The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-06-08
THE CAR0LINIAN VOLCANO.
TIE GREAT FTSSURE IN BALD
mo UNTAIf AND ITS CAUSE.


of the Crack-A Waterfall Of ESQ
Feet High The Bat Caves and the
Icy Wind Fissures.
Bald Mountain is knob on tho
eastern end Of Il spur juttins from
the Blue Ridge, running across
McDowe l county, N. G. 1t is
about thirty miles from tho South
Carolina border, eighty from Geor-
gia, and fully sixty from the Ten
nessee line. The unfinished West
ern North Carolina Railroad, from
Salisbury to Asheville, runs within
thirty n1ilos OF tie mountain. The
famed Chimney Rock faces old
Blldy, as it is c.,llol, ana Vance's
Nose flanks it on the west. All are
celebrated peaks, anJ all are ribbed
by rocks from 800 to 1900 feet
high. Chimney N,untain and
Vancos Nose are crowned with
crags, but old BAldy caps it's cliffs
with arabic land, reached by ridge
or the east. The most of this land
is u cattle range owned by Mr.. II.
L. Afford Although tho highest
and most celebrated, Blll Noun
tain is really the most insignificant
of the three peaks VAnce's Nose,
though almost inaccessible, affords
one of the finest views in the State,
and cascade $50 feet high pouys
over tho face Of tho Cainnay
Mountain. This waterfall il even
more beautiful than the Bridal
Veil of Yosemite. 1T hugs the
smooth rock in an exquisite curve.
The falling water becomes milky
foam, and the wind ruflles it into
snowy vinrows, which chase zach
other down the rock until lost in
shower of spray The Broad River,
branch Of the Congaree, sweeps
between the peaks, and has cut a
canon fully 1000 feet in depth.
About six weeks ago Mr.. Afford
went up on Bald Mountain to look
after missing cattle. While passing
through the woods, he stepped
upon line of red earth, and felt
himself sinking in the ground. He
caught the limb of Il tree, and was
saved. The earth caved in, reveal
ing crack varying from one to six
feet in width, and about $50 yards
long. 1t was fresh crnck. Mr..
Afford had passed tho line repeat
edly within IL fortnight, and found
the earth solid. The secret of the
missing c,ttle was explained. Trees
had disappeared, and the ground
around tho crack gave hollow
sound. On his approaching the
edge of the fssure, the earth crack
ed and crumbled, and the prudent
farmer did not attempt to ascertain
it's depth. He contented himself
by building fence on each side
of the crevioe, for the protection of
his COWS.
The discovery, however, was
quickly noised about. A party of
moonshiners or illicit whiskey dis
tillers visited the tissure, and tried
to fathom it. Huge stones were
rolled into it. Their crashing died
away into muff1ed thunder and was
finally lost. Thereupon the MOON
shiners inferred that the crack was
unfathomab]e. After q discussion
over the strange noises that came
from the bowels of the mountain
four years ago, they were satisfied
that the fiseure was caused by an
earthquake, and so declared. A
day or two afterward two negroes
and a Norfolk drummer climbed the
mountain. They hunted for the
crevco with great diligence, but
the drummer lacked nerve. He
mistook the fumes of an illicit still
for sulphur, and beat hasty re-
treat. It was reported that he had
discovered an old crater, and been
nearly suffocated with birthstone.
The ,noonshiners declared that they
had felt the shock of an earthquake,
and predicted the eruption of Il
volcano. The country is thinly
settled, but the rumors reached
Hendersonville and Asheyille gar
nished in fine style, and were
telegraphed to New York. They
said that Bald Mountain had been
split in twain, described the crash.
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