The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-07-14
A Smothered Volcano.

here. A party of five young gentlemen
from the maritime provinces, under the
guidance of an Indian. left here two
weeks ago 10 hunt in the Manitou River
district. in the Northwest Territory. To-
day the five sportsmen returned en- ronte
for home They brought no game, hut
instead came burdened with the most
marvellous story of a burning mountain
in their hunting district. The names of
the Young nien are Sutton. Williamson.
Van Horne, Cribs and Alexander.
The district in which they went hunt
ing lies about fifty miles 10 the south OF
the Canadian Pacific Railroad track from
Brute. on the high lands near the Mani
tou River. This locality is just north of
the United States boundary line from
Black Duck Lake. in Minnesota. They
report having left Brule III company with
their guide, ~iourneying southwark. After
traversing some distance they met Il
mountaineer's family on their way into
tibet own. with all their goods and chat
tells packed on two ~lean-looking horses.
The mother carried a sick child in her
arms. and two little tow-headed girls tod
died along barefoot after the fathe. Two
som and a daughter led the way
Their appearance showed that they
were leaving hastily for some reason, and
they told the hunters that they were flee
ing the region in which they had lived
on account of ''some terrible fire. They
said that they had lived ON a patch Of
cleared ground on the mountain side
whose base formed Il portion of the Mani
tou Rivers bank that the terrible fire
WAS somewhere over behind or in under
the mountain that no smoke was visible,
hut that the air was sitting and the river
at certain points So not that the fish died
in il. The first intimation that the faith
er. whose name is Malcolm, had Of this
strange phenomenon was the unusual
sight of a great number of dead fish in
the Manitou. The ice i'll the river in
their immediate vicinity had broken up
earlier than usual this year, but the men
were greatly surprised to find that both
above and below the place where they
length of time. Strangely hot winds al
20 came down into the valley, while else
where the atmosphere was of wintry
chilliness.
The hunters found that about Il mile
furtherup the stream, the mountain side
where it extended under the river bed
became - hot that it heated the water,
which flows slowly there, until steam
rose from the surface near the banks.
This WAS family visible for 4 short dis
tance fuather up, but beyond that the
waite by degrees resumed lis normal
state The atmosphere was found To be
very warm. and the slightest eXertion
caused perSPiration. Close To the spot
where the farmer had lived the hunters
found the air 10 be almost sitting, and
there also the earth was Toe hot III places
To touch with the hand. Nothing else
WAS noticeable. the mountain being bleak
and bare from winter. but further back
on it, sides the heat was absolutely I'M
bearable. After climbing up lis thickly-
wooded sides for two or three hundred
feet the hardy hunters were forced to
return, the air beingso sniiocatinc. AMI
mails had left their retreat. the birds
steered clear of the locality. and not 4
/ living thing was to he seen.
The earth was dry and cracked with
the subterranean heat. Dead snakes
without number were discovered by the
hunters. The heat, instead of diminish
Ing. WAS found 10 increase the higher
they went up the mountain side; the
cracks in the earth widened. and new
ones appeared. and the locality became
uninhabitable.
The town of Brule is very much excited
over the discovery, and on Wednesday a
party of half a dozen men started for the
scene of the burning mountain. Ii is
about five or ten miles from any habita-
ton. Men we'll acquainted with the ge-
ology of the province declare that the To-
cation of this volcanic area has been fix
ed Ia a nicely. Their theory Is that the
bituminous coal in which this N j.
known to te rich has by some phenomc-
nal means become ignited, the vast and
smouldering mass far down in the noun
tain's heart making 4 mighty caldron of
the Manitou Rivers bed.