Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-03-18
avoid giving unnecessary trouble, or wounding
the feelings of those, "who do all in their power
to render their guests comfortable"
Very Respectfully
THE PROPRIETOR.
For the Spectator.
Hole in the Ground.

For the Spectator.
Hole in the Ground.
Nessrs E1itors:-Seeing so many different &C.
counts in the various journals of the State, con.
cerning the much talked ofvocano, in the coun-
ty of Pendleton, and seeing too notice in your
paper that you desired some one to visit the To-
cality: concluded to do so, and have now sat
down to write detailed account for the benefit
of the readers of the Spectator of my trip, and
of the "hole in the ground )" for in truth it is
nothing more.
III LEFT the vicinity of Mt. Vernon Forge on the
9th of February. and the same evening arrived
at -NnnStaubuss', on North River Gap, where
I kd for the night. The next morning
cd n art, and as Iiourneyed along on
my way n Family, met the magistrate from the
south fork of the said county. who said that the
sheriff of the county told him that it was all a
fact. / then drew up my lines and drove on with
light heart until l crossed the line and met a
native of PeEdeton, of whom inquired wheth-
er he knew anything of the reported volcano,
near Crclevile The first thing, says he, "Aint
you wrong?", with the falling infection pecu-
liar to the people of that far-away country
Says |, "Perhaps am" saint you wrongl",
says he again. Says "That is what wish to
know" got no information and drove on a.
gain until / came to the forks of the road. =
Here was in dilemma, not knowing which
one to take. However / took the right hand
one, and proceeded about three-fourtlls of mile
when a gentleman informed me that | was
wrong, and that the reported volcano was all a
humbug-"preacher Smucker said So" now
mad the preachers word and the sheriffs, and il
it were so had the wrong road. went back
and took the other fork and drove about two
miles when the road terminated against pair
of bars Here i was in worse fix than ever,
and night approaching, walked to house
close by, and spoke to an old lady who told me
that the volcano did exist-that she had felt
the shock and heard the noise, but that had
the wrong road. then asked to stay all night.
The usual excuse was urged-we arc not fixed
to keep strangers. | then retraced my steps
and took the first prong of the road again, and
drove about three miles and encamped for the
night, where inquired for Circleville but could
get no information about it-only about one
fifth of the people of the county know where it
is located. at length succeeded in reaching
Franklin, the county seat where learned of
Mr.. Anderson that the report was false. Not
vet satisfied travelled across high mountain
to Circleville, and on my way met an aged
gentleman who told me that it was not all false,
that he had been in the vicinity that day, and
heard the people speak Of the matter as true
While speaking with him it commenced snow
ing. then had miles down the mountain to
the far-famed Circleville. When | arrived it
was sundown and considerable snow had fallen.
drove up to a house all covered with snow,
where there were some ladies standing in the
door, and asked who kept entertainment They
replied we do. then asked for the landlord /;
he had gone to Moorfield. then asked for the
hostler; they had none. | embarrassed my
horse, aud put him into building called stable,
once blacksmith shop. The laudlady was
clever woman and entertained me until about
dark when the landlord came aud after some
chat we retired to rest. Very cold.
The next morning when awoke SO and be-
hold" there was half On iuch of snow over the
floor, my bed not entirely excepted; the wind
still bowling and the snow flying. But the
most dreadful part of the story is yet untold
there lay my pants, distance from bed, with
the same amount of snow on them. You may
imagine with what reluctance got ont, waded
to them, and dressed myself. All this endured
after travelling 60 miles through mud, over ice,
clad almost in summer apparel, not anticipating
any cold weather, and all for what? to see a
'Hoie III lue Srounu, s"PPo'eu W w q 6iouno
hog den?
1 will now explain this supposed natural phe
nomenon on hypothetical principles and then on
phanthropical. Mr. Spoonaugle who discover
ed this hole in the ground is q celebrated hun
ter. 1t is located on the East side Of Grassy
mountain, 7 miles from Circlevlle. He discov-
cred it during the most extreme cold weather OF
the past winter, and says at that time it sent
forth heat and volumes of black smoke, inter
mittently, accompanied with Phurio smell,
and that be could bear his hand over the crater
but short time, so great was the heat.
The way that account for Mr.. Spoonaugle
smelling sulphur, he was hunting and sinelt
burnt powder the warm atmosphere coming
out of the hole he mistook for heat. From all
external appearances there never did any smoke
issue from the "hole in the ground )" the green
moss and lchen are undisturbed around tie era
ter and nothing seems TO be darkened by smoke
--phiosophically smoke may issue from the o.
pening in extreme cold weather. A stream of
water comes out at the base of the mountain
and there may be communication from this
water, it passing directly under. If so the atmos-
phere would be warm proceeding theretrom, and
coming directly in contact with cold air. With
out it would become condensed and hence fog is
SEEN | am of the opinion that we never can
have a volcano in that part of the earth, the
mountains are not enough elevated, and volca-
noes are Lot likely to occur at so great q 0is-
tance from the sea board.
In conclusion will add that Mr.. Spoonaugle
spun his yarn little too long. 1t became so at
tenuated that it bursted. ! did not "augle" the
hole deep enough to reach fire.