New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-12-04
FOURTH DISTRICT


- IA E.
Reports Of the sudden turning Of blasphemer of
Perry county, Pa into stone have been circulated,
and in answer to numerous inquiries, Judge Baker,
editor Of the Perry county Freeman, gives an expla-
nation Of it almost worthy of Washington Irving as
follows:
Concerning this wonderful occurrence the facts
are these In the central part of this Perry county
at the foot Of the highest peak of Dicks Hill having
an elevation Of twenty-nine thousand four hundred
and sixtythree feet above the level of the sea- (ac-
cording to late barometrical measurement effected
by our Devil by means OF bottle Of whisky, with
lines denoting the degrees marked around the out
side, and which may not be entirely accurate, but
sufficient Approximately are to be seen the ruins Of
an ancient Roman Catholic missionary station estah
lished about A. p. 1884, the last Of whose devoted
ministers. named Tagen cFurgus died at his post in
the year 1865 and whose devotion and eloquent zeal
are well remembered by the oldest citizens of this
vicinity. It had always been supposed that large
Quantities of gold and silver were hidden in the deep
vaults and dungeons Of these old ruins, aad some few
have been bold enough to make occasional searches
with pick and spade in pursuit of the buried treasure.
Among the believers in this concealed wealth was
man well known to many of our citizens for his
covetous and grasping disposition aud violent pro-
family, by the name Of solomon Fetus, or as he was
more usually called, hardened Sol who, although
in very comfortable circumstances was still inord
pateIy anxious Of adding to his worldly store. To.
wards the close of July last his wheat crop having
been greatly injured by the weev in consequence Of
which he was often heard to indulge in against
Providence Solomon, no doubt hoping to make
amends for what he thus had lost. repaired shortly
after dusk on rainy evening to the spot aforesaid,
and with the aid Of his little son John who held the
lantern, commenced digging directly over the sup
posed vaults containing the treasure And after hav
ing gone down about seven and half feet there was
Gas now stated by the boy great explosion from
below, which sent the boy possibly, and the father
certainly. many feet in the air. The boy however,
seems to have been uninjured, and speedily recover
i n n ha all IN IL do
the best OF his way home, reporting to the family
I what had occurred. .5.tf ss .t-'5z 45I -.
The alarm being given, the neighbors soon congre.
gated in wild disay to the scene of the catastrophe
1 and there finding this opening in the EARTH waiting
i until daylight appeared, some two or three among
them made bold enough to descend in the dark mouth
of the cavern when to their terror and surprise they
discovered apparently fresh, as if in full life
but naked and turned to the hardest stone. 1t was
soon bruted abroad that Solomon Feltus had turned
TO stone for disappearing Providence on account OF
the loss of his crops and daring to violate the sacred
vaults of the old Catholic Ruins to repair his misor
tune-and this belief became universal, when Solo
mon could no where be found after the most ligeni
search instituted by his friends and Others Now
1.-THE solution OF this whole mystery seems very simple
to the scientific mind, and we need no Ovid to ex
4 plain in Hydrologic verse the metamorphosis. The
whole affair, with all the air of supernatural agency
which confused reports have thrown around it, Is
plainly solved as follows /: This vault penetrated by
solomon Feltus, as before described was evidently
eoio ". priest the SIallon
who may have been inferred there as early as the
4 year 1000, and from the chemical and mineral quail
tes OF the percoatng waters of that region the body
OF the dead man had been converted into stone.
The explosion which blew up Solomon aud the boy
i doubtless can be very satisfactorily referred to the
explosive gas generated in the vault for the last eight
hundred years; and the disappearance of Solomon
may readily be accounted for, by snpposing the force
of the explosion to have been sufficient to carry him
beyond the earths gravitating power when, accord.
j ing to well understood dynatnical laws, he would 60
4 to the nloon. d 4.-'u IT,
In addition to the moral lesson which this udp.
ment should teach us respecting the awfll conse.
gnenees Of mnrmaring against the ways Of Provi.
4 aenee, and Of the INSCRIPTIONS means we make use
q ~ our haste to become rich its investigation also
saoSs 1nas the wicked are no longer punished in
miraculous manner, but through the agency Of natu.
raj causes, and, moreover settles to Tie satisfaction
q the most douhting mind that long yexed question
sa. n never before, there is unquestionably "a
by giving currency to the true uersioa of this re.
mafRsne occurrence, the laundering errors connected
with all former reports touching the stone man will
be corrected. 49, - - - ="