The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-09-26

MHuuut uue AlVAhohN AS'S1i W
gan the ascent, The dome was entirely
destitute Of trees and vegetation, and IL
barrenneBs gave Il a bleak and uneaFthly
appearance, Had 1t been solid rock, in
stead Of broken rocks, It would not have
seemed so vast, But, composed as II
was, oil angular fragments, II seemed the
work Of human hands. Perhaps, i
seemed nearer the work OF the tabled
giants Of whom we read In the Greek
epiCs, who heaped one mountain on an'
other, and climbed on them to wage war
against heaven. could not but think
Of the Duke OF Argyl's "Prlmatiye
Man." and how finely he pictured him
as 'grown up child" with all child's
fanCies and little absurdities. Those
Greeks would have thought that this
mountain had been built by meni and
knowing that men like themselves could
not have done It, they would have said
that giantY had builtit. Then, had they
stood at q distance and had seenthe vol,
cano in activity, they would have said
that the giants and Heaven were at war,
We talked OF this as we labored up
ward, and questioned with ourselves
whether our age OF education, which
claims To know science, Is any more sat
isfaCtory to the Individual than that age
OF simplicity was, when all the hard
problems OF life, and all the things not
easily understood were dismissed, and
handed over to the supernatural for 80
luton.
When we had gone up about 700 feet
we began to find fragments Of lava mixed
with the rock; and as We climbed higher
the lava became more plentiful, and at
length the whole formation became lava,
l will now give my reason for believing
that this volcano remained active for a
a very short time. 1t could have heen
but little more than u violent and tre-
mendous explosion OF fires beneath the
mountain, Ceasing as soon as the frat
rage Of the fire had been expended. !
think so because could not find partl.
Gle OF basaltic or ieldspotic lava, There
was not fragment OF rock to be found
that had ever been melted. lhaye call.
ed 1t lava, but 1t was not lava in its true
sense. 1t was simply granite burned till
II had turned red, was soft, and had the
appearance Of pieces OF broken brick.
Biologists might class 1t as metamorphlc
rock, though what is given that name Is
often very different from this.
Enough rocks were cast out to build
hundred Pyramids OF Egypt, and they
were hOaped up on one another q thou.
sand feet high, above tho top OF the
mountain ON which the volcano stands,
AT TIE SUMMIT.
II was noon when We approached the
summit Of the volcano. AS we drew
nearer the top, we found the fragments
OF burnt rocks becoming smaller aud
smaller, We had now passed over the
steepness OF the accent, and as We drew
nearer the top, the mountain rounded
of, and IN shape was like vast coke
oven. All things about US seemed TO
grow in size. When we had stood atthe
base OF th 0 mountain its rounded sum-
nit looked not much larger than the
dome Of city hall; but now, when We
were trcading upon 1t, 1t expanded and
was large enough to build y city on. Not
till we were nearly on top did we realize
what a sMpondous mass OF roGksit was
that we had been climbing. 1tseemed
to me that we had lahored up through
common things, and now all that there
Is OF sublimity In the wildness and
hugeness OF earth was rising up around
us.
The earth seemed rotten beneath our
feet, as We waded through the ashes,
| am going to take this occasion to 70.
mark upon something only indirectly
related 10 this subject. A few months
ago-nearly a year ago-a poem was
published in the West Virginia School
Journal, called "hlusagetos,p and written
by Madison j. Cawein, OF Louisville,
Ky. That poem seems to have attracted
no attention at all, although 1t Is one Of
the finest, and most highly poetical pro.
duCtions that America can claim. On
It's own peculiar subject l know Of
nothing finer anywhere. At least, 1t
seems SO to mel and judge Of poetry
by the effect 1t has upon my individual
self. Only q few people will ever see
tho meaning In that poem. ltrepresents
ono who climbs to intellectual and spirit
ual excellence and passes through and
above oil that is not high enough TO be
Claspod as the spirits associates, Meta.
phor follows metaphor, descriptive OF
the one who climbs OF his burroundings,
OF his hopes, OF bis fears, and Of the long.
ings aud aspirations after all that is
mysterious, spiritual and above him-at
tho portal beyond "the uttermost point
OF the peak suppose that the young
man who wrote the poem neverclimbed
any high mountains, but he surely has
given masterly description OF the feel.
ings OF one who climbs. None but a
mountain climber will ever see all that
there 10 in "NIusagetes." 1t Is perhaps
too "nebular," but it Is fine for all that.
Twill describe the wonderful scenery
as viewed from the top Of the volcano In
NY IVA" fro M Continued