West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-03-21
his bark

The daring navigator shall urge far DER
The western wave. a smooth and level plain.
Albeit the earth is fashioned like a wheel.
Hercules might blush to learn how far
Beyond the limits he had yainly set
The dullest sea boat soon shall wing her way
Men shall descry another hemisphere.
Sinceto one common center all things tend. I"
Columbus, in common with other men OF
his day. saw that new way to India mus,
now be found. He made friends among
the foremost scientific men OF the time
Having conceived a plan which influenced
his whole after life he searched diligently
for all that Europe could tell him regarding
the mysteries of the Atlantic. He went 70
Lisbon. and himself became a navigator OF
that ocean.
study OF old books and old traditions
could scarcely fail to persuade him that a
continent lies between Europe and Asia.
The books told of islands which served as
stepping stones to the hidden continent
Some OF the stepping stones had lately been
found He was thus convinced that cross.
ing the ocean was very practicable.
The European sailors were familiar with
long cossting voyages, while the Mortimer
and Polynesians. in small open vessels and
without the compass have made voyages as
long as that OF Columbus. But the sailor
OF southern Europe had a great fear of the
bosom OF the Atlantic. TO his mind the
midst Of that ocean was the playground OF
horrid monsters and hellish forces. To sail
in that direction was like going to hsdes
itself.
This fear Of the Atlantic is a singular and
significant fact. II was not shared by the
Mortimer or the Phoenicians II must have
had special cause Otherwise. the sailors
OF Spain and Portugal were not timid nayi.
gators. They af,erward crossed the ocean
IN crafts so small that a seaman OF our day
would be almost afraid Of them In nearly
every respect. the voyage Of Magellan was
q greater undertaking than that Of Columbus
The quondam existence Of Atlantis Is a
question in dispute. The island is repre-.
sented as being the seat Of the most civil.
ized and powerful nation OF the earth. The
sudden destruction OF this island. through
an unusual display OF volcanic energy.
would have burned itself into the memories
OF the people living nearest where IL oc.
Cured. II would have been remembered
with horror and with the viyidness OF a
recollection Of childhood. The advance.
ment Of civilization would have been Sc.
back for ages. Only men OF uncommon
nerve would have dared venture near the
drowned Atlantis America would have
become a lost continent The imagination
OF primitive people would have added
frighuul horrors TO the story OF the catss.
trophe. The crafty Phmnicians might we'll
have exploited these horrors so as TO
guard more easily their trade secrets
The period Of the middle ages was pecu.
lisrly suPestitious. IN the popular mind,
the island itself had become lost to view in
the tales Of the marvellous which came 10
cluster around H. And furthermore. these
tales had acquired certain religious sane.
ton. Thought was not free, although the
more enlightened minds dd not believe
these terrors Of the ocean real What Is
termed the modern spirit had begun to in
auence Europe. The story Of Atlantis was
deemed either 6gurauve or fabulous. And
yet the one time reality of that island is ex-
cecdiugly difficult. to disprove.
Columbus visited Iceland. There has
never lived a more knowledge loving pco.
pie than the inhabitants Of that bleak island.
The doings Of their torefathers are rebeaned
during the long winter evenings The ad-
yeniurous deeds Of the bold Nouhmen were
calculated 10 shame ihe timidiiy Of the
Spanish sailors. There IS no valid reason
to doub, that Columbus went there TO learn
all he could about those eary voyages.