Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-24
SHOWERS OF STONES.
A Strange Phenomenon Said to Be
Frequent in the Mountains.
THEY'RE TINY FALLING METEORS.
SuperstitiOns of Sinners Are Worked Upon
by an Evangelist.
MINOR NEWS FROM THE THREE STATES
ESPECIAL rELEGRAMs TO THE DISPATCH

ESPECIAL rELEGRAMs TO THE DIsPArcH.l
HINTON, w. VA, Aug. 9.-The people
living on New River Mountain in this
(Summers) county, are much wrought up
by a phenomenon which has been witnessed
there at intervals for several months, but
only recently assumed startling proportions
In May, reports were circulated of mys-
terious rain of tiny stones, which appar-
emily came out of the ether above.
At first these attracted little attention,
but as time passed the reports became so
general as to attract wide notice. In re-
sponse to inquiries from distance, The
DISPATCH correspondent visited the noun
tain last week to investigate the stories He
found that while common report is con-
siderably exaggerated, there is basis OF
truth for it, and the facts, which are sus-
ceptible of proof are mysterious and inter-
esting enough.
In May several stones fell in an "open'
or clearing near the cabin of Cy Henley
who lives half way up the north slope OF
the mountain. These were jagged pieces OF
sandstone, the size of walnut, and as there
is an old trail and quarry high above him
of the matter was to curse the persons he
supposed to have thrown the stones.
HAILING PEBBLES ON A --ooF.
One night in June, howe r, he was
awakened by sounds on his -oof like the
falling of hail, and as he had Il little garden
patch well along he was uneasy as to the et-
feet of the hail. Examination in the morn
ing developed that the hail was tiny stones.
alro of 10 TO nth
and 1t was learned that occasional ones
had fallen at other points of the mou nta1n
In July a clearing almost on the top of the
mountain was visited by desultory ruin OF
q loud noise and bounding off. A popularity
of this shower was the presence OF several
pebbles, which are as rare on that mountain
as icicles in August.
The superstition of the mountaineerS was
aroused, and some strange theories we've ad-
vanced. newspaper in ncighbortng
county recently published story that
showers of stones were almost constant on
the mountains, and that business was sus-
pended on account OF the excited condition
of the populace. The fact is that the ''popu-
lace" consists of not over dozen families,
scattered over the mountain, and there
never was any business to suspend.
The most peculiar manifestations Of the
mystery which can be shown to have ac-
tually occurred were on the farm OF Ellison
Fosman, q Justice of the Peace living on the
south slope. Several stones had fallen here
at intervals of a day or so, and Ed Meekers,
q school teacher of the vicinity, went to
Fosman's to investigate. A stone was heard
to fall In the yard, and after some search
Meekers found it. 1t was almost sunk be-
meath the hard surface of the ground and
was smooth, black, of perfect oval shape
and about the size of a robins egg. Meek
erS says 1t was warm when he touched it.
just as he stopped another stone struck him
a sharp blow in the small of his back. This
stone was scarcely larger than q lima bean
and about that shape, although not so reg
ular.
LARGER STONES SOMETIMES FALL.
A stone as large as mans fist resembling
brown hematite iron ore, fell on the roof of
Addison Butts house, two miles from Squire
Fosman's, and bounding Off fell into q barrel
OF rain water at the corner of the house. 1t
sizzled like hot iron and sent up little
cloud of steam. This stone is undoubtedly
of meteoric origin, as some of the others may
be, but the average falling stone is an irreg-
ular, Jagged bit of sandstone, and small
clouds of coarse sand accompany some of
the stones. TwigS are broken OFF trees,
shingles split and corn broken down. Prob
ably bushel of these stones have fallen in
all in the clearings. If, as seems probable,
the phenomenon has been general over the
mountain, several tons must have fallen.
Your correspondent secured several OF
the stones. One is perfect miniature fiat
DOttOmed boat. Another is like diminutiye
turtle, having the sutures OF the shell
plainly marked. 1t is u inches long, and OF
a grayish yellow color.
widest reports receive credence, and Rev.
John Austin, local Baptist exhorter, is
using them with startling effect in nightly
revival meetings in a little log schoolhouse.