Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-11-29
Singular Natural Phenomena in Michigan.
HAVE VIZ AN EARTHQUAKE AMONG Us?
From the Chicago Tribune


From an eyewitness, General r. K Swift,
of this city, who has just returned from trip
70 the shore of the lake nearly opposite our city,
we have an interesting description Of natural
features and phenomena of tho region he visited
which ara we'll worth noting down and the sec
ton in question seems to bs one that invites re-
search.
The locality is above twelve miles north Of
st. Joseph, or q mile north of the mouth Of
Rogers Creek, in Van Buron county. Gener-
al Swift was accompanied by Albert Swift and
s. ?. Andrews, formerly of this city. The par
ty were strolling along the shore on the 2lst of
October. The country there is finely and heay-
lily wooded, the shore in places marked with sin
sularly sharp and abrupt sand ridges. About
noon they came upon one of these latter, of a
moon shade, the crescent opening on the lake,
and the outline almost scmcrcle, the curve
being extremely regular and of nearly half
mile radius,
This curved ridge, its upper and lower limb
resting on the shore in bluffs aud about thirty
feet above tho water, raises as it rec2deg from
the lake. until in the middle it is one hundred
End fifty feet high, raising sharply above tho
thick forests Of the hemlock, pine, and other
woods, inland, the eastern or convex side being
very steep. The west sida OR concaya towards
The Lake dec2nds regularly, but less steep, Up
on the ridge, the crest ID about foqr feet wide,
along which The party walked easjiy, rom the
southern limb, gradually ascending. aa stata1,
as they rco9dsi from tha lake The surface Of
thori1go isgenerally sand; h1roand there, how
eyer, huge tree was seen in vigorous growth,
but buried to its branches, or between twenty
md thirty feet in the sand.
Some Of the party observed these singular lea-
lures Of surface, and thc half buried trees and
remarked that it must b9 due to some great
CONFUSION Of nature The three gentlemen
had reached the highest part of the ridge and
we're standing in line, locking off over the
forest, inland whsn suddenly apparently from
the southeast, 2 hoayy rambling eound struck
their cars, prolonged and repeated. The day
it should BE- remarked was moist but not misty
and not day when ono VOID look for thunder
ncycytL2le=s to this the sound was at first attrib
uted.
Thcsound, however continued for some sec
onls rumbling slowly along, and terminating il
sharp decorating sound Immediately under
their feet, accompanied by trembling and sba
king of the earth. IR@pdiasl crack open
ell, clearly and we'll d eod'al1 the ridge
gradually widening from d quarter of an incl
to three quarters, AID as seen by General Swift
somc eight rods long. Fearful of land slide
they rotroated over the concaye lront of thu
ridge The sound did not rctnrn again. Tn e
went back and examined the crack which resem
bled in sharpness ~ crack in plastcred wall
After leaving tbs ridge they met in the wood
an old Norwegian sailor to whom ho narr a tc
tho circumstances. He had not heard he reccn
Sound but said it was nothing unusual in tina
vicinity, the shocks often h,ng very violent
Formerly two men named Book, uncle an
nephew, had cabins near tho ridge which the
deserted through fear of these recurring phc
nomena, which on one occasion we're 50 violen
as to shake cow bell off tho shalL in the eide
BeckS cabin, when he thought it time
leave " He now resides in Kalamazoo.
That country being wooded heavily is full c
shingle weavers, and among SOM Of these res
sdent there for sixteen or eighteen years, til
most marvellous tales are current d these phC
nomena and their causes Of course, " burie
treasure" and g murder = figure largely
their narratives