Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-09-19
A REMARKABLE 81 DRY.

The people IN the eastern portion
of Claiborne county, Tenn, are ex.
cited over a remarkable occurrence
which took place there recently. 1t
is one of the most marvellous occur
rences ever heard of, and 1t will
prove to be problem over which
scientific minds may wrestle for
some time to come.
Edgar Ramsey is q farmer who
lives five miles from Lick Skillet.
He arrived in Mlddlesborongh
few days ago. The story be told
would not find believers at first,
but since then it has been proven
that he has told nothing but the
truth. His statement is as fol
lows:
"Last Sunday afternoon I no.
tIced what appeared to be a large
green looking cloud coming from
westerly direction toward my house.
1t was long distance off ard the
rain was falling heavily. Shortly
afterward it became very cOId-in
fact 80 cold that 1 went indoors, lit
a big fire, and put. on my big
heavy coat. When | came out
again the big green cloud was al.
most over the house, and the air
was as cold az on a winter day. l
watched the cloud for few min
utes, and t. en- hail commenced
falling and I was forced to go in
doors again. Inside of halt hour
it became as dark as night, and l
never felt 80 funny and heavy In
all my life before. The wind howl.
ed aud the hail fell in stones as big
as eggs. All this lasted twenty
minutes, and then the sky cleared
up and l felt more like myself
again"
Gan hour later l was sitting with
nv wife near the fire when 1 heard
the galloping of horse coming at
full speed, and when l went out
to see who it was there stood Jake
Warren, a neigh Dor farmer who
lives about mile and a quarter
from me. He was as pale as a
ghost and was trembling all over.
1t took him over ten minutes to
commence to tell me what he had
% say, aud as he was talking |
thought he was crazy.'
He stated that a big green
cloud had come over his place, and
that something which looked like
balls OF fire had fallen all around
his house. lie had five acres of
corn growing in a field next to the
house. After the storm had clear.
ed away he went to see what dam
age had been done. He saw that
some cora had been blown down,
and catering the field be found
every stalk had been turned to
stone. There we're two fine hogs
in the field, and they, too, were
petriied and standing there as if
cut out of a solid rock"
"Mystlf 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 remem bered
80 long as both live. There was
the corn blown down, but every
stalk of 1t was petri6ed. 1t was
not as hard as granite, but it ap.
peared to be more like soft stone.
| took my knife and cut 1t and it
became powder, The ears were
very hard, and they co1Id not be
broken with the hand. The leaves
were brittle, and lyon struck them
they would break like glass. The
hogs were there, too, looking nat.
ural enough, but they, too, were as
hard as stone"
A few days ago George e. Hen.
ry, of MiddlesOOro', John Rodgers,
Captain John B. Hull, ex.deputy
marshal, AMI several others rode
over the mountains into Tennessee
to see for themselves if the things
we're really there as represented.
Captain Hull, ex.United States
deputy marshal, makes the follow
ing statement;
eve went over a few mornings
ago. doubted the story on start
ing, but thought I'd try it any how.
We found Warren's farm about
seven miles from the Gap, and there
sure enough, was the cOrn6eld.
The stalks were somewhat blown
down, but they seemed completely
turned to stone. The two hogs
we're there also, and they looked
Ike they were carved out of rock.
1t was the stFangest sight ever !
saw, and / can't begin to describe |
the thing"
"There were a number Of men
guarding the field with Winchester
rifles, and they wouldn't LIT us go
into it. They only let us go to the
fence. We could touch some of
the cornstalks and could see the
hogs, bat the men refused positive
ly to let us go any further than the
fence. The men wouldn't say why
they would not let people 60 In the
field, but l presume they were
afraid people would break the
cornstalks to pieces. There was
quite a crowd there looking at the
thing, and every one was thorough.
" dumfounded with what be saw