Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-09-04
TURNED TO STONE.
\ STRANGE STORY FROM CLAI.
BORNE COUNTY, TENNESSEE.
A Big Green Cloud Passes Over the
Lick Skillet Country and Petrifies
Hogs as Well as q Field of
Corn-The Yarn ofthe
Season.

OtAAOChhO CDUubyf ACuhsy atC C4OitC0
over q remarkable occurrence which
took place there not long ago. 1t is
one OF the most marvellous occurrences
ever heard of, and 1t will prove to be
problem over which scientific minds
may wrestle for some time to come.
Edgar Ramsey is farmer who lives
five miles from Lick Skillet. He ar
rived In Middlesborough recently. The
story he told would not find believers
at first, but since then it has been prov
en- that he has told nothing but the
truth. His statement is thus reported
by correspondent of the st. Louis
Globe Democrat:
Last Sunday afternoon noticed
what appeared to be large green-look-
ing cloud coming from a westerly d.
rection toward my house. 1t was a
long distance off, and the rain was fall
ing heavily. Shortly afterward it be-
came very cold, in fact so cold that I
went indoors, lit q big fire and put on
big heavy coat. When / came out
again the big green cloud was almost
over the house and the air was as cold
as on winter day. 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.
| San hour after was sitting with my
wife near the fire when I heard a horse
galloping at full speed, and when /
went out to see who it was there stood
Jake Warren, q neighbor farmer who
lives about mile and a quarter from
me. He was as pale as ghost and was
trembling all over. 1t took him over
ten minutes TO commence to tell me
what he had to say, and as he was
talking thought he was crazy.
"He stated that big green cloud had
come over his place, and that some
thing which locked like balls of fire
! had fallen all around his houses He
had five acres of corn growing in q 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
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, hut
induced him to remain over till morn.
ing, when we promised to visit his
place with him. That we did, and
and what we saw will be remembered
SO long as both live. There was the
corn blown down, but every stalb
of it was petrified. 1t was not as hard
as granite, but it appeared to be more
} like soft stone. I took my knife anG
cut it and it became powder. The ear
were very hard, and they could not b.
broken by the hand. The leaves were
!, brittle, and If you struck them they
would break like glass. The hogs wer,
there, too, looking natural enough bu
they were as hard as stone."
| George e. Henry, of this city, Johr
Rogers, Captain John B. Hull, ex-depu
ty marshal and several others rode
J over the mountains into Tennessee t
see for themselves if the things were
there as represented. Captain Hull
ex-United States deputy marshal
makes the following statement:
"We wento this morning. Idoubt
ed the story OH starting, but though
I'd try 1t anyhow. We found Warren'
, farm about seven miles from the Gap
; and there, sure enough was the corn
, field completely petrified. The stalk
! were somewhat blown down, but they
seemed completely turned to stone. The
; two hogs were there also, and they look
ed like they were carved out Of rock
1t was the strangest sight ever saw
and 7 can't begin to describe the thing
There were number of men with Win
chester rifles and they wouldn't let III
: go into it. They only let us go to tht
} fence. The women wouldn't say WHY
they would not let people go into th'
: field, but persume they were afrait
people would break the corn stalks t,
pieces. There was quite crowd look
ing at the thing, and every one was
thoroughly dumfounded with what
they saw"
This statement is vouched for by {
is considerable excitement.