Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-27
SCARE N WISCONSIN
People Flee in Awe From Ter.
rifying Exhibitions OF Thun-
der Mountain.
Many Quit Locality Fearing an
Eruption Like the Martin.
ique Disaster.
Metals in the Mountain Attracts
the Lightning-A Wonderful
Display.

Milwaukee, May 27.-Reports of the
panic among homesteaders for miles
around Thunder mountain, in the
northern part of Wisconsin, which
reached Milwaukee from Eagle River.
Wis; Florence, Wis, and from Noun
tain, Mich, Sunday night, were verified
from Ellis Junction and other cities
in the vicinity tonight What appear
ed to be volcano and gave the i'm
preston that an eruption was about to
take place was nothing more than an
electrical phenomenon, which has only
recently made itself apparent for the
first time in a number of years.
a few of the old residents in the
vicinity of Gogebic range, in which
Mount Thunder is located, were famil-
lar with the peculiar actions of the
mountain, but the latest arrivals We're
in high pitch of excitement, and
many of them have left that part of the
state.
John L. Gates, of Milwaukee, known
as the father of Gates county, and one
of the biggest land owners in Wiscon-
sin, was one of party of campers near
the mountain, when severe thunder
storm came up last Saturday night.
He returned to Milwaukee yesterday
and somewhat allayed the fears of Mil
waukeeans who have relatives in the
Gogebic district, by offering an expla-
nation for the supposed volcano. which
has terrorized the homesteaders there
for the past three days.
1.-The range of mountains which en-
braces Thunder mountain is 500 feet
above the level of the surrounding
country and 1.500 feet above the level
of the sea- said he yesterday, land for
that reason a volcano there would be
almost out of the question. There are
a large number of mines in the neigh
borhood, among them the Chaplin mine.
II camped in the range during the
heavy thunderstorm and thought sure
ly that my time had come. Had / not
been somewhat familiar with the ccndi-
tons should also have been under the
impression that eruption was about to
take place, as did hundreds OF people
residing within a radius of from twenty
to thirty-ive miles.
"The range Of mountains contains
vast deposits of iron and copper ore and
other metallic deposits. Thunder noun
tain especially, and the action of the
lightning on the magnetic rocks is
something awe-inspiring. Then from a
distance it closely resembles volcano
in process of eruption. but 1t IS all
caused by the, lightning. The flashes
come to rapidly to be counted, and
cause volumes of smoke to rise to a
height of 1000 feet or more, but the
most peculiar thing is that lightning
never strikes the mountain. The iron
and copper deposits in the range extend
for from fifty to sixty miles, and an
electrical storm like that of Saturday
will cause an illumination that can be
plainly seen for many miles"
Dispatches from Ellis Junction last
night state that while the excitement
has somewhat subsidized, many Of the
people who left that part of the state
in haste Sunday refuse to return.
More alarm was caused today when
smoke was again seen rising from the
mountain, but investigation revealed
that burning peat bogs We're responsible
for this.