The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-07-08
The Mystery Explained.

Bald Mountain, have brought forth
many theories to account for the
causes. Some havo supposed it the
premonitory sounds and quaklngs
which often prccede an eruption OF
drc and melted lava. Others have
advanced the idea that the mountain
is composed of more or less of lime
stone, and it's bowels contain large
caves which from some cause or other
are falling in from above. The jar
and noise produced from the rever-
berations along these subterranean
cayerns. some think, is probabls the
trne solution Of the mystery. Others
believe that there are yet remaining
several members Of the celebrated
Lowry gang Of despcradoes, and since
they have been declared outlaws, they
have taken to the caverns in the
mountains, tho passages to and from
which they only arc familiar with,
and that as they are obliged freduent-
| ly to visit the open air, to avoid obser-
ya,ion and detection they have eN-
plcded large quantities of gun powder
| in these caverns, sufficient TO shake
the mountain to its very base, and ny
this means frightcn away tie tmlu
settlers on and around it.
However plausible this theory may
appear at first, still it is certain that
| it is not the truth, for it is we'll known
how many there were and who com
posed this gang, and also what has
become of them all. So that this
ends the latter theory. But there is
another, based on scientific kuowl-
edge, which is undoubtedly the true
explanation of this perplexing pho
nomcnon. It is we'll known to every
one at all acquainted with acoustics
and sound, the moment il sproducced,
disseminates itself in every direction,
unless it meets with obstruction to Its
passage, and also that sound can be
confined in great measure within
certain limits and will travel in the
direction least obstructcd. We all
know the marvels Of this nature often
witnessed in q speaking gallery. II
two persons station themselves, one
at each end of tube an eighth OF a
mile long, they can converse together
through the tube in whisper, al.
though they could not hear loud
shout outside the tube from one to the
other. Hero then, is one Of the causes
to explain this mystery Another
link is, this Bald Mountain is in part
limestone, and it is we'll known fact
that a stream of considerable magni-
tudc discharges itself in one of the
adjoining mountains and disappears
For such q stream there must be an
underground course for q long dis
tancc. These underground courses
and passage-ways arc quite common
in ali limestone regions. The great
cave of kentucky is case in point
everybody is familiar with. There
can, therefore, be little or no doubt,
but the base of Bald Mountain is tun-
nelled with these passages, made by
the action OF water on the limestone,
and that these passages extend for a
long distance, discharging the water
into the earth rs it goes along. This
must be so, otherwise the water car
ricd along these subterranean passage
ways would have come out in vol
umc somewhere. A part of it may.
and probably does feed hundreds OF
springs on it's passage from the noun
tain to the lower lands. In travelling
along the section Of country from
Bald Mountain to Bogganas Cut, on
the Carolina Central Railroad, it has
been noticed that there are numerous
springs of purc cool water OF the
same taste.
Those who have considered all these
things, together with one more I'M
portant item in the calculation that
will be considered presently, have
come to the conclusion that there is
an underground course from this
mountain extending to, and probably
under, Doggan's Cut. Boggan's Cut
as it is termed, is q slight elevation o1
granite and sandstone in Ansou
County, through which deep cut is
now being made for the track OF the
Caroliae Central Railroad.
1t may not be generally known that
Col. Ames, one Of the contractors on
this road, is using q vast amount Of
nitro-gly ycerine in blasting out natures
deposits of granite, lilac and sand,
stone, at Boggan's Cut, keeping a
large force at work day and night
This is done by charging immense
blasts with nitro-glycerine and dis
charging them all at a time with a
patent battery, arousing the country
for miles aronnd with the terrific
thunder of the explosions. Any one
who will take the trouble to note the
time of day or night when the rumb.
bling sounds and reports are heard at
Bald Mountain, and compare it with
the time when these fearful discharges
are made at Boggnn's Cut, cannot
fail to come to the CONCLUSION that
they arc both produced from, the same
cause due allowance should be made,
however, for the time necessary tor
the sound to travel from, the cut
through the underground passage to
mountain. Here, then, is natural,
simple, and at the same time, sclen-
tifc explanation Of the great marvel,
which has brought from the North,
East and West, to this wonderful
mountain, many wise men with goose
quilts behind their cars, representing
metropolitan newspapers, to inyostl-
gate tho phenomenon. The New
York Herald has, rs usual, been fore
most in this matter This paper be-