The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-06-13
The Carolinian Volcano.


The Carolinian Volcano.
A correspondent of the New York
Sun says that Bald Mountain is knob
on the eastern end of spur jutting from
the Blue Ridge, running across Nc
Dowell County, North Carolina. 1t is
about thirty miles from the South
Carolina border, eighty from Georgia,
and fully sixty from the Tennessee line.
The unfinished Western North Carolina
Railroad, from Salisbury to Asheville,
runs within thirty miles of the noun
tain. The famed Chimney Rock faces
old Baldy, as it is called, and Vance's
Nose flanks it on the west. All are
celebrated peaks, and all are ribbed by
rocks from three hundred to one thous-
and and two hundred feet high. Chin
ney mountain and Vance's Nose are
crowned with crags, but old Baldy caps
its cliffs with arabic land, reached by a
ridge on the east. The most of this
land is cattle range owned by Mr.. b.
F. Afford. Although the highest and
most celebrated, Bald Mountain 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 nine
hundred and fifty feet high pours over
the face of the Chimney Mountain.
The water is 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 ruffies it into snowy wind
rows, which chase each other down the
rock until lost in shower of spray.
The Broad River, branch of the Con-
garee, sweeps between the peaks, and
has cut canon fully two thousand 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 a line of red
earth, and felt himself sinking in the
ground. He caught the limb Of tree,
and was saved. The earth caved in, re-
vealing crack varying from one to six
feet in width, and about one hundred
and fifty yards long. 1t was a fresh
crack. Mr.. Afford had passed the line
repeatedly within fortnight, and found
the earth solid. The secret of the miss
ing cattle was explained. Trees had
disappeared, and the ground around the
crack gave hollow sound. On his ap-
preaching the edge of the fissure, the
earth cracked and crumbled, and the
prudent farmer did not attempt to ascer-
tain its depth. He contented himself
by building fence on each side of the
crevice, for the protection of his cows.
The discovery, however, was quickly
noised about. A party of moonshiners
or illicit whisky distillers visited the
fssure and tried to fathom it. Huge
stones were rolled into it. Their crash
ing died away into muffled thunder and
was finally lost. Thereupon the moon
sinners inferred that the crack was
unfathomable. After discussion over
the strange noise that came from the
bowels of the mountain four years ago,
they were satisfied that the fissure was
caused by an earthquake, and SO de-
clared. A day or two afterward two
negroes and Norfolk drummer climbed
the mountain. They hunted for the
crevice with great diligence, but the
drummer lacked nerve. He mistook
the fumes of an illicit still for sulphur,
and beat a hasty retreat. Itwas reported
that he had discovered an old crater and
been nearly suffocated with birthstone.
The moonshipers declared that they had
felt the shock of an earthquake, and
predicted the eruption of a volcano.
The country is thinly settled, but the
rumors reached Hendersonville and
Asheville garnished in fine style, and
were telegraphed to New York. They
said that Bald Mountain had been split
in twain, described the crashing of rocks
splintering of trees, and smell Of
sulphur, widened the fissure to thirty
feet, and sent the inhabitants fleeing il
every direction for safety.
The writer visited the locality, accom-
panied by Mr.. Taylor, of Spartanburg
s. c.; Mr.. J. M. Flack, of Chimney Rock
and Mr.. Mckinley, of the Charleston
MeDs and Courier. The farmers in tn,
vicinity seemed to know and care bu
little about the discovery. Our onl,
guides were the moonshiners. The,
sprang up like mountain cats. TIL
weather was very warm and the ridg
very steep. We found the crack with
out difficulty. 1t runs along the edg
of the peak and not across it.
The crack extends along the shelf o
the rock, five hundred feet from tn
verge. 1t resembles crack in an i'm
mense brickwork. The fssure is irregu
lar. For some distance it is vertical, bu
afterward becomes horizontal and so re
mains. It daily becomes longer, bu
does not increase in width. In no plac
is it wider than six feet. Stones wer
thrown into it, and all were satisfe
that they could hear them strike tn
bottom A slope of red clay on eithe
side make it dangerous to examine tn
crevice, but with some difficulty 10
was thrown across, and all peered int
its depths. Blank darkness alone coul
be seen. There was a smell of dea
leaves, but no scent of sulphur. Th
ground was humpy, and "Awlford's' ca
tie were watching our operations owe
the rough fence.
1t is evident that no earthquake ha
caused the break. No one claims t
have felt shock since 1875, and person
living at the foot of the mountain d.
clare that they felt none at that tim,
The spring has been exceedingly we
and this undoubtedly accounts for th
crevice. A week rain might send mi
lions of tons of rock down into the, va
ley. In times past great blocks hay
fallen out. Mr.. Brackett, who lives
the foot of the mountain, says he h,
repeatedly seen these slides. One O
CURED two weeks ago, causing a gre.
crashing and roaring. Chimney Peak
gashed with fallen rocks. Arches
thousand feet long are left by them, an
craggy hips and shoulders project frol
the mountain. Nor is this all. In tN
places a whole section Of the mountai
has been split into rocks and sunk hui
dreds of feet below the top. The roc
appears to be a coarse granite. lump
with quartz. Caves and assures a
] numerous. Within the caves the quar-
is set so regularly that it looks like Il
grain OF the rock. The CRYSTALS nj
doubtedly lessen the adhesive oualiti
OF the rock, and the slides and stran.
noises once heard in the heart of Ba'
Mountain are caused by the action
water under the mountain. The roc,