The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-08

burg Railroad was then beiug construct,
ed on the other side of the range eight
or ten miles distans, aud the wiseacres
| attributed all the sounds aud shocks that
were heard and felt to the frequent blasts
that were made in the rock beds along
the line. After one such shock, however,
IL was discovered that one Of The uumer.
Gus peaks OF the Bald mountain group
was rent In twain from summit 20 base,
and the unbelievers wereasilenced from
that day to this. An Investigation Of the
iissufe caused by that shock showed that
1t was several fer: vide and hundreds OF
yards long. A party of mountaineers,
having prot id.d themselves with ropes
and candles, entered the cleft in the side
Of the mountain, and after going q short
distance found that IL widened into q
great cavern. The appearance of the
walls proved beyond question that the
cavern was of very recent origin; frag.
ments of rocks hung loosely overhead |;
the floor was covered with debris, and
altogether the situation was go threaten.
ing and uncertain, ct beat, that the ex-
ploration was abandoned well nigh at its
outset. II has never been pressed any
further, to tho writer's knowledge. The
impression made upon the minds of those
who entered the cave was that tho "bot.
tom Of the mountain ha6 dropped out,
down to somewhere" leaving the peak
little more than o rocky shelf. On this
theory the phenomena that had been
observed for 40 many months before were
accounted for. The inside of the noun.
tain had been crumbling aud caving ia,
piecemeal, and the fall Of tho masses in
the interior had caused the shocks and
rumbiiDg sounds that had been felt and
heard for miles around. The theory may
or may not be the true one. It will hold
until better one 10 offered, at least, eud
has strong aupport in some other recent
occurrences Ia the same neighborhood.
A few miles from Bald mountain, in
another part Of the same range, 10 another
peak that has certainly cayed in the way
suggested.
have occurred OF this point Is beyond
question. The mountain han caved and
crnmbled until it 10 as hollow as q bee
hive, and very badly cracked ibee hive
withal. Currents of warm air arc drawn
into crevices between the rocks on the
one side of the mountain, and pour out
on the other side, aa chill as o blast from
au Ice house. Tho outgoing currents
creep along the groand and are dislin.
guishable In the gummer time at o dis.
tance of half mile from the point of
exit. So Il is said. A fishing rod can
be driven out of sight ut many places, in
the crevices between the rocko under
foot. At one point cross section of the
ridge has fallen bodily distance OF per.
haps hundred feet-leaving gap
through the mountain like railroad
"cut," the side walls of which are nearly
perpendicular. Make two parallel cuts
across and through loaf of bakers
bread, and then L.nsh down the middle
alice go formed and you will get fair
idea Of what hes occurred here. The
loaf Of bread Is mountain, however,
and the slice IL probably an hundred
yards long. At another point such
slice has fallen without exposing from
above the gap which It has left, There
is slight creyice at tho surface, indeed,
but you would step across that without
suspecting what was under you. The
orevioe gradually widens as you descend
the mountains, aud yos can 40 into It at
one or two places. Looking upward II
appeared as o broken thread OF light
extending along the roof of cave Of
unknown proportions. The rock walls
of the cave are broken and cracked in
every direction, and the floor is covered
with fragments that nave zailsa E;o:i
above, and that keep falling. The floor
also drops away sometimes. You cannot
go very far along the dark and dangerous
road your feet are in, even II you wish
to do go, because it ends suddenly In an
abyss OF which you can neither see the
roof, the sides, nor the bottom. Drop a.
stone. over the yerge-yous will never
hear 1t strike! There II no known bot.
tom therej 1t. too, has dropped down to
somewhere. fisa5 ~. -;
There are other evidences Of anrest
and uncertainty In the hearts of those
everlasting hills. In one place q great
body OF water gushed out Of the aide of
o. mountain. breaking its way through
the aoil and carrying everything before
It,. The, guideS will show yon 'fRhirl.
pools" that receive mountain streams and
swallow them. Throwa atick into the
little mealstrom and it will spin around
q few momsnts aud then disappear In,
the yurtex.
These things are al rss:s!:!s. and ie,
tereatink and aMhaxplninad. n tho anIiia
features and facts and phennoInens SSsre
20 be observed in the Hafts nonntains,
tuSso WOuS u0 lekeguh ApOuG tueIi, ana
Americans would cr6sS the ocean to SEQ
them and write books about shsali. IF
they were located In the White { tnoun..s
toins, or the Catskilis, Or the Adirondacks,
there would bs hotels and railroads all
through the region TO acconnodate the
crowds OF yisitors every summer. As it
is. Il is ali In tho F"Land Of the SEy..O
and might, DO we'll bio In the sky itself, SO
for as' our people. are con neerhed. :. Y