Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-31
THE Rubbing MOUNT.
The Oldest Inhabitant Tells
What He KReNs About
the Bald.

The On.
pres ideas o. the ConvuIsiens.
From the Knoxville Press and Herald, March %
News was receivedin Raleigh, on the
18th inst, that the shocks on Bald
Mountain, the previous night, were
more violent than at any time since the
commencement of the volcanic disturb. |
nee.
b OLDEST TNHABITANT SPEAKS.
Rev. Jno. Reynolds, one of the oldest
and well known citizens Of Western
North Carolina, informed the editor of
the AsheUiUe Espositor, that aboutsixty-
five years ago the people were terribly |
excited by a runbling noise In Bald
Mountain then known as Cane Greek |
Mountain.) He stated that In addition
to the noise and quaking, lights could
be seen at night. The noise continued
for about ten days, and then, to the Joy
Of the people it ceased. After the
people had recovered from their alarm
they came to the conclusion that the
presence of minerals had caused the
strange and terrible noise, so they be-
gan to explore the mountain In search
of minerals, but with little success.
SCIENCE AGAIN TO THE FRONT.
Rev. j. S. Kennedy, President of
Asheville Female College, publishes a
letter In the AsheriJle Exposition, con-
corning the Bald Mountain phenomena
He aIludes to the earthquakes and vol
canic eruptions of former times, instan-
cling the earthquake at New Madrid,
In 1872, For several months, he says,
its paroxysms co ntinued, extending
over an area of country 800 miles in
length, from the mouth of the Ohio to
that Of the st. Francis. The ground
rose and sunk again in great undula-
tons, and the surface is represented as
bursting open IN assures from which
mud and water we're thrown as high as
the tops of the trees. These singular
connections continued until March
26, 1872, when the cities of Caracas
and La Guayra, in Venezuela, South
America, persisted in an instant, under
whose ruins $4,000 inhabitants were
| destroyed. The New Madrid earth
quake then ceased.
Prof. Kennedy then surmises that a
subterranean ocean of lava extends
from the volcanic district of the Chile
an Andes through Mexico and under
the Gulf of Mexico, towards the CO.
lumbia river IN Oregon, and may, there
fore, have produced the disturbance at
New Madrid, on the Mississippi. The
hot river, known as the Gulf stream,
flowing from out of the West India
and mid Atlantic earthquake and sub
marine volcanic region, may further in
dicate that the Appalachian Mountain
system at its southwestern extremity
~overlies the track or pathway of this
| ocean of lava. Its mighty pulsations,
he says, might shake Bald Mountain
and other portions of this the Oldest
spot, perhaps, on the face of the globe.
The Professor closes with the follow
ing encouraging and inspiriting re-
marks, which we especially commendto
the attention of thoughtiess thousands
who seem to think there is to be an
ever-recurring tomorrow with no swift
coming Dies Ire for them:
"If the solid crust of the earth be
only from sixty to one hundred miles
| in thickness, and if this end of the APP
| palachian system be an uplifted chain
of mountains, with evidences OF NO.
lently disrupted strata, it Is not un-
reasonable to suppose that our hot
springs owe their heat to a deep-seated
volcanic agency which has long been
in a uuiescent state. This state of qui-
eseence may now be interrupted, owing
to its nter-subterranean connection
with some active volcanic district, and
hence, too, the shakings of Bald Noun
tain"
From the New York Herald, March q.
ETHE VOLCANIC REGIONS, via Ma
ron N. c., March %, lS74.-After a
hard nights ride from near Chimney
Rock, your correspondent reached here
this morning, having ridden nearly $50
miles in five days through what seemed
to be an interminable rain storm, and
over the toughest and muddiest roads
it had ever been his bad fortune to en-
counter. These wild though beautiful
regions, but so little known to the out
side world, have afforded much excite
ment and anxiety within the past few
weeks. And well may such be the cease,
inasmuch as Mother Earth has seemed
in such a state Of CONFUSION that We
suyius has been threatened with an
American rival. On the 18th inst,
finding il impossible to obtain horses
at Old Fort, the HerGld's correspondent
started from this point towards Bald
Mountain, understanding that 1t was
some twenty-eight miles distant. But
he had travelled nearly twelve ere night
fall. when he learned that the mountain
was still thirty-one miles away. This
did not look much like progress, but
we pushed forward until we reached a
farmhouse, the occupants. of which IN
formed him that they had experienced
shocks from the mountain. During
this night the Herald man experienced
tine first of the shocks Of which he had
already heard so much. They COM
menced with a noise like that of a
smothered blast, and were followed by
a low. rumbling sound, which continued
for some twenty-five or thirty seconds
AN ATTEMPT TO ASCEND.
The next morning, after various en-
deavors to get a guide and finding such
a thing impossible, your correspondent
started up the mountain alone. The
scenery was perfectly grand, but soon
became obscured by a thick fog and a
binding rain which forced him to re-
turn to the good old farmers house,
where he had stayed the night before
and here an interesting interval was
employed in hearing the stories of the
people. 1t seemed as though there
were a Geographic agency at work il
the country, for many people gathered
at the house at which the writer stop
ped, saying that they had heard that
/, there were strangers in their midst
making inquiries as to the shaking.
/, One of them said he owed about ST.
and he had two COWS and a horse which
he would sell for that money, because
he did not want to go out of the world
owing a cent to any man. The facts con
corning the beginning of tn,
disturbance have already beer
: forwarded by telegram t.
the Herald, the reports about the con
version of over fifty terror-strickel
!. white people by George Logan, color
!. ed preacher, are now confirmed. The
prayer meetings held at Elliott's house
- H. boga of Stone Mountain were n