The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-27


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FROM INDIA'S CORAL STRAND.
DR.. j. s. stones Entsrlnini-g Letter on the
GAuESa-SpoIs of Interest
Correspondence Of he Ia,elligeHorr.
CAwSPoRE, Sept. ll.-Thism morning Mrs
Stone and l drove down to the Ganges'
banks to visit that spot in Cawnpore Of
hideous note, the Slaughter Chant. On
ride was a pleasant one down a beautiful
avenue, under shady trees, past lovely
homes aimUs. lost in the great lawns 80
common to these cities OF Central India,
The awful march to slaughter along
the same way, over the indentical Ground
by tho heroic remnant OF the English
defenders OF this station on that July
day tIenty.eighE years ago, was
hard to imagine. l have jus. finish.
ed reading again the thrilling story
OF the Cawnpore massacre. You can
imagine our sensations as We stood
on the bank Of that rayinc down into
which, as into the valley Of the shadow
oil death, those victims OF hellish pertiiy
marched to reach the bosts in wlIich they
hoped to float down TO Allaha5ad aud lib
erty. This is q deserted looking place.
On the banks stand an abandoned tenn
pie from which the Sepoys fred into the
mass Of humanity that once struggled be-
low. stood on pier head around which
eddied the water CT the great river lust
as imagined they did twenty.eight years
ago when Christians were hunted to
death al abou. the fatal spot. One could
almost think he saw the poor fellows who
escaped by swimming and diving push
ing on across the river in their terrible
swim for life. Why do we love to talk
and read and hear about such awful times
and deeds. I'll confess there is q f41cin-
alton about wsrs and rumors Of wars to
myself as to most men.
After looking and thinking We turned
back up the raVine from the river to seek
0ur carriage sgain and drive home.
A few mornings before this wife aud |
took an early stroll doEn the beautifully
shaded walks Of the Parsonage grounds,
up one OF the avenues, across the great
canal with sturn to the right, to find our
aelves at the entrance OF the memorial
gardens. Up through sweep OF trees
and towering shrubs at the end OF thu
broad drive, r,s:ng above grassy knoll
rose the shrine erected by sorrowing
nation to the memory OF the Christian
women near the spot in house, the site
OF which is now marked by white cross.
The shrine encloses the Cawnpore we'll,
the grave OF innocence and helplessnesS,
the sepulchre OF a "great company, chiefly
women aud children"
Tho tftntl "a hiI,lay, Zee ,,tot.,,.
under a carved stone cap above which
rises figure Of an angel with dropping
wings and face SO sad that asst looks down
1t seems 10 be recalling the awful scene
which attaches to the place.
This shrine is in the midst OK 5eauti.
full garden. A soldier, during the tourist
season, is constantly on guard to prevent
vandalism. He told me that with the ut.
most vigilance he failed in preventing
mutilation OF the sanred shrine. We saw
evidences Of the destroying tourists visits.
What destructive animal a tourist is.
This soldier remarked mo ofense meant
to the ladies' that ladies were tie most
dangerous characters they had TO deal
with. They Eeemed to suffer more With
the rage for taking away pieces Of things
to forget before thay reached home.
An evening walk to the great railway
bridge over the Gauges Is worth taking.
We watched the sun set one evening from
this lofty and commanding position. The
river seemed about two miles wide and
vas almost bank full. The water was
muddy, aud On the whole resembled Ohio
river water, during a rise, very MUCH.
When they worship the great and benef.
cent Gauges, or the powerful locomotive,
q new god introduced by the English,
there ems to be more wisdom in their
4slly than when bowling down to chatter
ing monkeys, doing homage to hiieous
alGgators and snakes, or adoring trees or
pieces Of black stone. This CREST stream
seems to preach to them the gospel OF the
goodness Of God In sending il from the
mountains to water thoir locks and lerr
tilize their HeldS, aud the hope OF eternity
and immortality in its tiTeIer1 and per.
sistent flow, full streamed Into tue great
ocean-to them the symbol OF the fathom-
less, the bonudless, the infinite.
might write book and not tell you
all about this ancient friend OF India,
Mother Ganga. From it, virgin stream
creeping out from under the snow old ice
Of the Himalayas to the sunderlands,
where it loses itself in the kali PAM, the
awful black water, or the sea, it is an OBJ
ject OF regard and worahtp. ! eau hardly
'nll you which spot is the more sacred
the source or the mouth. Both are Meccas
to the poor Hindoo. And to travel from
its cradle to its tomb and back again is the
work OF the greatest merit. Dr.. Thoburn
says he hqs followed these half naked
children OF the torrid plains till he found
them shiveriug and dying amid driving
snow storms among the glaciers and drii,
Of the mounSlins which give it birth.
Those who have read Ben Hur will re-
call how one OF his ideal Tisemen, Mel
Chior, started from this point, or at this
slcred point Of pilgrims first revealed his
character as lover oil men and searcher
al er that 0NE who should save men.
The fields in the immediate vicinity OF
this mighty stream suppose are among
the most fertile In the world. For 3 0C0
years the Hindoos have been gathering
crops from these fields without giving
them rest and still with exhaustless NUM-
Gcence they yisld their harvests, often
three il a year.
The amount OF soil and pulverized rock
carried down by this river is incredible.
It 10 said the grouad on which Calcutta
stands is made ground four hundred feet
deep. Think Of the power OF this river in
dissolving mountains to replenish the
plains and drive back the sea that new
habitations may be prepared for man. A
territory 250 miles square and supporting
more millions than | care to mention has
thus been wrested from the sea by this
great river and its sister stream the Brah-
ma putra Cav. Do you wonder then that
our feelings were stirred that night as We
stood on the bridge over the wonderful
old river whose fertile banks received and
fed the Aryan race when the world was
young and age Of iron caste and Brahmi-
meal superstition and tyranny had not
been dreamed OF among purer race than
That yvhfah pnW rnon1a thnso hiakOric