The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-04-10
BALD MOUNTAM.
Still Another Violent COncussiOEa-Facts
Figures and HypOtheses.

Still Another Violent COncussiOIl-Facfs
Figures and Hypothesis.
The latest news from Bald mountain
comes via Salisbury, March %. The
dispatch says that another concussion,
a dead, rumbling sound, accompanied
by severe trembling and quaking of the
earth, occurred on Monday evening,
March %. The inhabitants, whose fears
had somewhat subsided, became more
excited than ever, and the general con-
sternation was greater than at any pre-
vious time since the violent rumbling
on the Goth of February. A number of
scientists from several southern states
are there, all of whom agree that the
disturbance in Stone and Bald noun
tains is volcanic in nature, but as a pro.
fessional expression of opinion to that
effect would not agree with the accepted
theory of geology, they refuse positive
ly to give their views for publication
and will not submit to an interview. A
large number of scientific men and re-
porters are going into the mountains,
all of whom hear and see more after
their arrival than they had anticipated.
The excitement in the regions is I'M
abated and more families are moving
out. There are no visible signs of an
eruption, and scientists are of the opin-
ion that it is not now imminent, though
probably at some future time. The re-
port that the same disturbances occur
red in the mountains fifty years ago is
contradicted by a gentleman eighty
seven years of age, who was born and
reared on Bald mountain.
Prof. DuPre, of Wofford On. O.
college, has taken testimony of which
the following is synopsis:
TESTIMONY OF MR.. JOHNSON ELLIOTT.
First sound heard Tuesday, the 10th
of February. The first sound was fol-
lowed by the severest shock felt up to
the present time, and was felt as far as
White House, on Cane creek, eight
miles east. On Sunday morning, 18th,
severe shock, another about 10 O'Clock
A. NJ; another, 2 o'clock at night, Mon
day morning). The house seemed to
be lifted from its foundation and rock
ing in the air. Noise continued, some
with shocks and some without, until
Thursday following, with intervals of
about an hour. Several noises with
shocks on Thursday; noise appeared to
proceed from Round and Stone noun
tains. These mountains are about half
mile apart. Houses were frequently
shaken, and q ladder leaning against
the house (of MIR. Elliott) shook con-
siderably on one occasion. The fami-
lies on Stone mountain were greatly
alarmed. The noise begins like the ex-
| plOsion of a blast, in the northwest,
with fumbling noise under ground.
TESTIMONY OF MR.. t. J. DALTON.
Live one a-d a half miles west /;
heard the reports of noises several
| times in the last four weeks felt the
| gIound shake and quiver six times
| work at saw mill had some plank on
my shoulder and felt it shake several
| times (; noise begins with a blast and
| appears to come from Stone mountain
| and underground feel the shocks al
most as L hear the sound saw the shay
| ings on my work bench shake during
one of the shocks no wind at the time;
/ said he saw the trees shake: works at
Mrs. Murphy's saw mill, on Broad
j river, on eastern side of Hickory Nut
/ gap, and eight miles from b .ad of Broad
river heard as many as four explosions
a day and two or three at night nights
clear and cool the same has been heard
and felt at J. W. Morgan's, one and a
half miles from here.
The Orphans Friend, published at
! Spartansburg, remarks that there is one
TACT worthy of notice, and that is, while
the noise is heard for many miles from
the base Of the mountain the shock is
only felt on the mountain and short
distance from the base. This feature
| locates the cause of the explosion and
/ the shaking beneath the mountein, and
! affords some ground for believing that it
/ Is caused by volcanic action. The shak-
/ ing Is only felt between Broad and
1 Catawba rivers, along the mountain
range, a distance of about twenty-five
miles.
The editor of the Orphans Friend
| has been to the mountain and asks, is If
/ possible that the crust Of the earth has
! become so thin that a stream of water
has found its way to the burning mass.
and the escape of the steam generated
! into the caverns of the earth produces
the noise heard upon the surface? ? On
is it the result of accumulated gases,
acting in the same manner?