The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-17
BALD MOUNTAIN BEATEN
A Yankee Ground Crumbler

NOrtCich, Conn, Udrch d. The IN
explicable "Moodus noises that mysti
fed the world over century ago have
been heard twice this winter, and spec
uation about their origin Is busy again
in the Connecticut River valley. The
noises first attracted attention early III
the eighteenth century, and for years
afterward were talked about with bated
breath by fearful groups around the
fireside Of every farmhouse 10 New
England. At that time they were be
leved to be of supernatural origin.
Moodus is a beautiful, quiet little
hamlet, lying on each side of a broad
trout stream that flows into the Con
necticut River from the east, about ten
miles south of Mlddletown. The vii
aee is a mile or two fro u the bank of
the Connecticut, and its cheerful farm
houses aud cottages are scattered along
the f1anks Of long eloping hills The
noises are thought to originate III
Mount Tom, lofty emlncnce near
Moodus aud not far from the village OF
East Haddam The sounds arise often
without warning. and are loud and So
norous, breaking suddenly on the slum
berous serenity Of the valley, and
breakin- off as abruptly. At other
times they begin with a far away mur-
lnur, rise gradually lato a duh roar,
like the groaning Of mighty animal,
until they fill the air t,r mlles with
their vibratOry peallng They are ac-
companied by 30 external signs OF ter
restrial convulsion, ald there l. IL uaiiy
no trembling of the ground observable
in earthquake disturbances. Those
whe have beard them say that they
seem to roll up ont ct the bowels OF the
earth, as though ali imprisoned agony
was striving TO find expression.
Mount Tom was called by the In
dams, Mackmoodu~. ''the place Of
noises. Since Bald Mountain in Nor h
Carolina became famous, it has been
thought by scientific men that the SIN
gular sounds in both localities we're due
to similar cause.
The latest manifestations, before
those of this winter. occurred on a sun
day in 1852, and caused much comment
in the neighborhood. In 1929 the
noises were most remarkable, aud i dc
; ;ription Of th IN b. chroll:ier> Df that
time may still be found in the Annals OF
/ the river villages AMI towns. \ clergy
man of that uay writes wunierlngiy !.
Nv neither there be anytnlh- d ib rical
I in these things know not, but tins /
know, tnat God Almighty Is to be seen
and trembIei at He goes Oh II
myself heard eight or ten sounds sue
cessively, and initiating small arms, in
| the space Of five minutes. 1 have 1
suppose, heard several hundred OF them
within twenty years, some more, some
less terrible. O.tentimes | have heard
them to be coming down from the
north, initiating slow thunder, until
\ the sound came near or right under,
and then there seemed to be breaking
+ like the noise Of a cannon shot or severe
+ thunder. which shakes the houses aud
i all that is in them they have, IN a
manner, ceased since the great earth
/ quake" CThat Of Lisbon,
/ Less trustworthy accounts, most OF
which are mere floating traditions OF
superstitious romancing aver that dur
ing these earlier disturbances the hills
around Moodus were rent in places
long, deep assures opened, and great
stones came rafting down into the val
ley.
La the latter part Of the last century
a pamphlet was published entitled the
"Noodus Noises" 1t assumed to tel
the causes that produced the singuiaI
sounds and the explanation Of their oc
caSion. Thirty years or more before th'
book was written, the writef says, DR.
Steele, an English physician, skilled il
necromancy, came t. Haddam anC
Moodus to dig up the carbuucle that
he said, was hidden IN the hills, anC
/. whose efforts to unearth itself were tn
cause Of the groanings. The docto
further averred that it Is characters
tic Of the carbuncle that. a soon a. /
: has beer produced IN the .round, i
commences its efforts to relieve itself
While it is growing it, lamentatIon
/ steadily augment until it finally make
, known it, destined deliverer It's place .
: imprisonment. Magic lore, or deep in
; sight into the science Of mineralogy
had taught the English physician tha
, somewhere in the earth at that tim
one Of the enchanted stones lay buried
/, He journeyed until he reached the val
t ley of Moodus, and heard the distan
murmurings Of the buried gem. ii