Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-03-25
THE NORTH CAROLINA MYSTERY.
Nyciting Facts about the Volcanic Indica.
ti0nS.
Mae People Sing, Pray and Trimbie.
NEAR THE VOLCANIC REGIONS,
MCDoNVEIL Co. March 10 1C=4

q
zen miles around the vicinity of Bald
Mountain.
AS your readers have been informed
,his mountain is situated between Crook.
ed Creek, in Mcdowell county, and Broad
lsiver-the mountain also extending into
rutherford county--that portion of the
-ange within Mcdowell is more generally
allied Stone Mountain. The first signs OF
alarm in this locality were witnessed on
The 10th day Of February, about o'clock
n the evening. This consisted in what
he people call a terrible numbering, -
The earth seeming TO "quiver - to a fright
fui extent. Some parties describe it as
.errible thunder, gradually dying away in
Jhe distance; others describe the noise as
The roaring Of heavy artillery in the dis
tance
And on the 10Th of February two gen.
Iemen were on the highest point of Bald
fountain, at what is known as Harris
.lew-Which is said to be next to Mt.
Mitchell in height. On that day these
Sentlemen heard this strange noise. One
~ the gentlemen says it first reminded
him of the falling of heavy timber, and
presented a strange combination of sounds
and impressions. Parties living on the
mountain sides, and at the foot, heard the
-same-all think that the noise was in the
mountain. One man says when he was
Jn one side of the mountain the terrible
-ain-and when on the opposite side, the
same indications were observed. All feel
satisfied that the noise pro .eeds alone from
his mountain.
But on the ed of February the noise had
cached such point as TO become perfect
y terrible. Among the persons living on
mis- mountain are Mr.. Camp, Johnston
Elliot, Noah Elliott, Widow Nanny,
George Morgan, James Gilbert and others.
from statement OF all these parties and
perhaps fifty others, the mountain was
actually shaking" the moving was like
she entire mountain was giving away, the
.able-ware in the houses, the furniture all
"ocEed and jolted with frightful force One
man riding on horseback, his horse be-
anne fearfully frightened. 1t is said that
he cattle have become alarmed and wan
dered from their usual range.
Such was the alarm, that about l. o'clock
g.U A1ight on the 22nd, the people for miles
Eroe nd began 10 assemble at mans house
Uy t1,a name of Camp. And Camp having
gone to the wood pile for wood, became so
.larnsf, that he fell upon his knees, and
began to pray aloud. Very soon the ter
~ible "Qva.' King" Of the mountain was such
hat the er. at crowd now assembled en-
l,aged in prayer. At daybreak on Monday |
morning of the 18th ult., George Logan, a |
rolored Baptist preacher, was sent for in |
great haste. And so impatient were they |
Jf his arrival, that Hortion Of the crowd |
met him on the road, beseeching him to |
:ome and prey and preash. The people
-hus assembled remained in these devo-
Ions for three days, when they moved a
short distance 10 vacant house, the prop
4rty of Harris Elliott. About the third day
Billy Logan, white man, and Baptist
preacher was sent for, who came immedi-
acely. On the third day of March, Rev.
j. VI. Lumly, the Methodist minister in
harge of the Broad River Mission, was
mportuned to attend and preach, who
promptly complied with the request.
From an eye witness, the scenes are de-
scribed as most strange and extraordinary.
The people came tiocking in crowds of fif-
yeen and twenty, including men, women
and children, all presenting the most ter
'.Dle state of fear despair and peuitence.
ON the day Mr.. Eumley preached, the
house was literally packed, the preacher
uarely having room TO stand; so great was
he rush to hear, that many rushed up the
side of the walls and crowded on the josts
above-only portion of the upper story
having floor.
The portion having the floor was filled,
nus forming sort Ofgallery. And many
not being able to enter the house, crowded
heir heads in the door and all around the
house, manifesting the most intense inter
est. When the call was made for mourn
srs, the people rushed from all paats of the
mouse, and from outside of the house with
almost frantic yells, and fell upon the floor +
and upon each other, all praying and sun.
p!icating in the most heartfelt and agoni-
ling manner ever witnessed on earth.
These exercises continued necessarily for
lG days and nights with hut little intermis-
sion.
During this time the people all lived in
commOn-no attention was given to labor
Or property-cattle, horses and hogs were
turned 70 the woods, and the entire people
within the range of this awful excitement
nave concluded that they have but a few
more days 10 live. About one hundred ;
nave made profession of religion. The !
losing scenes OF this strange meeting are !
reDresented as most peculiar and wonder J
ful.
During most Of this period of lG days {
ne mountain had continued at intervals {
- present the same alarming impressions 9
But having prayed, shouted, sung and ago ]
liZed for this long period, they separated !
With the promise that all would remain
and def Necessary. II is said that the
awe-syrcten countenances, the melan- :
3hOly demeanoT of this vast crowd ON the
OreaKing up Of the devotions are bevond
all description.
In these excited devotions It seems that
all BECAME perfectly resigned 10 what l
seemed an inevitable faCe. All past differ
epces were forgotten, and mutual amnesty
seemed 10 be the universal feeling. One I
eid woman, IA strong Baptist in her relig- ]
lOus opinions, cried out TO bro Tumlev 4