Litchfield enquirer., 1874-04-09
The North Carolina Volcano.
Correspondence of the N. Y. Evening Post

Correspondence of the N. Y. Evening Post l SPARTANBURa, s. C., March 23, 1874. For the last two or three weeks the widest reports imaginable concerning the phenomena at Bald Mountain, N. C.,
 have been afoat here. It has been an-
 nounced that several persons who at- tempted to ascend the mountain were prevented by the hot rocks, which burnt
 their hands and feet; while others, who
 succeeded in ascending some distance, were forced to retrace their steps or be
 suffocated by the sulphurous vapors, l which, it was said, were continually emit ted from deep Assures made in the side
 of the mountain by the repeated shakes. But the most exaggerated report of all
 was, that from these Assures there was
 an occasional burst of bright flame, which illuminated the whole country around, l and that an immense cave had suddenly opened on the mountain side, through which contrary currents of wind were
 constantly passing, with a force sufficient ! to hurl man from the mouth into the
 pit of darkness below, and bring him up
 again, with equal force, nicely embalmed l in hot lava.
 Having just returned with a party from
 what is considered the seat of disturb
 ance. I am prepared to say that none of
 these reports have any foundation what ever in fact. It is an old adage that the greater the distance 8 lie has to travel the more disproportioned it becomes and the greater number of believers it is like
 ly to gain. This has been the writer's
 experience during five days trip to and
 from the mountains of North Carolina. Our party left this place early on We'd
 nesday morning, the 18th, and reached a beautiful valley among the mountains
 two and half miles from Stone Noun
 tain, prominent peak of Bald Moun-
 tain, late on Thursday afternoon.
 At about sundown, while ascending a small mountain half mile south of this
 valley, we were startled by deep rumb- ling noise which was immediately follow ed by a violent shaking of the earth.
 This was the first time that the shock was felt or noise heard by any of the party.
 We remained in the valley all night at a farmhouse, hoping to hear and feel some thing more from the volcano. but the old creature did not groan once. One young man with us, who had eaten too freely at supper, imagined that he felt several shocks during the night, but, as no one else had like experience. it was conclud- ed that his disturbance was of dyspep- tic rather than subteEFanean nature.
 The appearance of our party among the mountains excited the curiosity of the mountaineers, who have been greatly ter rifed for the last few weeks by the unus- ual noises which have been disturbing their midnight slumbers. They gathered around us Tn great crowds, offering to render us any assistance in their power. and anxious to know from us what would probably be the result, should the yolca- no conclude to break loose among them. Some were frightened, and asked if it would be better for them to leave their farms and go to the plains or remain and abide by the consequences; others, who perhaps were equally frightened but wish ed to put on bold face, said they would not move foot, because, eff God wished to destroy them he would do SO anyhow. J The churches in these mountainous re- gions have been literally crammed day af- ter day, for weeks. and religious reviyals have been going on constantly. The vol cano has apparently shaken more sin out of these people in few weeks than the preachers have been able to do in many years. The shocks. however, being now
 is that the excitement will soon subside. On Friday we ascended the Stone Noun tain and applied the thermometeF at con-
 venient places, but failed tosdetect any nn-
 usual heat. This mountain is situated partly in Rutherford and. partly in Me- ] Dowen county, and from it's top very