Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-07-22
though
we take the Ia
well knowing the inte.,
of the sad affair.
BuRNsv1LLE, July

-
discovery of DR.. Mtche's body, &C., but q detailed
account may still be acceptable. He left the Patton
house at o'clock Saturday, 9th of June, to
Z, cross the Black mountain to big Tom Wilson's,
eight or ten miles distant He alone. declining
| the company of his son. He had been engaged in
measuring the disputed peak-had taken the grade
I'M the railroad survey and proceeded some dis
II .. do not know his precise object in crossing
tanc Caney river, but think it was to obtain evil
over IT, 7pectng the controversy ,Setwixt himself
dence re, ngman
and Mr. Ch psed before much uneasness was felt
"A week ela. ~ before it was generally known
6y MS irends, .. On Sunday. the 9Th of July,
ina. ne was atnS.ad a search; and were you &C
quanted with the Ba> On te so na
Almost h;ch law more d. scty in the Route from
of. '"sy ~ h ro S were ex, ored to purpose
ratton> ok bear signs trac.' IoI Or n s.
Men MIST, elastic moss scarcev d'scerhIoiei
frh!s on tne to distinguish the kn'o OF Hsek;
Two of the searchcrs ID m because there was no
these bear signs
room to lie down. cd Sunday Monday
The search had been continu> y worn out and
and Tuesday, when the woodsme. >t's son offer
famished collected on the Peak. DR.. H. ns. The
ed the Caney river $50 to buy provisiU. the
mountaneers refused the money, but continue,. '
search. The transaction was credtable to bot.
parties Vance 1--WE presume q. b. Vance, ESQ
EDS ordered beef in the range to be shot down,
for which he would be responsible. 1t was done,
and hunger was aIlayed Big Tom and others, in
Guiding two men from Swannanoa, leaving the Peak,
set out in a Northward direction. They dis
covered signs on the moss and followed until the
impression of mans foot on the black loan was
plainly dscernibe. Reaching rdge-little Pine
Inountan--to the left side of which DR. NJ should
have turned, they discovered his steps sidewse,
if he had paused to examine Big Tom thinks he
made the exact mistake did Coming to this
point I glanced back and asked "Whose farm is
that?" Tom then showed me how the old man,
all called him, lost his life by the mistake. IL
firescald' not farm Dr. n. paused
turned to the right, found the laurel impene; ao'e'
and like hunter, took down the water drain now
and then dry.
The searchers rushed along, leapng down cliffs,
over rocks just Dr. M. had done, till they reach
oil the Middle Fork, Cleft prong, Think of Caney,
mere ril spring branch size The signs or the
right hand side Of the STRENGTHENING previously
frequently crossed it, the bed of the stream being
the path road-now approached a cascade. or
rather descent of the rushing waters, Big Tom
discovered hat on a log below, left by the subs d.
ing waters The 9th of June was dark and cloudy.
The five searchers gathered around the dark pool.
In it lay the body. They left it undisturbed.
As soon the news reached our village we mus
tered in strong force and started to the place where
the body lay. Having spent the night in the
neishborhood, where | listened till bedtime to
stories of the woods, adventures among the noun.
tans the tracking, the discovery of DR.. rs body,
&C., we set out after breakfast for the fatal spot.
Being joined by others, there was now quite crowd
of u.s. We travelled in the bed of the creek Ga fork
of Caney) up rocks, climbing, springing, with a
thick growth on each side of US, until came to
tributary. Here guides at fault but big
Toms voice was heard, Come through the woods"
We struck the atfluent exactly. The man lies up
this fork" said Tom, and we followed him, some
four miles, judged by the hunters, from the cabin
where we brcakfasted. After climbing Alpine
heights, trails walking on fallen timber,
turned down to the torrent, assembled, and came to
the deep, dark pool.
wish could describe this pool. have some.
where seen an iron lamp just its shape 1t is 10 or
Is feet wide, and % 80 long, running out the
left as approached-right Of the stream. A per-
pcndicular, shelving under, wall of rock rises
from the water to the height of IS or 40 feet. On
the right Cleft of stream is a small space rock, in
Ginning the pool, wet with spray, slippery, and
dangerous to stand upon. From this little platform
rises also the wall of rock. You to the vacant
spot on three four logs, borne down when the
ravine was filled with floods of rain In front is
the snowy torrent, whitened in its rush to the
pool-not fall, but plane inclning but little from
perpendicular, down which the white ribbon of
rill streams into the dark pool below. 1 say dark,
for though any portion of the Water scooped out is
clear crystal, yet the black loan sediment at
the bottom gives to the pool an inky appearance.
A long, large, barkess branches log coming down
stream lengthwise, shot the top of the fall
down to the bottom of the pool, and stands leaning
against the inclined plane of rock down which the |
torrent dashes, end elevated above the stream |
where it verges to descend Under this it was sup
posed of the body lay, and hence some diff
tculty in extrcatng the body apprehended.
The Coroner, with a company who had spent the |
night on the top of the Peak, Joined u.s. The jury
invited to the platform, slippery with spray,
on the verge of the water The rest, at the mouth
of the pool drifted logs, gazed at the proceed.
ings 1t was solemn impressive scene. The oath |
having been administered to the jury pole, with
hook attached, was let down into the pool. The |
hook fastened in the clothing, and the body rose,
face downward.
was the only one present who for the last forty
years had gone up to the hill of science to listen to
the teachings of him whose mortal remains were !
now before me; and though twelve years had pass
ed since had looked on those features do not |
think should have hestated moment had been !
summoned to say whose they were. How natural!
How life-lke The eyes were closed, lips slightly
parted more like sumber than DEATH The limbs |
were flexible; but death was on his brow. There
was slight wound on the head caused, l think, by
falling against the log mentioned that leans against
the torrents channel
A gentleman drew blank book from DR.. MS
coat pocket and handed it to me- The last entry |
was, 40. 551-Saturday." No doubt minute of
measurement survey. On his person found
purse with some silver change, pocket book
tanning ST. eye glass, end cover Of telescope,
handkerchief, knife, note, &C., and what was of |
most interest," his watch, not down, but stopped
at 10 minutes after 8 o'clock. I concluded he must
have fallen at that time, few minutes previous,
on the evening of 9th of June
While the jury were engaged in their examination
of the body, assembled to the precipice and
shown the trace the last earth, whence the fatal
fall. 1t at the root of small, tall spruce pine
thence down to the dark waters, 35 or 40 feet.
Did the fall or drowning occasion death?
The crowd debating to the way they
should carry the body The outside garments were |
taken off, and the body wrapped in tow CLOTH was
swung on q pole. The mountaineers are noble men,
olntiO had 1ool on11