The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-04-25
WHERE THE ARK LANDED,
Tourists Climb to the Summit of Mount
Ararat, Where the Ark Rested

Although the summit Of Great Ara
rat, which has an elevation Of 1876
feet yields iii height to the peaks of
the Caucasus in the north and to Dem
avend 10, 100 feeU in the east nearly
900 miles away. yet, as Brice in his
admirable book has observed, there can
be but few other places in the world
where a mountain SO lofty rises from
a plain so low. The summit of Great
Ararat has the form of dome and
is covered with perpetual snow; this
dome crowns an oval figure, tile length
Of which is from northwest to south
east, and it is therefore the long side
of this dome which you see from the
valley Of the AraNeS. ON the south
east. as you follow the outline farther,
the slope falls at ii more rapid gradient
of from 80 to 81 degrees and ends i'll
the saddle between the two mountains
a Il height Of nearly 5000 feet From
that point it is in the shape the Little
Ararat, which continues the outline
toward the east; it rises in the shape
Of Il graceful pyramid to the height
of T., $40 feet and its summit is distant
from that Of Great Ararat a space of
nearly seven miles. The southeastern
slope of the lesser Ararat corresponds
to the northwestern slope of the great
or mountain and deSccnds to the floor
Of the river valley in a long and reg
ular train The unity of the whole
fabric. the intimate correspondence Of
the parts between thcmSelves-in Il
word, the architectural qualities of this
natural work at once impress the eye
and continue to provide an ineXhaust-
IDLE fund of study, however long may
be the period Of your stay.
At last we stood upon the summit of
->---"t -, H. -s-- - io4---t Plel~ed
the white vapor; a fierce gale drove
across the forbidden region and whip
ped the eye, straining to distinguish
the limits of snow and cloud. Vague
forms hurried past Oh the wings Of
the whirlwind; in place Of the land
Scape Of the land Of promise we search
ed dense banks of fog. We were stand
ING on the spot where the ark of Co
pher rested, where first the patriarch
alighted on the face of an earth renew
ed. Before him lay the valleys Of GEO
years of sorrow; the ARREST pinnacle
supported him. a boundlesS hope filled
his eyes. The pulse of life beat strong
and fresh around him; the busy swarms
thrilled with sweet freedom, elect Of
living things. In the settling eXhala-
tions stood the bow of many colors,
eternal token of Gods covenant with
man.
The peaks which rose on the distant
borderland where silence had first fail
tered into speech We're wrapped about
with the wreaths of fancy, a palpable
world of cloud Did We fix our foot
upon these solid landmarks to wish the
vague away To see the hard SUBMITS
stark and naked and all the floating
realm of mystery flown: The truth
is firm and it is Well TO touch and feel
it and know where the legend begins;
but the legend itself is truth trans
figured aS the snow distiIs into cloud.
The reality Of life speaks in every
syllable of that solemn. stately tale;
divine hope bursting the bounds of mat
ter to compromise with despair. And
the ancient mountain summons the
spirits about him and wells i futile
frcWn as the rising sun iIlumines the
valleys of Asia and the life of man
lies bare-SCribner'S