Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-09-26
A Remarkable Story.

Z
of Claiborne county, Tenn, are ex-
cited over a remarkable occurrence
which took place there recently. Ii
is one of the most marvellous occur
rences ever heard of, and it will prove
TO be a problem over which scientific
minds NAV wrestle for some time TO
come.
Edgar Ramsey is a farmer who
lives five miles from Lick Skillet. lie
arrived in Middlesborough Tuesday
afternoon. The story he told would
not find believers at first, but since
then il has been proven that he has
told nothing but the truth. His
statement is as follows:
Last Sunday afternoon | noticed
what appeared TO be a large green
looking cloud coming from westerly
direction toward my house. 1t was
long distance off and the rain was
falling heavily. Shortly afterward 1t
became very cold-in fact so cold that
I went indoors, lit a big fire, and put
on nv big heavy coat. When | came
out again the big green cloud was
almost over the house, and the air
was as cold rs on u winter day.
watched the cloud for a few minutes,
and then hail commenced falling and
| was forced to go indoors again. In
side of half an hour it became as dark
as night. and | never felt so funny
and heavy in all my life before. The
wind howled and the hail fell in stones
as big as eggs. All this lasted twenty
minutes. and then the sky cleared up
and felt more like myself again.
IAN hour later | was sitting with
nv wife near the fire when | heard
the galloping of a horse coming at
full speed, and when | went out TO
see who it was there stood Jake
Warren, a neighbor farmer who lives
about a mile and a quarter from Inc.
He was as pale as n ghost and was
trembling all over 1t took him over
fen minutes to commence TO tell me
what he had 10 say, and as he was
talking | thought he was crazy.
He stated that big green cloud
had come over his place, and that
something which looked like balls oil
fire had fallen all around his house.
! He had five acres Of corn growing In
a field next to the house. After the
storm had cleared away he went to
see what damage had been done. He
saw that some corn had been blown
down, and entering the field he found
every stalk had been turned to stone
There were two fine hogs in the field,
and they, too, were petrliied ana
standing there as il cut OF solid
rock.
"Mvself 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
/
rememb bered so long as both live.
There was the corn blown down, but
every stalk OF it was petritied. it was
not as hard as granite, but it appeared
to be more like soft stone. | took my
knife and cut it and it became pow
der. The ears were very hard, and
/ 1 lao
hand. The leaves were brittle, and II
YOU struch them they would break
like glass. The hogs were there, too,
looking natural enough, but they, too,
were as hard as stone"
Thursday afternoon George f..
Henry, Of Middleboro, John Rodgers,
Captain John b. Hull, ex-deputy
marshal. and several others rode over
the mountains into Tennessee to see
for themselves if the things were
really there as represented. Captain
Hull. ex-United States deputy
marshal, makes the following state
ment:
I'VE went over this morning. ]
doubted the story on starting, but
thought I'd try it anyhow. We found
Warrens farm about seven miles from
the Gap, and there, sure enough was
the cornfield completely petrified.
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
strangest sight ever saw and can
begin TO describe the thing.
There were a number OF men
guarding the field with Winchester
rifles. and they wouldn't let us go In
to it. They only let us go to the
fence. We could touch some OF the
cornstalks and could see the hogs,
but the men refused positively TO let
us 90 any further than the fence.
The men wouldn't say why they
would not let people go into the field,
but presume they were afraid peo-
ole would break the corD-stalks 70
pieces. There was quite a crowd
there looking at the thing, and every
one was thoroughly dumbfouDded
with what he saw"
Saw Too Much.