Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-06-01

still irradiated 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-god's disap-
pearance save q narrow belt of purple
light far down on the western horizon.
When I aroused myself from contem-
plating this beautiful scene, I beheld the
first rays of the moon glancing in the
east, and filled with admiration of the
splendors 1 had thus far beheld, de-
ternined 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 it's eastern home, to flood
the western world with its mystic light;
but the crescent filed 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, I at length de-
termined to continue on my way to
NJ. I cautiously descended to the
shelving rock which formed part of the
causeway, and as I placed my foot upon
it's surface, a sudden shock like the top
f1;;,G Of a mountain, accompanied by
noaeo - nae The voice of a hundred con-
~.
my ear; vast clouds Of o e.ue arCso "poa
darkened the scene so lately bright ~:th
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, at 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 I
realized my fearful situation, alone on
the summit of 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 un-
til death through starvation or the might
OF the tempest would relieve me from
my miseries. A frenzy took possess
sion Of me, and I could scarcely restrain
the temptation to cast myself headlong
down the precipitous sides of the rock.
[ had to crouch and clutch the surface
to restrain the terrible impulse. Gradu-
ally I became calmer, and hope again as
s,lmed it's sway I thought when day.
light returned I light 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; I 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 &C.
compartment of every tempest in those
elevated regions. Whilst thus miserably
specializing, the clouds continued to in
crease, and gradually mysterious feel
ing OF frenzied admiration took the place
OF fear, as gazed on the wonderful awe
inspiring development. At first a 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, lu1id appearance, which
impaired it's CHASTITY hue to every sur
rounding object: although the light of
the moon and stars was completely OBJ
scured, yet this baleful electric emana- 8
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
l stood seemed to tremble with dread.
and, to my excited imagination. the at
was filled with the waiIine 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 gust of wind follow
ed by dead calm; this was repeated
second time, when Immediately the full
fury OF the tempest burst upon me.
cast myself down upon the rock, and
tried to clutch it's unbroken surface, and
thus prevent myself being hurled into
the absys. I found by remaining in
this position would; in great measure,
be protected from the fury of the wind,
though the descending deluge almost
drowned me. The intervals between
the flashes Of lightning were so short
that the scene was almost constantly
lighted up with the brilliancy of mid
day. The mighty crashes of thunder
echoed and re-echoed from the surround
ing hills; it seemed as though war was
being waged between heaven and earth:
the hghtning's flashing from the storm
cloud were flashed back from the impen- ..
etrable surface of the rocks; the terrific
thunders hurled their might upon the
bills of earth, and were in return hurled
back upon the heavens in derisive
echoes; the rain alone was retained, which
the earth seemed to drink up and sob for
more. Altogether greater complica-
ton Of horrors could not have been con-
densed in the space of time during which
the tempest lasted. After thus venti-
lating its fury for hours, it gradually
subsidized, and, Notwithstanding my dread
ful position, how devoutly thankful 1
was when it's chief terrors had passed.
Soon the clouds began to break asunder,
and once more the full moon flashed it's
calm and beautiful light over the dismal