The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-08-15


NORWICH, Conn, Aug. 2.-''Thr
Mondus notes" have been heard again
for the first time in about dozen
years. They are the most eXtraordi-
nary phenomena IN the history of Con
ncclicut. Mnodus is II quaint old vii
age in the old wilch-lown of East Had
dam, that ncStlcs among tall hills ON
Little Salmon river, two or three miles
from the Connecticut river. In the
heart of the lofticst hill, Mount Tom,
whose grassy slope begins almost in
the village street, and which towers
above Moodus, the mysterious noises
originate, and for hundreds of years
both the Indians and whites have be-
lieved that the mountain was haunted
The Indians fdmcicd that the noun
tain had an evil spirit who dwrlt on
the peak of the hill, whence he rolled
stones over the world, and they called
the place Machi-Moodus, meaning
ssPace of Noises.'' The red men
avoided Mount Tom, and not one OF
them ever dared To scale il. The noises
have been famous in all paris of Con-
necticut for two centuries and Il half.
They are heard mtcrmittently. Some
times the mountain is silent for twenty
five or thirty years, then suddenly tho
strangest sounds Lrcak forth, like the
moaning of an imprisoned monster that
seems to boom in subterrancm cavern,
of the earth, and is heard distinctly
ten or twelve miles away. rhe noise:
begin with seemingly far away low
rumblng note that speedily SwellS in ;
vast rolling sound, like the muttcrin.
of distant thunder, and the grounr
trembles rs if with the throe of III
earthquake.
| For the last ten years the mountain
; has been quiet, and the country pco
} Pile along the Connecticut valley hat
about begun to believe that the Moodu
T. noises had ceased forever. But earl
l last Sunday morning the village fol
= and farmers in the ncighboring town
: were awakened by the familiar subtcI
h ranean rumblng. They sprang froi
their beds and ran To their bed rooI
windows, thinking that thund,
shower must he overhead, but tI
morning was serene and fair. As the
stood nj the windows there were srvr
= Ill distinct shocks, and they said
each other in tones of awe: alt is II
IS MooduS notes again" The rumblil
was not heavy last Sunday and coI
It tinucd only II few minutes, then die
ID away, ending with light shocks tn
sounded like explosions of powder f.
.d beneath the carth'S surface and mae
the village windows trcmblc II little.
IS The cause of the MooduS notes h
Is never been satisfactorily rXplainc
The first historical mention of the
,c was made by II clergyman of Mood
early in the last century, who clnqucl
pr ly described them, writing that he h;
IT, often listened 10 The ''sirange boon
NJ ing in the bowels of Mount Tom, III
ty expressed the pioIIS conviction that t
hand of God was to be recognized
nj them, showing that 'God Almighty
II to be feared and trcmbled at Ii W
ii, in the part of the last century that I
strange rumblings were most powcrI
IL and impressive, and we've continue
q, for years. They were heard distinct
r. by the farmers oi the old hill town
e, Salem. ten miles west of this city u
he six miles east of Moodus, who oft
III paused in their work in the hay iicl
and hearkened To the mystic soun
ld that seemed To roll beneath the wcste
nj hills, causing the ground To trent
d. momentarily.