The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-22
LAKES SINKING IN TENNessse.
Curious Legend of One Which Petrifies
ANYTHING Thrown Into It

Curious Legend Of One Which Petrifies
Anything Thrown Into It
The inhabitants of that part of West
Tennessee known as the Earthquake
Belt" are considerably exercised over the
gradual sinking of the lakes formed by
the earthquake of 1911. The water level
| is descending without any apparent cause,
although the streams that empty into
some of the lakes are not affected. This
is taken by the Pittsburg Dispatch to be
evidence that the soil az the bottom of
these sheets Of water is becoming seamy
from seismic action beneath, thus allow
ing the water 10 escape into unknown
basins below. The effects of the unex-
planned phenomenon are most apparent
in Stone lake, beautiful body of water
situated in Lauderdale county The axe
is about a mile long and a half mile wide
and has an average depth of twenty feet,
but so clear is il that the smallest objects
can be seen on the bottom.
4 more inviting place for the angler
could not be found anywhere, but, strange
to say, while the other waters in that re-
gion are alive with fish, no living thing
has ever been seen in Stone lake, and the
people of that vicinity contend that the
water is certain death to any creature that
drinks it. The wild fowls avoid it, though
they swarm in the adjoining ponds and
bsyous.
Another peculiarly OF the uncanny
water is that anything cast into il quick y
petrifies; hence the name it bears. And
thereby hangs tale, which, incredible as
il NAV sound, Is nevertheless devoutlv be-
lieved by the simple inhabitants of the To-
cality. 1t goes back to seventy years ago,
when the country was first settled by emf
grants from North Carolina.
Tradition goes that on q hot summer
day, after the task was finished. an Old and
trusted slave of one of the pioneers got
leave to 60 fishing, and taking his tackle
and bait set out for the lake, which he
had remarked as likely place for bass.
Arriving there he walked out on a log
that projected from the bank and cast his
, bait When night came on he had not re-
turned home, and his absence at roll-call
was noted The master, however paid
but little attention to the circumstance,
thinsing that old Isom had probably gone
on a lark to some neighboring farm.
But when IsOm Jailed to show up next
morning old Capt. Builard became uneasy
and went out IN search OF him. He could
learn nothing of the missing slave from
the nelghboTs.
Then lac organized party and beat the
woods 10 find him Strange TO say he had
not remembered giving Isom leave to go
| fishing. Toward shutdown a fox hound
with the party struck trail and followed
it TO the bank of the lake. The hunters
went after and arriving at the lake saw
Isom sitting on the log, with pole ex-
tended and apearantly fishing, in deep
meditation. He proved deaf to the
vocifeTous calls OF his master. The hound
| sprang on the log and ran up TO the
motlOniess form, shifted at il and flew
| back to the bank howling with fright.
Then the old captain dismOunted and
/ charged out on the log. whip in hand, to
| chastise the trusnt. He brought his whip
/ down on the motionless figure with a re-
sounding whack. Still Isom sat still Tue
| old captain caught him by the shoulder.
/ He grasped not flesh aud blood but stone.
| The fisherman, his line and poles were
| petrified. The log on which he sat was
also solid When the captain and mis-
/ followers had recovered from their fright
they made their way home and told their
story.
Next day large party OF the neighbors
went out and found it to be true. They
| discovered by dropping things into the
| lake the marvellous effect Of the water
/ the stone log was once a giant hickory.
| Nuts that had fallen from it were seen
/ petr6ed on the bottom. 1t was thought
that Isom must have slipped and fallen in
/ to the lake with his pole. as the water on
| his clothes and tackle took effect when he
regained is perch and began fishing.
The extraordinary figure is still intact
and there lie movement on foot to trans-
| port it, with section of the log, to the
| worlds fair.