Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-10-18
3gl)eeIins Rs9ister
HOLE KNOCKED IN CHEAT
Tba Bottom KnoCsd out Of the
Cheat River.
4 Three Hundred Ton Rock Started Crash
Dawn the Rountain---lt OemOt;hes
All its Way, and Goes through
The Bottom Of the Cheat

fifteen miles north OF THIS PAaSS' ~'N
Css,, River, can be seen some OF the most
r,gysd aud Inspiring scenery to be iou1u
an,,sbsrs in West Virginia, if not any
there in North America east Of The snow
csp,sd peaks and the wonderful eanons OF
,bs Rocky Mountains, where the eye OF the
,o,,;s. rests, for the FIRST time on the
sa:ul grandeur ofthis section. The scenery
o., ,vsrvbslms his mind with ITS iTmen-
s;,v and its beauty that he is involuntary
led to question the correctness ct his vision
and 10 douS. the beRilde:inS Vastness OF
,bs Great Crsator's eternal handy ~ork
wsichissDread Outto hisvisW. Butthere are
oe.|Iseiss OF the vision here. These noun
,.;,s and these crsgs nd presipiees are
here They have stood 10 thesunshine, the
r,o,rbaans and the starlight Ofsges. The
Cbsot River il here; ana ITs turbulent and
,.vi,,. waters on tAeir way 70 thesea seem
70 bs constantly Numbering their req uiSnS
=, the memory uflhs receolFg centuries OF
the viii streams existence. n
0u either side OF the river tor prooSoty
halt a mile thsrs.ar perpendicular ~si!s o.
Slid limestone about $50 net IN helgnt
which sand in prout silence while tneir
irrnovsbls foundations are beng con-
.,roaIlv washed and ba,hed ia the Cheat 5
,,rsesv waters. Fson the top OF these
sgsils or chlTs. on the ess; side OF the river,
the rocky. craggy and timoered mountains,
,,.rb q si2os OF about 90 degrees looms up
:, i,s msgpifcence more thSn two thousand
feet No Que could ride hery Stfed up
n, side of this mountain IS We learn from
enc If the iegeuds OF Jap N proud haFnSs
Siduo the steep steps OF the Mems pain
10 ascending the hill Of Antsngo.
In gazirg upon the mountains before
me- was forciblY reminded Of the account
g,yep il Holy WriJ Of JOB being convince d
Of ignorance: God challenged JOB TO
answer him ssyi; g. y,
"Whersupon are the foundations thereof
f,s,ened? or who laid ;h5 corner stone
thereof; when the morning stars sang 20
ysther and al the sons OF God shouted for
soy' -, 5,.bio,
e
ard foarEiuz waters OF the river hundreds
OF feet beloS nae, is seeming attempt 10
shake the foundations OF the eternal slum-
,sripy mountains, reminded me OF the
scripture! fact that God lad shut up the
SEA with doors' aud 20 repeat his saying
IRON that occasion 10 the waters De lore me,
Uould BE neither saCfilegioUs nor map
p.icsble ILL.,,
Hitherto shalt thou come but no turtheri
orG kers shall thy n1u waves be stayed.
Near the TOP OF the mountain, on the
ssy, side OF the liver, has 5000 for IN
knoan ages. q great rock splnx,hke gaz
IN, toward the course Of the river. Ii
measured 20 feet from the top to bottom
snd averaged about Is feet 10 thickness,
beinr nearly SQUARE, irs sohd measurement
showed about iS0 cubic feet OF hsrd
tIntHkg-hmsstobs shd allowing lOO
pounds 10 each cubic foot the weight OF the
monster was - 900 pounds or 81 tons:
Just 5sloE aud sgtILsT the lover side OF
his roeL mas grown a large oak tree which
seemed 20 be the only support the rock had
70 aid il IN ret aiming It's equilibrium on the
sleep mountain side 10 bold il IRON dash
.cr down into the yawGlng abyss below.
/ Erst heard Of Ihe rock u few weeks ago
frp,n y party OF EingwO0d young men Ehe
had been dom in that region examining
An extensive cave which lE3y explored
rom an entrance near the bank OF Inc
riyrr 10 q considerable distance IN the
mountain: and who, after q days hard
,gork no, finding either beginning or end,
for in some places it went Tar down lntC
the earth and IN other places Tar back suo
nm into the mountain, returned home lm'
.,;y.3sed with the idea that they had been
~ : C,,al Of the famous Mammoth. They
,,old ne thSt it Was the Intention oil seVers
parties who Evsd in that neighoorhooa Z
On, away the large oak tres which $1,000
.SeioE the rock and give tbs rock a star
..ovn tina mountain, aud that they would
5nfovm the party Of the day in time to, sc,
,h-,s and witness What they termed g
,-dsya' biz shoS" On last Wednesday
N" one Of the party received lettel
the IN, - tbGt crowd bad been OF
iniormlnH l, he SoES would begin OF
saturday, lO,h. Tbs :. ;ss q, .,sa- anC
E,rls interest manifested IT. GO, bat
noae Of the cave-explorers w : yjyid
being interested IN Me W4GSn =,
description Of he place | we I down
Friday morning, sljne, to be on hand Tor
Saturday,
Afterspending the night With Mr.. Gale,
one of tha successful farmers
of that section. went on my
way to the scene OF action having viewed
the scenery trom dilfsrenIs points during
the afternoon, OF the DAY before. There
were about twenty FIVE p ople present from
the neigboorhood. The work was done oy
u com pany OF six men organized TOR that
purpose. The managers, or captains, were
HAIRY Gribble and solomon Walls, who
knew lust how 10 work together to insure
the slccess Of anything they undertake
Toe tree was cut down and fell crashing
over considerable precipics and lodged:
But the great rock stood unmoved AND
showed no siyns Of uneasiness. Thlsa5een-
ed to surprise some, ss they expected the
rock to follow the Tree; but on being asked
wha, held the rock there willis the tree was
groxiug thev had ing.furtber to say.
The next tbiog to determine was to hnd
how much of the rcck was imbeded IN the
Earth. Digging aud shoveliug continued
for nearly two hours, aud owing to the
steep slope on which the men had 10 stand
it was no easy work Great care had to
be exercised slso, for il was impossible &c
tell st Ehas momen, the rock would star
numbering down the mountain. 1t was
decided TO be TOO dangerous to dig any
longer for the rock was then apparently II
n position 10 lose It's equilibrium from the
slightest touch. One OF the men pasheo
against il with his hands but its weight de
ned his strength. A lever was cut and
sufficient fulcrum was erected. The leYel
was soon bending beneath the united Eeign
and efforts OF several men Of no Ordinary
size. / was up the mountain probably
twenty yards from the ro:k 10 order TO &c
a GOOD view of its course to the river and
wa, watching closely for the start. Al
seemed 10 be on the tip-toe OF excitement
Nov she goes" came TO my ears aud
coald see the TOP of this great inAnimat
mass going slowly out from the mountain
nov sloE, now faster, nov q CRASH, an
crashes upon crashes, such as we're neVe
- 49,. s;naa tha time Whel