The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-04-11
BALD MOUNTAIN.
still Another Violent tCOncussion-Facts,
Figures and Hypothesis.

! Lie ldLSSG news from DalQ mountain
comes via Salisbury, March %. The
dispatch says that another concussion
a dead, rumbIing sound, accompanied
by severe trembling and quaking of the
earth, occurred on Monday evening
March 23 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 rumblinp
on the 20th 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 pro
! fessiOnal expression of opinion to that
! effect would no. 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 un-
! 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. c.
college, has taken testimony of which
the following is a 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, o'clock at night, CMon-
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 frequentlya
shaken, and a ladder leaning againstV
the house (of Mr.. 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 !
ground 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 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 tees shake; works at |
Mrs. Murphy's saw mill, on Broad |
river, on eastern side of Hickory Nut !
gap, and eight miles from head of Broad |
river heard as many as four explosions |
a day and two or three at night F; nights |
clear and cool the same has been heard |
and felt at }. W. Morgan's, one and a
kalf miles from here.
fSsEhe Orphans Friend, published at
the nose is heard for many miles from I
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 mountain, and |
affords some ground for believing that it |
is caused by volcanic action. The shak- |
ing is only felt between Broad and |
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 1t
possible that the crust of the earth b 4s
become so thin that 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? Or
is it the result of accumulated gases,
aching in the same nnanuer2