The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1895-08-28
A MUSICAL MOUNTAIN.
A kystGFy Of Or Local Lake Region
A Curious Phenomenon Which But
lew White Men Have OhSer.
VGa-ROW Il Was
Discovered.

In the OLD Iruckee mining district,
down the Truckee river near Pyramid
Lake, is situated Nevada's musical
mountain. This mountain was fist
discovered by the while settlers in 1853,
at which time there was SO me excite
ment in regard to mines found in its
neighborhood. The discov erers were a
party of prospectors from the Comstock.
They had pitched their tent at the foot
of the mountain, and Tor a few evenings
thought themselves bewitched. Each
evening a little after dark, when the air
was calm and all was q uiet, a mysteri-
Gus concert began. The men, seated
and lying about their campfire, would
listen with bated breath and goggling
eyes. Out from the face OF the big
mountain were waited from q point
somewhere above them Aeolian strains
that seemed to cause the whole atmos-
phere to culver as they tloated over the
emp. The music then appeared to
pass over until it was far, far away and
almost lost in the distance, when, be-
ginning with a tinkling rs OF many little
silver bells, there would be a fresh gush
OF sweet notes from the mountain. The
rocks above seemed to be filled with
fairy musicians. All through the still
hours of the night the soft strains and
melodious tinklings were heard and for
two or three nights the prospectors
were too much puzzled and interested to
obtain their usual amount of sleep. At
all hours some of them were reared up
on their elbows, listening to the rising
and falling tones that filled the air,
vainly racking their brains for some So
luton of the mystery OF the strange
music.
During the daylight hours, when the
breezes were abroad, little of the mys-
ferrous music WAS heard, and it was
soon settled that it was not caused by
the wind. A spring mean which the
explorers pitched their tent afforded
the only good camping grounds in the
neighborhood, and as each new party
arrived and haulted at the spot, the
wonder grew. Though the
were at first incredulous after a night at
the foot of the mountain they were
Obliged to own themselves az much
inrzzlod 90 urora tho Il rct orrxy,lv Snn,,
Piute Indians who came along and
camped at the spriug were found to be
acquainted with the peculiar musical
character of the mountains. They call
ed it the "Singing Mountain"
Some of the men collected in the
camp became more interested in the
than in prospecting and gave
most of their time to an inYestig elton of
musical sounds heard to proceed
it. They founl tnat the wlole
face of the mountain was covered with
detritus in the shape OF thin flakes OF a
hard crystalline rock. There were beds
Of these fakes, all as hard and sonor-
ous as pieces OF pottery, and the con-
arrived at by the investigators
was that the musical sounds heard pro-
ceeded from this loose material, hugh
drifts OF which seemed to be gradually
working their way down the steep face
Of the mountain. 1t WIS also observed
that the loose flakes of rock were heavi-
ly charged with iron pyrites and it W 8
that magnetism might ha, e
something to do with the motion anon
them or the musical sounds heard At
all events the Aeoiian strains heard at
the foot of the mountain in the eve
stiffness seemed to be produced
by the uniting and blending OF the my
RAIDS OF bell-like tinkllngs proceeding
from the immense beds OF slaty debris
creeping glacier-like down the slopes
above.
This solution of the mystery OF the
musical mountain is the only one
worthy of notice. As no mines of value
were found, the district was soon de-
serted and has since seldom been visit
ed. Therefore few, except the old-,iIie
prospectors, knew much about the
'Smr.ng Mountain. -->ei.