The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-13
A REMARKABLE ERUPTION.
AN NCHE or EdRTH THROWN
EROM THE HIGHL1NDS.



Ro,ks, and Fish-A Torrent of Water
Pouring from tho side OF the Mountain.
PoUGHKEErsIE. April 12.-At the foot Of
Sugar Loaf Mountain, on the east side OF the
Hudson, near the northern entrance TO the
Highlands, IL tho handsome summer residence
OF the widow Wade. Opposite in the Hudson
is Popelrs Island The ground on which the
Wade mansion Is located Ia eight hundred or
thousarf feet above the level Of the river, the
background being Sugar Loaf Mountain. a thou
sand feet higher. strange occurrence took
place within a thousand feet Of the house yes
terday afternoon.
While James MoManus. the railroad lagman.
was In the rock cut north at 3P. M he heard
singular noise, sort OF rattling or cracking.
To uso his own words, Z" thought the storm
king was tumbling." In minute afterwerd
there was another rumbng and rafting louder
than tho first, almost immediately followed by
third report. Saii he. ~ have heard pOwd OK
hoard such "A noise as that" He ran south To as
certain the cause, ANA found the railroad track for
FIVE hundred feet covered with stones aud bowl
ders and sunfsh and perch. lie looked up the
bill and saw hole three hundred feet in width
and nny feet in depth, and from At fully nifty
thousand tons Of dirt and sand had to all ap-
pearances been lifted up and hurled into and
across the cove below. The cove Is 1--WE hundred
feet IN width, and tho ayalsnche swept through
IL and over II to the Hudson River Railroad
track. tearing down fences and covering the
track six inches deep with stones, dirt, and nsh.
| Huge trees were hurled In every direction. nd
the water the entire length of the cove was dis
| tuIhed.
| At O'Clock In the evening there was another
report, and another mass Of @ lrth was hurled to
| the cove below. At o'clock yesterday morning
there were twp more reports. and more dirt was
displaced. What Il stranger stIl almost imme-
diately after the last reports, torrent OF water
| burst from the bottom OF tie cavern, from
| where the earth had been hurled and plunged
| down the side Of the hill. cutting ravine nve
| feet deep In less than no time, and the volume
| OF water Is increasing hourly. When the fact Is
| stated that there ls no pond or stream near the
| spot, exec I one mile back OF sugar Lo 4, the
| sudden appearance OF large stream
| OF water from the bottom of a cavern ffty feet
| below tho surface OF tue ground IL remark
| able. Trees thirty fsot IN height were carried
| to a distance Of "A thousand feet Scores OF peo
| pie visited the spot to-day. but not one could
| satisfactorily explain the occurrence. IL was
not a land slide. 1t certainly looked like an
eruption, for to all appearances the thousands Of
| tons Of earth must have been forced upward
| and outward to the cove below. The result OF
| this upheayal can ea,lly be seen from the win
| dows OF passing trains. All around the chasm
| the ground was undisturbed, except where the
| immense mass Of earth struck II as IL tumbled
| into the river The indications are that there
| will soon be another upheavdl there. and tho
| trackmen are watching the track closely. The
| occurrence has revealed tons Of the finest sand
where II Was thought no sand oxIsted.