The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-31

from that point are seen in all their stu.
penduous deiormity. am not writing OF
mountains now, but oil range OF long,
ragged ridges, bristliDg with wicked look
ing peaks, some OF which rise fifteen hum
dred feet above the plain.
BLOODY MOUNTAIN.
The hills are called by several names,
but the most appropriate one is "Sangue-
mont" which means "Bloody Mountain" "
They can never be seen to advantage from
the railroad, even under the most favorable
circumstances. Their outline and extent
may be viewed well enough, but the peCu-
larity which gives them their savage name
is only seen vaguely. From the railroad, q
reddishltint is noticeable in dry weather,
and in rainy weather, il it is not too foggy,
they are Of deep red color, and are clearly
distinguished from the surrounding noun
tains, which are either white or blue. But,
leave the railroad and so 10 the hills il you
want to see strange and fearful spectacle.
In dry weather they are not so red, because
the ground becomes dusty and the dust
looks Of dull hue. But, even then, one
cannot help wondering at a range Of ridges
that have the appearance OF agory battle
field. l spent two weeks within fifteen
miles OF the mountain before there was any
rain, and had seen about all that there
WIS to see under those circumstances.
TOUCH OF CREATIONS DAWN.
That was early last April, Just before the
rains began. One day it rained hard till
two o'clock P. NJ, and then the sun broke
through the thick masses OF clouds and lit
up the landscape with brilliaucy and
splendor seldom seen outside Of California.
The fields looked as they must have looked
upon creation morning, before their beauty
had been tarnished by the wear and tear
of the elements. Sanguemont stood in q
different robe. Its dull color was washed
away, and deep, fiery, blood-red hue was
| in its stead. The rain had washed the dust
of, and had heightened the murder-ap-
pearanCe OF the hills hundred fold. The
peaks shot upward with an angry and
fierce attitude Of triumph over the shaded
canons below; and the spur-like ridges
looked as savage as q cannibal king Strid-
ing in victory over field OF battle, The
next morning started for the bills, and
having reached them by noon set myself
to investigating the cause OF the phenome-
non. The range extends ten miles or more
north and south. five or six east and west,
and varies in height from two hundred TO
fifteen hundred feet. The formation is OF
iron ore, which might be worth working,
| II there were any coal to snelt 1t with.
but coal costs forty dollars ton here, and
not very good at that. The high price OF
.zzl ;, a ,.,onk a hooly IN anulhinU 70
looks to the development Of Theron noun
tains Of this county. It is said that this
county has ore fields that would be worth
millions in Pennsylvania, while here they
can be bought for mere trihe-Sl % per
facre.
DANGEROUS CLIMBING.
When l climbed the first ridge that
afternoon, I found the ground hard and
rugged. In some places it looked as il
melted iron had oozed up through the
grounds, and had hardened in little pro.
tuberances all over the surface. In Others,
the soil was not thus fretted, but was com.
posed OF kind OF red clay. This curious
dirt gives the hills their color. When the
metallic substance has hardened on the
surface, it Is hard to walk on. Indeed, it
is nearly impossible 10 do so where the
ground is steep, for, unlets the feet find
sure places, one is constantly slipping
and falling. To fall is q dangerous mis-.
hap; for one is liable to get bruised and
cut on the sharp crags. And, to add to
the danger, the ridges are very steep, and
there is scarcely bush or shrub to hold 10
or to save one from falling. Going down
is more difficult than going up. am un.
able 10 say to what the color OF the noun.
tain Is due. The ground is red, and that
| is as lar as my definite knowledge on the
subject extends. | climbed about from
comb to comb till late in the afternoon,
when l went down 10 valley and made
me camp. It rained all that night, and
for two or three days, 80 that / began to
wish that was some place else. Itturned
cold, and the tops Of the hills wTe snowy
and the fog-almost az bothersome in CAL
iiornia as of Cape Race-covered nearly
everything from view. But at last the sun
came out again, aud the day ended beauti.
fully. climbed the red ridge Rgain in
company with my friend, and had the
satisfaction Of seeing something new.
AFoANISa FLOOD OF GORE.
We reached the top Of one hill, but it
was not the highest. Just over against
where we stood wss a dome rising some
eight hundred feet higher than where We
were, and down a rayine inits side poured
deluge OF water as red as blood. "a
ioamiug, irothing food OF boiling human
gore" as Poe might have called 1t. The
water had partaken OF the color tthe s1il,
and 1t waslrightful to see Il plungipg and
dsshipg from rock to rock. II the Tartar
king, who cut of the heads otone hundred
thousand Chinese in one day, had done the
deed on the summit OF that mountain, he
could not have sent down q torrent more
dreadful in appearance. But this was not
all. Coleridge's Hymn about the "bald
awful head" OF Mount Blanc might have
found filter subjecther The summit oil
the dome, Of which we have spoken, was
now covered with snow, and the sun was
shining full and clear upon its dazzling6ur-
face, rendering it so bright that at Inst Il
was painful to the eyes to took at It But
when ones vision grew accustomed to the
whiteness, it was the finest part OF the
whole scene. ...
A TRAGEDY IN FANCY.
What q Vonderlul effect comes from q
few simple combinations The crown o.
white on the dome, and the torrent o.
blood.red water bursting out from beneath
the snow, combined and formed sem
blance Of what had not thought Of for I
Ilopg time. It reminded me-although
) hardly know wheretore-oi the murder o
, PriAm, king OF Troy, by PyThus, at thl
J etornirg Of Hum. Priam was an old
4 gray beaded man, and Ryrhusstruck hin
5 with sword, causing The blood to foV
1 doSn his face. Somehow, this mountain
: with its crown Of snow and the blood. lik
9 water flowing down from 1t, reminded m
/ Of the murder Of Priam. Then, the them