Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-03-21
A BURNING MOUNTAIN
discovered Down In the Southern
Part of the State.
The Tale a Family Brings to ST. George
Tucker County---POssibly
Coal on Fire.


RowE1sBURG, W. Va, March ia most
startling story comes to light here. Aparty
of four young gentlemen from the East
under the guidance of Jimmy Balm OF st.
George, started out week or SO ago to
hunt in the Chest river district south In
Tucker county. Yesterday the four sports
men returned here to take the train nome.
They brought no game but came burdened
from St. George with most marvellous
story Of burning mountain in their hunt
ing district some fifty miles south Of here.
The party's names are Messrs. Mills, FItz-
gerald, Thomas and Van Dorm, and are
from Baltimore. They returned to ST.
George with a mountaineer's family whom
they overlook on the way with all their
goods and chsttles packed on lean mule
The mother carried 8 sick child in her
arms and two little boys whose tow heads
we're fleece grown toddled on barefoot after
her, while the father aud two grown sons
lead the way. Their appearance showed
that they were leaving hastily for some rea'
sons They were overtsken about ten miles
south of st. George, and said they had fol
lowed the Cheat for twenty FIVE miles, that
the inhabitants were fleeing that region be-
cause of some terrible fire "someWhere' in
the neiehborhood and that they had left it
the day before from the same cause. II
appears from what could be gathered from
the wild talk Of the willing but Ignorant
family, whose names are Melton, that they
lived from hand to mouth on patch OF
cleared ground on o mountain side whose
base formed portion Of the Chest river
bank, that the terrible fire was 'souewhsres
over behind or in under" the mountain,
that no smoke was visible bat that the cir
was sitting hot and the river Ct a certain
point was so hot tina. the fish died in it.
The first intimstion Mr.. Melton had OF the
phenomenon was this unusual sight OF
dead fish in the Cheat, whose ice had ear
lier than than usual broken up in their vi
cinity above as far as could be seen. but to
his surprise had remained q normal length
of time below and formed o small gorge at
the place they lived. Strangely hot winds
also came down the valley while from else
where it came with winters chilliness. In
tracing the cause be found il, evidently, to
lie in subterraneau heat in the mountain
side which extended under the river bed
and shout half mile up stream became 60
hot that it heated the water which ran
slowly there till steam rose from the sur
face near the bank. This was family no
ticeab!e for short distance further up be-
yond which the water by degrees assumed
its normal state. The atmosphere was
warm and the slightest exertion brought
out the perSpiration. At the point men
toned it was sitting and there also the
earth was too hot 10 place the hand upon.
Nothing else was was noticeable. the noun.
tain being bleak and bare from Winter, but
further back upon its sides the heat was
absolutely uncomfortable aud after climbing
up its thicSly wooded aide for two or three
hundred feet the hardy mountsineer was
forced to return the air being unbreathable
Animals had left their retreats, birds steer
ed clear Of the locality, and not living
thing was 10 be seen. The earth was dry
and cracked with the heat. Dead snakes
and yermin were discovered By the father
and sons who evidently were mentally
paraly zed By the unusual and startling or.
der of things. The heat instead of dimin.
ishing increased, the cracks in the earth
widened and new ores appeared; the To-
cality became uninhabitsble snd the terror
stricken family depressed with the know
ledge that something strange and tsrrible
was taking place in the earth beneath them
and living in the midst OF slid!ug winds
whose increasing heat brought to their ter
riGed and ignorant minds pictures Of burn.
ing forests and volcanoes, held consulta-
ton with neighbors and hastily resolved TO
abandon the uncomfortable locality. Tne
man Melons researches went 20 farther
than stated and there is no doubt that be
firmly believes what ne says to be true.
All the men in st. George protesting
knowledge of the district have interviewed
him, and his story was the same to each
under the keenest questioning The town
of St George is excited over the discovery
and on Tuesday party Of half dozen
started for the scene Of the burning noun
tain" tits about Ave or ten miles north.
west Of the well known large area of vol.
csnic rock IN Southwestern Virginia. Men,
however, we'll acquainted with the geology
OF the state declare the location Of this
volcanic area is fixed to a nicely and does
not come within ten miles of the point
in question as located by Mr. Melton The
only other tenable theory is thst bitumin.
GUS coal in which these mountains are
known to be rich has By some phenomenal
means become ignited and forms spoul.
dering mas down in The mountains heart
making a mighty csuidFon Of the Cheat
Rivers bed. In several well kno~n local.
ties of the state such fires have been known
to exist, notably at Cassville, Monongslis
county, where the heat from burning coal
that crops out of the mountains side has
at some time melted and burned the lodges
or strata Of limestone, above il out of all
semblance TO rocks.