The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-03-28
A TOLcU1lO IN North Carolina.
EXCITEMENT AT BALD OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
SCENES OF TERROR AND DEsPAIR-A CON-
IRRIGATION OF AwE-sTRICKEN PEOPLE
SIXTEEN DAYS OF PRAYING AND
gHOUTING.

4
| SHOUTING.
| Advices from Knoxville, Tenn, on the goth
inst, give the following stirring account of the
state of affairs in Mcdowell county, N. c.,
caused by strange noises heard in Bald Noun
tain:
For the last twenty days the greatest excite
ment has prevailed within distance of TWEEN
ty-five miles around the vicinity of Bald Noun
| tain. This mountain is situated between Crook
ed creek, in Mcdowell county, and Broad river
the mountain also extending into Rutherford
county. That portion of the range within Nc
| Dowell county is generally called Stone noun
| tain. The first signs of alarm in this locality
were witnessed on the tenth of February
This consisted in what the people call terri
BILE numbering, the earth seeming to culver to
frightful extent. Some parties described it
as terrible thunder, gradually dying away in
the distance. Others describe the noise as the
roaring of heavy artillery in the distance.
| On the 18th of February two gentlemen were
| on the highest point of Bald Mountain, known
as CHARTS View" which is said to be next to
Mount Mitchell in height On that day these
gentlemen heard this strange noise. One says
It first reminded him of the falling Of heavy
timber, and presented strange combination of
sounds and impressions. Parties living on the
mountain side and at the foot heard the same.
| All think that the noise was in the mountain.
| One man says that when he was on one side of
the mountain the terrible noise was in the direc-
| ton of the mountain, and when on the opposite
| side the same indications were observed.
| All feel satisfied that the noise proceeds alone
| from this mountain, but on the I'D of February
the noise had reached such pointas to become
perfectly terrible.
Among the persons living on this mountain
are Mr.. Camp, Johnston Elliott, Noah Elbow,
Widow Nanny, Geo. Morgan, James Gilbert,
| pJ al q toto 0f thacn Ylq r
and perhaps fifty others, the mountain was act
ually shaking. The moving was like the en-
tire mountain was giving way. The tableware
| and furniture in the houses all rocked and jolt
ed with frightful force. One man was riding
on horseback, and his horse became fearfully
| frightened. 1t is said that the cattle have be
| come alarmed, and wandered from their usual
| range.
| ST ch was the alarm that about twelve o'cPk
at night on the 22d the people for miles around
| began to assemble at the house of man by the
name of Camp, and Camp having gone to the
| wood pile for wood became so alarmed that he
fell upon his knees and began to pray aloud.
Very soon the terrible quaking of the tain
| was such that the great crowd now assembled
engaged in prayer. At daybreak on Monday
morning George Logan, a colored Baptist preach
er, was sent for in great haste, and so impa.
| tient were they of his arrival that portion OF
the crowd met him on the road, beseechng
him to come and pray and preach.
The people thus assembled remained in these
devotons three days, when they moved short
distance TO vacant house, the property of
| Harris Elliott. About the third day Billy Lo-
| gan, white man and Baptist preacher, was
sent for, who came Immediately. On the Sd OF
March J. M. Lumly, the Methodist minister in
charge of the Broad river mission, was impor-
| tuned to attend and preach, who promptly COM
piled with the request.
The scenes are described by an eyewitness
as most strange and extraordinary. The people
came focking in crowds of fifteen and twenty,
| including men, women, and children, all pre-
senting the most terrible state of fear, despair
and penitence.
| On the day Mr.. Lumley preached the house
was literally packed, the preacher barely hav-
| ing room to stand. So great was the rush to
hear that many climbed up the side of the walls
| of the upper story having floor, and many,
not being able to enter the house, crowded their
| heads in the door and all around the house,
| manifesting the most intense interest. When
| the call was made for mourners the people
rushed from all parts of the house and from
outside, with almost frantic yells, and fell upon
| the floor and upon each other, all praying and
| supplicating in the most heartful and agoniz-
| ing manner ever witnessed on earth.
These exercises continued necessarily for
| sixteen days and nights, with but little inter
mission. During this time the people all lived
| in common. No attention was given to labor
or property. Cattle, horses, and hogs were
turned to the woods, and the entire people
| within the range of this awful excitement have
concluded that they have but few more days
| to live. About one hundred have made pro-
| fesson of religion.
The closing scenes of this strange meeting
are represented as most peculiar and wonder
| full. During most of this period of sixteen
| days the mountain had continued at intervals
- hut
| having prayed, shouted, sung and agonized for
| this long period, they separated with the prom
| Use that all would remain and die if necessary.
| 1t is said that the awe stricken countenances,
| and melancholy demeanor of this vast crowd
on the breaking up of the deyotions are be-
yond all description.
| letter was received in this city to day by a
| gentleman whose mother resides near Bald
| mountain, stating that near the summit of that
| peak an area of nearly an acre was agitated by
subterranean upheavals and then sinking, from
| which smoke and vapor issued.
Gg- One of the most remarkable contributions
| to the temperance discussion yet elected is the
| sermon of Or. Howard Crosby, preached on Sun
| day morning at the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian
Church, New York. DR.. Crosby dissents entire
| ly from the common view of the drunkard as a
person to be pitied, and would treat him instead
as criminal TO be punished He regards the
| keeping of tipping shops as equally criminal =
| and finally charges the total abstinence party
with serious responsibility for the drunkenness of
| the land through a reaction provoked by their
| preaching false gospel On this point he said :
"And here make the charge against my total
abstinence friends, with all regard for their hon
| esty OF purpose and with true sympathy with
| their motives, that they making very many
| to stumble by preaching a false gospel. The
| churches swarm with total abstinence societies.
total abstinence prayer meetings, total abstinence
celebrations, total abstinence bands of hope, and
total abstinence literature, until it is the most
natural thing in the world to suppose that total
| abstinence is the one great burden of the Gospel
| Now what is the natural effect of all this upon
| the world at large? 1t simply disgusts them into
| a determination Of opposition which increases
| the drunkenness OF the lasd. believe that the
| misguided efforts of good men in the total abs,i-
| nence cause have increased greatly the evil they
| sought to abate. AS a minority they have been
always defeated in legislation in our State, wheu
| if they would join men of moderate views, who
would put down drunkards and drunkard facto.
| ries, they would win glorious victory for true
| and healthful temperance
Gs-Wm. F. Ensign is known among the safe
makers and bankers of New York as an expert
| in picking locks. He lived in N. Y. and its
vicinity many years, and whenever a safe had
to be opened he was sent for. Very rarely did
| he fail. At one trial of safes, when maker
| locked up thousand dollars as prize for any,
body who could get at it, Ensign had it out
| in an hour. He also patented locks of his own
invention, and prospered generally. Several
years ago he went to California, and has since
| lived in San Francisco, where he was soon sus-
pected of turning his skill to dishonest account.
Several clever burglaries were attributed to
him. few months ago he caught in a
brokers' office at midnight, with his lock pick
ing tools with him. The safe was untouched,
but the evidence that he intended to open it
was seemingly conclusive. His trial, however,
has just resulted in disagreement of the jury,
eight being for conviction and four doubtful
&s>The woman's whisky war has actually
diminished the sale of liquors in Ohio and Indi-
| ana 10 such an extent that the revenue 10 those