The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-09-19

gin to climb than we would feel a sense
ton Of BmotheFing. The way was ga
rugged that at times we almost de,
SPARED OF reaching the top. We climbed
over tremendous drifts Of angular rocks,
all broken and scanned, and piled up In
confusion and disorder, The rocks were
as large as houses, and there were great
caves and dens beneath them, into
which we were in constant peril OF TALL
ing. To add 10 the danger, many Of the
rocks were covered with sleet and Ice,
and we could find no secure footing,
Where there were drifts OF snow, we
got along better, for In 1t We could set
our feet. But, in the ruggedest parts,
there was no snow, and We had TO climb
from rock TO rock, always conscious that
destruction would attend "a false step.
Often one would climb on the shoul-
ders OF the other and reach q shelf In
the rock, and then turn and draw the
other up.
Our advance was slow, but there was
not much more to be gone over, Near
noon we reached the top oil the first pin-
naCle, but this was not the highest
There were several peaks in the group,
and when we were at the top OF the trstr
we saw that there were Others still
higher, We selected one that appeared
highest, and proceeded TO 1t. When
half way 10 It's top, we turned TO the
north side, and saw what was unmis'
taEably the loitiest pinnacle Of the
group. II rose 800 or 400 feet above any
OF the others, and was some distance in
the north, That was now our object,
and we were sure that II would be the
last, and that there would be none
higher. 1t ran upward like spire, and
the top was surmounted by Q single
granite spar, rising like the point OF a
spear,
Above a certain height, it rose In one
solid rock, perhaps 200 feet. Whether
or not we could climb 1t was q question
remaining to be answered, But we did
not give 1t up, We had not endured
hardshipsand dangers for nine days, now
to be bafiled by the last 200 feet which
would set us on the extreme pinnacle In
all that range. We were determined
that II we had to abandon 1t we would
rest satisfied that We bad gone further
than anyone else ever had. But we did
not debate this question. We intended
to 60 to the top.
REACHING THE PINNACLE,
Slowly we made our way upward.
The ascent became sleeper and sleeper,
and when at length we reached the base
OF the vast spire Of solid granite that
shot upward Into the sky, We realized
that the last stage had come and q few
minutes more would either place US on
the top, or demonstrate TO US that II was
impossible to go up.
We found footing on narrow crags OF
flint and spnrs OF quartz, and continued
TO toll upward, audlng success possible
at every stage, We were exceedingly
careful, for We could not afford to slip
now. We would land-well according
10 tho orthodox theology as to where We
would land would depend upon how we
had lived In this world.
So vast were the depths below us that
we had 10 keep our eyes turned away,
lest NO should become glddy and fall,
To have missed our footing on the brink
OF some OF theso precipices would have
hurled us into Nbysses so deep that the
bottom was invisible from where we
were. For that reason We climbed with
the most exceeding care, and never let
ono hold 90 till We were sure that the
next was firm. We were far above oil
the surrounding molMtains now, except
Mount Goddard, which was ten miles
distant, toward the south, and great
canon was between US. We went up
slowly, but still we mounted higher and
higher. The world seemed to sinkaway
beneath us, aud grow less. We chung TO
tho bare shalt Of granite aud still
went up.
"wo climbed tn the limbo Of spirits Swung
Nebulaf."