The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-11-14
TURNED TO STONE.
A Strange Story from Claiborne
County, Tennessee.
A Big Green Cloud Passes over the Lick
skillet Country and Petrifies Hogs as
Wen as "a Field OF Corn - The
Yarn of the Season.

The people in the eastern portion of
Claiborne County, Tenn, are excited
over a remarkable occurrence which
took place there not long ago. 1t is one
of the most marvellous occurrences ever
heard of, and it will prove to be prob
lem over which scientific minds may
wrestle for some time 70 come.
Edgar Ramsey is farmer who lives
Ave miles from Lick Skillet. He ar
rived in Middlesboro recently. The story
he told would not find believers at first,
but since then it has been proven that
ne has told nothing but the truth. His
statement is thus reported by corre-
spondent of the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat:
"Last Sunday afternoon / noticed
what appeared TO be large green-look-
ing cloud coming from a westerly direc-
tion toward my house. 1t was long
distance off, and rhe rain was falling
heavily. Shortly afterward it became
very cold, in fact so cold that went in
doors, lit a big fire and put on lis
heavy coat. When came out agai, the
big green cloud was almost ovr the
house, and tho air was as col5 as on
winter day. The wind hoVfed ana the
hail fell in stones as big as eggs All
this lasted twenty minues' ana then the
slxv cleared up and I-elt more like my
self again.
AN hour afterl was sitting with my
,,,,to ,oor +bo ere when l heard horse
roI1oniro ar oil speed, and when l went
o,,t 20 900 Tho it was there stood Jake
Warren a neighbor farmer who lives
obor.a mile and q quarter from me. He
No. as pale as ghost and was trembling
Il over. 1t took him over ten minutes
to commence to tell me what he had to
say, and as he was talking l thought he
was crazy.
'.IIc stated that big green cloud had
como over his place, and that something
which looked like balls of fire had fallen
all around his house. He had five
acres of corn growing in field next TO
the house. After the storm had cleared
away he went to sec what damage had
been done. lie saw that some corn had
been blown down, and, entering the
field, he found every stalk turned to
stone. There were two fine hogs in the
field, and they, too, were petrified and
standing there as if cut out of solid rock.
Myself and wife thought the man was
raving mad, but induced him TO remain
over till morning, when we promised to
visit his place with him. That we did,
and what we saw will be rcmem-
bered so long as both live. There was
the corn blown down, but every stalk of
il was petrified. 1t was not as hard as
granite, but it appeared 10 be more like
soft stone. / took my knife and cut it, and
it became powder. The ears were very
hard, and they could not be broken with
the hand. The leaves were brittle, and
and If you struck them they would break
like glass. The nogs were there, too,
looking natural enough, but they were
as hard as stone"
George L. Henry, of this city, John
Rogers, Captain John i. Hull, eX-dcp-
uty marshal, and several others rode
oyer the mountains into Tennessee to
sec for themselves If the things were
really there as represented. Captain
Hull, ex-Unitcd States deputy marshal,
makes the following statement:
''Wo went over this morning. l
doubted the story on starting, but
thought I'd try it, anyhow. We found
Warren's farm about seven miles from
the Gap, and there, sure enough, was
the corn-fleld completely petrihed. The
stalks were somewhat blown down, but
they seemed completely turned to stone.
The two hogs were there also, and they
looked like they were carved out of
rock. 1t was the strangcst sight l ever
saw and l can't begin to describe the
thing. There were 4 number of men
guarding tho field with Winchester
rifles and they wouldn't let us go into
it. They only let US go to the fence.
We could touch some Of the corn stalks
and could see the hogs, but the men re-
fused positively to let US go any further
than the fence. The women wouldn't
say why they would not let people go
into the field, but presume they were
afraid people would break the corn
stalks to pieces. There was quite
crowd there looking at the thing, and
every one Was thoroughly dumfounded
with what they saw"
This statement is vouched for by
number of others, and naturally there is
considerable excitement