The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-03-02
A Hill That Shakes.

some extent, abated iI this immediate
section says a Cambridge City Ind
( letter to the Cincinnati Enquirer, fire.
I quent mention is made of the feasibili-
! ty and probable results of boring for the
| inflammable fluid on "Shaky Hill"
! There are many who are positive in their
belief that gas can be found there. and
/ N abundance, too. There are others
who claim that it, would be the last
place in the world for gas or oil, but it
/ is certain that the locality or ''hill'' is
| attended with very mysterious phenom-
ena.
The hill in question is a part OF a low
/ ridge of land running east and west
I some two miles south. the hIii compris-
| irg about twelve acres, being south
west, two AID one-half miles, in the
northeastern corner of Fayette county.
/ The land was entered IN 1916 by Thorn
as Reagan, whose son Wiley Reagan,
| settled upon the hill in 1922. Your
correspondent met to day two gentle
men who probably know more about the
circumstances surrounding the peculiar
actions of the hill, or rather plateau,
than any others. One, the son-ln-law
of Wiley Reagan. said
1.-The land on which it is situated
was bought about sixty-five years ago
| by Wiley Reagan. my father in law, an
early settler who improved the farm and
built log bonse on the highest part of
it, the part lying east of small creek.
soon after the family occupied the house
they discovered that at intervals there
was pronounced disturbance of the
hill, as if moved or shaken by an earth
quake-this. too, while other sectious
of the country were undisturbed. This
continued for several years, and finally
increased and became so marked that
the Reagan family became alarmed and
built new cabin on tie west part of
the farm-across the creek. This was
done because they feared some dire
calamity would 5efall them should they
remain on the hill not that they were
superstItious, as had been said, but be-
cause they were afraid the land would
sink or break up, at least they thought
it safer on more stable ground. The
cabin was removed and there has been
no dwelling very near the hill since.
The character of the disturbance re-
| sembles the sensation produced by an
earthquake, perceptibly shaking the
house, various articles of furniture, and
especially the cupboard and It's contents
OF dishes, etc /; shaking the clothesline,
something causing it to fall. with its
load of washing. The disturbances, as
| far as known, have not occurred as fire.
quently as formerly; but as the locality
has for a long time been a part of
! large open field, the chances for obser-
! vation have been limited, and it may
have shaken many times without hav-
ing beeh felt by persons.
''On a number of occasions the house
nearest the hill, to the northeast, was
| affected in similar manner, and at one
time the cellar wall of this house was
| badly cracked and rendered useless
The peculiarity of this hill--that it has
repeatedly shaken, and the phenomena
stated actually took place-is authenti-
So'SN ~ many VI 41cdSdu LSdISSI
| neighbors.
There is nothing peculiar or differ
| ent from the ordinary in this or adjoin-
ing lands to point to anything strange,
excepting large sulphdr spring at the
| foot of the hill, in a quagmire that
seems to have no bottom"
In his last statement the gentleman
| suggests theory to account for the
strange behavior of the hill. 1t is prob
able thai the elevation has for its foun-
dation thin stratum of Niagara rock
resting on this bog. A slight disturb
ance would cause this rock to vibIate,
and this motion transferred to the hill
would produce a decided shock
The gentleman further stated ''In
more recent years persons living imme-
diately west of the hill have noticed an
| odor of coal-tar in damp weather, when
the wind blew from the east Also.
shat in digging cellars and wells large
assures were found partly filed with
substances closely resembling cinders,
ashes, etc.
At one time Iaborer was hired to
| dig a we'll near the house, but after
| going down some twenty feet the tools
caused such hollow sounds the man
came up instanter, declaring he would
not finish it. as he was afraid the bot
tom would fall out''
Mr.. Byram Baldwin, who owns tie
farm, states to his certain knowledge
the hill has been ''shaky'' for over fifty
seven years. He has experienced the
peculiar sensations. and only about two
months ago his wife and hired hand
felt a violent jar about O'Clock in the
morning. Their dwelling is about
three eigths of a mile from the hill. OF
a large apple-oIchaId set out by Mr.
Reagan only one tree remains, the rest
having died or were cut down. One
day n the fall of 1888 nearly all the ripe
apples were shaken from the trees by
the quskiDg of the earth. Mr.. Bald
win says that while driving near the
hill one Saturday night with his wife
they were startled by three flashes of
light, produced by balls of fire, which
shot up into the air one hundred feet,
much like sky rocket. 1t is said on
good authority that this is of frequent
occurrence, and 1t is no doubt Caused
by the combustion of light carburetted
hydrogen, commonly called marsh gas,
OF 'jack-o lantern"
Arother peculiar feature OF this place
is that the needle of the compass will
not point to the magnetic pole. but in
clines to the east. The temperature,
too, is unlike that of the surrounding
region. The same thermometer will
show change of several degrees in
going from different parts of the farm
to the hill-not always cooler, not al
WAYS warmer, but never the same.