The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-09-05
LEWIS COUNTY TTEM MS.

The citizens o1 Landlord 5 Branch are fast
becoming accustomed to strange things. Some
forty years ago strange sounds were occasion
ally heard close to where David Hines now
lives. The sounds seemed to be subterraneous
following the channel of the branch, and E,
sembing the noise caused by the splitting OF
heavy timber with maui and wedge. No
cause could be discovered to explain this
strange noise, which seemed TO be concealed in
the bosom of the earth. deep mystery
brooded oyer the place. A great many per
sons who were acquainted with the character
of the place decided it was haunted couse-
quently it was regarded by the superstitious
as being the great panden Onum, where devils
met to hold their midnight carouSals. How
ever, no evil spirits We're ever seen, vet the
strange sounds continued, alarming the fears
of the guilty for about thirty years. The sup
posed devils made their first public demOnsta-
ton IN 1850, by spouting water, and upheav-
ing rocks in the channel of the branch Just
below Hines house. Two ladies, who believe
in ghosts, witnessed this strange phenomenon,
and to- day, to them, it is the most interesting
CHAPTER in their lives. Escaping the clutches
of the evil one, it exploded the theory that the
place was haunted by devils. These ladies
were so badly excited at what they had seen
they could only report that they heard "a
great noise, and saw the water spoutinE up,
and large rocks bursting up in the channel OF
the branch" These facts were reported to
dately TO the place, and investigated the sub.
iect until they were thoroughly satisfied as to
the truthtuness Of the ladies' statements.
Last fall Hines witnessed another great eN-
plosion in the channel of the branch about
$50 yards above his house. His attention was
first attracted by a heavy report as Of
a cannon, and simultaneously with the report
he discovered the water of the branch raised
to a great hight, and it fell in solid sheets.
Gong Immediately TO the place, he found a
great many large rocks bursted up, weighing
from 100 to 500 pounds. Last week Mrs.
Hines witnessed the third explosion 10 the
channel of the branch not over 80 wards from
the house. The report of this explosion was
equal to the report of the second. The water
spouted up as before, and large rocks were
thrown to a considerable distance. This
strange phenomenon is still wrapped in mys-
terry, and its cause can only be conicctued
We find some persons who think that a slum-
Derin8 volcano IS preparing to swallow the
place, and others who believe that the explO-
siOns are caused by the accumulation Of gas
which escapes from beds Of mineral We
hazard the opinion that it is done through the
agency of electricity. Men of science are Ie-
quested to investigate this subject For sew
eral hundred yards above aad below Hines
house the cEGnael OF the branch is covered
with slate rock, and all the explosions
have taken place at seams in the rocks, or
where the edges of the rocks unite. Small
particles of both lead and stone coal have been
found on the branch. We make this state
ment TO assist scientific aeu to investigate and
to discover tbs cause Of this strange phenom-
ena,