The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-10-19
MYSTERIOUS MOUNTAIN LIGHT.
Has Bafled Solution of Thousands OF
Observers.

OUSCiSO OLD.
The mysterious Brown Mountain
light. which has baf1ed solution by
thousands of observers during the
past six years, has been working over
time the past few weeks in an effort
to put to shame those who have con-
fdently asserted that it was nothing
but a locomotive headlight, says a
Linville, n. c., dispatch.
During the days following the
great flood of last July, Agent Gallo
way, of the Southern Railway, at
Morganton, was one of party at
Loven's- hotel at Cold Spring, on the
turnpike from here to Morganton, as
no trains were then running on the
Southern from Hickory to Asheville.
During that time the light was
seen almost every night, playing
above Brown Mountain. Not only
were no trains running, but the roads
were in such condition that no au-
tomobiles could run at night, hardly
in the day time. This fact alone
proves conclusively, say those who
have watched the light most closely,
that it is impossible for any kind of
headlight to have had anything what
ever to do with it.
For some time past the light has
been seen in nightly and continuous
performance, with much wider range
than ever before. It is now viewed
with wonder by people from several
points of view, one Of the best being
from the famous Jonas Ridge Bald
Ground, four miles east of this place,
altitude 1880 feet. No one has been
found with the temerity to offer any
explanation, plausible or otherwise,
for these mysterious and brilliant
fireworks in the heavens.
An observation by the writer and
others from high point near Loven's
hotel at Cold Spring on Sunday night,
Z the oath, revealed better demon
stration by this phenomenon than has
been described before-at least more
extensive in number of appearances,
duration of some of the illuminatiOns,
variety of manifestations and in the
wide range of the location of the
lights, as we'll as in the nature of the
different appearances of the unknown
marvel.
Beginning at 6:55, Eastern time,
! tho first flash of light appeared be-
tween the electric lights of Lenoir
and the northeast end of Brown
Mountain, and it looked like the
flash of headlight, either of a rail
way locomotive or of big touring
car. 1t lasted only about five Sec
onds, when it faded out. In few
minutes the ball of fire rose above
Brown Mountain for two or three
short flashes and was gone.
After short interval the most in
teresting and convincing exhibition
of all was given, when from toward
the southwest end of Brown Noun
tain the light rapidly ascended to a
great height, probably Is degrees
above all the mountains to be seen
from this point, including the South
Mountains, 80 miles away Descend
ing, the fiery globe described an arc
and slowly disappeared, this display
lasting for about Is seconds.
The doubters who had maintained
that this mysterious light was moth
ing but headlight gave up at this
point, admitting that locomotives
nor automobiles don't travel up into
the sky and then down." During the
hour of observation the light made
its appearance ten times, all but one
rising from some point behind Brown
Mountain, here and there, but not in
continuity, but jumping back and
forth along the horizon of the noun
tain, which could be distinguished in
the clear night.
Each appearance was longer at the
last, the eighth being "a seconds, the
ninth 80 seconds and the tenth two
minutes and ten seconds. The last
appearance was very wonderful, be-
ing in alternating flashes after the
first minute or more, and during the
first part of this display the light was
very brilliant and sparkled like a.
great electric light. The display be-
fore the last sent the red ball very
high in the sky.
1t is hoped by the many in this
region who have seen this extraordi-
nary demonstration in the heavens
that some scientific investigation may
be undertaken to determine what. it
really is. A so-called scientist was