The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-18
An Electric Spring.

The Nashville Banner tells of a won
derful natural curiosity in Tennessee, as
follows: The beautiful Buffalo Valley
the mountaineer's paradise, and one of
the most romantic spots in Tennessee
lies along the eastern bank of that lovely
mountain stream, the Caney Fork. Three
or four miles from the mouth of this val
ley stands an old water mill, whose huge
iron bound wheel, it is said, performed
its last revolution somewhere about the
year 1918. Under this old mill is the
most wonderful spring of which the world
has ever heard. Among the inhabitants
it is known as the Devils Spring" /"
Few people, other than those living in
the immediate neighborhood, know of its
existence, and they rarely visit it, from
the fact that it is believed to exert pow
erful and evil influence over all who are
rash enough to venture sufficiently near
its confines to allow a single drop of the
bubbling, boiling fluid to fall on them or
their garments.
The spring is described as boiling up
from the center of solid rock, its shape
being very like that of bushel measure
and about as large. The sides of this
basin or hole are perfectly smooth, hav-
ing the appearance of having been pol
ished by the hand of man. Its depth is
not known. The people who reside in
the immediate vicinity say it is without
bottom. How this may be we are not
prepared to state, but true it is that an
iron wedge and 300 feet of cord failed to
reach it. The water is of dark blue
color, and boils up with great force-so
great that it spouts up several inches
above its proper confines. And not only
does it boil up with immense force, but it
whirls around with tremendous velocity,
something after the fashion of a whirl-
wind.
The gentleman who describes it says
that he dipped an ordinary tin dipper
into the spring for the purpose of pro-
curing some of the water for a closer ex-
animation of its qualities, and that the
moment the dipper touched the water it
was wrenched from his grasp as though
it had been struck from his hand by q
stroke of lightning, and indeed, he states,
that his arm felt very much as if it had
been suddenly paralyzed. In endeavor-
ing to regain the dipper, which did not
sink more than six inches below the sur
face, but which kept whirling round and
round so fast that it was almost impossi-
BILE to see it, he placed his hand into the
water. He says that the sensations he
experienced at the instant his fingers
touched the water were singularly
strange, causing him to think that thou
sands of needles had pierced his body at
one time. But he didn't succeed in get
ting the dipper out. He tried time and
again to wrench it from its fastenings,
but the greedy waters seemed 10th to give
up their strange captive, to which they
clung with more than vise-like grasp.
Giving up all hope of rescuing the dip
per with his hands, the gentleman be-
thought himself of an empty flask which
he carried in his companion. With this
he again attempted to lift some water
from the spring, and was rewarded with
success, not, however, without considera-
BILE effort, for it required his entire
strength to prevent the angry waters from
snatching the flask from his hands,
Pouring single drop of the strange fluid
in the palm of his hand he examined it
minutely with a magnifying glass with
the most satisfactory results. He states
that the drop of water closely resembled
a fake of snow viewed with the same in
strument.
He examined several other drops, and;
strange to say, each presented marked
difference in appearance. The first as
sumed the shape of star, the second
that of crescent, the third that of
dagger, the fourth comet, and so on.
After concluding his examination, the
gentleman resolved to further test the
water by tasting it. Letting single
drop fall on his tongue, he was surprised
and delighted to find that it sparkled like
the best brand of imported champagne.
He then concluded to swallow a portion,
which he did with the most delightful
effect. He says the moment the water
began descending his throat he enjoyed
the most pleasant sensation of his life.
1t seemed, indeed, as if he were truly sip
ping the nectar of the gods. The draught
seemed to divide itself into q million
parts the moment it passed his throat,
portion passing with the speed of light
ming along every vein of his body.
Owing to the peculiar effects which the
water has on the human system, the gen.
tleman before leaving the place, chris
tened the spot "The Electric Spring."
He claims that this name is peculiarly
appropriate, for there is no doubt but
that the water is heavily charged with
electricity. He will endeavor next sum-
mer to form a company for the purpose
of merging the place into a summer re-
sort, as it is believed that the waters of
the spring will cure any and all ills that
flesh is heir to-.