The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-10-03
same as tho sky that bends above It.
This last range is the Blue Ridge. 1t
blends with the horizon and yanishes

- fNNfSA N'AAS tNhAb" ~ ttt
and instructive 10 one who feels an in,
terest in the history Of mountain build,
ing. At no place else have l ever seer
the equal Of what may here be seen
Tho story OF the upheayel OF these vasl
ranges Of mountains Is 20 plainly written
that no mistake can DO made.
TIE FORMATION OF TIE MOUNTAINS.
The Allegheny mountains were formed
by the folding OF the crust Of the earth.
AS the globe cooled from It's molten state,
II contracted, and the rocky strata which
formed the crust were folded In ridges
or broken of, NJ part being lifted up
and tho other sinking down. All this
can DO seen ct ono yiow. Every fold in
the stratum makes q mountain raDge-a
great ridge. These ridges lie beyond
one another, running parallel with each
other, becoming lower and leRs promi.
nent toward the east, until they blend
with the low Hills. They look like great
waves, the largest ones nearest the
main range OF the Allegheny and the
smallest oneS further toward the east.
In places the stratum, instead OF fold.
ing, has broken oil. One edge is lifted
up n thousand feet, and the other drops
down to the level OF the river. Six
miles above Petersburg the stratum Is
broken. A mile or two further up it Is
broken asain. II is not less than n
thousand feet thick. That much, Of Il.
can be seen where it is lifted up. How
much Of it Ia beneath the level OF the
river | cannot tell. In places the stratum
| has folded in beautiful arches. About
ten miles above Petersburg tho river
has cut through n Of tho ridges and
has exposed q cross.secti0n Of the fold
in the stratum. Although the stratum
hero Is hundreds OF feet thick, 1t Is bent
into q semi.circle with mathematical
beauty. 1t is not easy TO understand
how rock, hard and brittle rs this sand.
stone is, can bend to such q degree and
not break. An incaleulable force must
have been brought TO bear upon it; for
no power OF which tho mind OF man can
conceive could have folded the strata
that form these mountains.
But, as ! said before, the stratum has
not always yielded quietly 10 the force,
and folded in the arches OF such grace;
bat often the strata have broken apart,
one side OF the fracture being lifted up
and tho other dropping down.
In places the strata stand vertical, at
right angles to their original position.
Again they lean together, like the two
sides Of n house roof. Rocks which orig.
iually rested undisturbed in their hori. |
zontal position, row lie in confusion and
in every possible relation to each other.
They are bent and broken and displac-
ed. Spherical trigonometry could scarce
ly name and estimate the various curves
and ~tangents which may be found
among these broken and warped strata.
An old Indian trail led across the
mountains nea where We stopped TO
en-! our lunch. 1t divided there, one
path leading east, down the Potomac,
the other leading south 10 Highland
county, Virginia. Thosgh the las,
Indian passed along this path fully one
hundred and thirty Yeas ago., yet in
p!acesthe path is plainly to be seen, and
can be followed easily considerable dis.
tances.
The Indians that captured Fort Fey.
bert, in lbs, retreated with their pris.
oners along this path.
COAL DISCOVERED.
Extensive veins OF coal have recently
been discovered underlying tho Roaring
cropping ont in rendleton and
Grant counties on the one side and in
Randolph county on the other. En-.
are at present at work up the
Fork river, locating q railroad. 1t
is contrary 10 all geographical theories
that coal should DO found in that forma-
lion, but it is there sure enough. The
TACT is accounted for by taking into con-
sideration the displacement OF a large
section Of the mountain. a portion OF
he main ridge of the Allegheny, seven
miles long, has been broken from the
surrounding mountain, aud thrown
,rosswise, forming a right angle with
he general axis OF the Allegheny range.
Here it ia that the coal is found. /
Alter passing the summit Of the NOM.
ain and turning down the western side,
n certain point in the road q roaring
noise may be heard. 1t sounds like the
wind blowing among distant trees. But
The sound is due to underground water,
along a rocky channel, hidden
from sight, The stream OF water is not
large, perhaps, but the hollowness OF its
3ubterraucan course lends reiterated
sounds to its flowing, and makes it seem
lar away, when in fact, it is underfoot,
aud not many yards distant. II. NJ.