting. The chief beauty of the scene was
the glory OF the evening sky, when the
celestial disc finally sank within the
bosom of the hills, bright rays of light
still lrradiated from its hidden couch,
which constantly changing as they sped
upward, painted the heavens with the
softest of red, yellow, purple and gold,
maintaining their tints in subdued pro-
portion as they still aspired, until meet
ing the shadows coursing from the west
were finally overwhelmed in the somber
arms of night; thus evenings hues grad
ually encroached, until nothing remained
to mark the spot of the day-gods disap-
pearance save narrow belt of purple
light far down on the western horizon.
When [ aroused myself from contem-
plating this beautiful scene, beheld the
first rays of the moon glancing in the
east, and filled with admiration of the
splendors 1 had thus far beheld, 1 de-
termlned to still remain and observe the
queen of night in her full array of beauty
arise and assume the scepter of her do
minion. She had just begun to peep
above the horizon, and seemed to my
imagination, like the silver crescent
springing from its eastern home, to flood
the western world with its mystic light;
but the crescent filled and grew until
freed from the veil of earth, the rotund
moon shone forth in all its calm majestic
splendor.
Having thus Toasted with rapture upon
the glories of the evening, l at length de-
termlned to continue on my way to
M. | cautiously descended to the
shelving rock which formed part of the
causeway, and as [ placed my foot upon
its surface, a sudden shock like the top
pling of a mountain, accompanied by a
noise like the voice of hundred con-
centrated cannOns, burst suddenly upon
my ear; vast clouds of dust arose and
darkened the scene so lately bright with
the burnish of the moonlight; I drew
back in horror, thinking that some sud
den volcanic eruption had occurred, or
else an earthquake was rendering the
earth IN twain; at length, when the dust
subsidized, [ beheld the cause of the con-
vulsion. The vast boulder which con-
nected the causeway, after resisting the
storms of countless ages, ut last sue
cumbed to the laws of gravitation, and
had fallen, carrying with it portion of
both spur and rock between which it
rested, and thus left gaping, impassa-
BILE space, cutting me offcompletely from
the world, and leaving me imprisoned in
a state of terrible isolation.
1t is impossible to describe the pro-
found horror which seized me when [
realized my fearful situation, alone on
the summit of a barren rock, far above
every human habitation, with no shell
ter, no means of subsistence, no hope of
rescue, condemned to pass nights and
days, perhaps, in that horrible solitude,
and to wander on the bleak summit I'M
TIL death through starvation or the might
of the tempest would relieve me from
my miseries. A frenzy took posses
sion of me, and [ could scarcely restrain
the temptation to cast myself headlong
down the PERCEPTIONS sides of the rock.
L had to crouch and clutch the surface
to restrain the terrible impulse. Gradu-
ally / became calmer, and hope again as
sumed its sway. [ thought when day
light returned I might discover some
mode of egress from my terrible prison,
and that it would be better to make my
self as secure and comfortable as cir
cumstances would permit, until return
ing daylight would lend new vigor to my
efforts.
], therefore, retraced my steps, believ-
ing that upon the level summit [ would
be more secure, and knowing at least
that there | could observe the advent of
day much sooner than from any other
position. When / at length reached the
top new terror seized me; [ beheld in
the southwest masses of clouds arising
and overspreading the heavens, their
dense appearance and inky hue, presag-
ing one of the awful tempests, which are
peculiar to these mountain regions.
Hope again deserted me, as there was
every probability of being hurled from
my unprotected position by the fury of
the winds, or of perishing in the deluge
of rain, hail and snow, which is the ac-
compartment of every tempest in those
elevated regions. Whilst thus miserably
specializing, the clouds continued to in
crease, and gradually a mysterious feel
ing of frenzied admiration took the place
OF fear, as | gazed on the wonderful awe
inspiring development. At first dense
mass of black clouds came coursing over
the heavens, the forerunner of the storm:
behind them came an unbroken sheet of
clouds, having, even in the darkness of
night, pale, lurid appearance, which
impaired its CHASTITY hue to every sur
rounding object: although the light of
the moon and stars was completely OBJ
scured, yet this baleful electric emana-
ton of the clouds relieved everything
from the obscurity in which it would
have been otherwise yelled; an occasional
sound disturbed the oppressive silence,
like deep, sad sigh, as though all ma
ture was In terror at the approaching war
of elements. The very rock upon which
| stood seemed to tremble with dread,
and, to my excited imagination, the at
mosphere was filled with the waiIing of
the surrounding hills, and the lurid glare
from the clouds reflected upon each
feature of the landscape, seemed but
the paleness of fear. Suddenly
there came a gust of wind follow
ed by a dead calm; this was repeated a
second time, when Immediately the full
r L