Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-10-05
BY ERIC THANE

Thursday, June 20, 1905, Capt.
William Clark Of the Lewis and
Clark expedition, porfaging around
the great falls Of the Missouri on
the site Of the present city OF Great
Falls, was involved In mystery. II
was nothing concrete, being merely
a succession Of strange but be-
wildering noises, reported by the
captain In his journal:
During the time of my being on
the plains and above the falls I, as
also all my party, repeatedly heard a
noise which proceeded from a direc-
ton a little to the north Of west, q
loud noise and resembling precisely
the discharge of a piece Of ordnance
Of six pounds at the distance Of five
or six miles"
II was informed Of It several times
by the men, j. Fields particularly, be-
fore paid any attention TO 1t, think
ing 1t was thunder most probably which
they had mistaken. At length, walking
IN the plains yesterday near the ex-
treme southeast bend of the river above
the falls heard this noise very dis
tinctly 1t was perfectly calm and clear
and not q cloud to be seen. I halted
and listened attentive about two hours
during which time I heard two other
discharges, and took the direction Of
the sound with my pocket compass
which was nearly west from me as
could estimate from the sound. have
no doubt but if had leisure I could
find whence it issued. I have thought
it probable that it might be caused by
running water in some cavern Of those
eminent mountains, on the principle
Of the blowing caverns but IN such
case the sounds would be periodical
and regular, which is not the case with
this, being sometimes heard once only
and at other times several discharges
in quick succession"
Heard at Portage
The difficult, dangerous and back
breaking portage of the great falls of
the MiSsollri-one of the most dramatic
episodes of the whole expedition
IN progress. The men, mOccaSins torn
by the sharp, dried mud-spikes which
the hoofS of thousands of buffalo had
churned UP, toiled strenuously. Their
captains toiled with them. But both
Of these leaders, alert for everything
new in this strange and bewildering
wilderness, were not too fatigued 70
consider this mystery of thunderous
sounds that were not thunder Captain
Clark continues in his journal:
IT heard it (the noise) also at differ
ent times of the day and night. / am
at a great loss to account for this
phenomenon. I well recollect hearing
the Minitarees" "a tribe down the
river-"Say that those Rocky noun
tains make a great noise, but they
could not tell me the cause, neither
could they inform me Of any re-
markable substance or situation in
these mountains which would authorize
a conjecture of the probable cause Of
this noise. 1t is probable that the large
river above those great falls which
heads the direction of the noise has
4oI re mama NaHipirp T-iunr from
this unaccountable rIlmbling sound,
which like all unaccountable things
with the Indians of the Missouri Is
called medicine"
Indians Knew of Noises
The Medicine river Is the present Sun
river, which flows into the Missouri
above the series Of cascades, today just
south of the city of Great Falls. Clark |
adds that, not only had the Minitarees
heard this noise and been bewildered !
by it, but other tribes had also been |
unable to explain the phenomenon, for
he adds, of another tribe down river |
THE RicaraS inform us of the black |
mountains making a similar noise, ETC., |
ETC., and many other wonderful tales /
of those Rocky mountains above the
falls"
Captain Lewis, like his co-comman-
der was also perpleXed by the sounds,
for in his journal under date of July |
4, 1905, while the expedition was yet
engaged in portage, In words almost
the same as those of Captain Clark:
"Since our arrival at the falls we have !
repeatedly witnessed a noise which pro- +
ceeds from a direction a little to the
northwest as loud and resembling pre-
ctSely the discharge OF piece OF or
dnarlce of six pounds at the distance
Of three miles. was informed of 1t by
several men several times before paid
any attention to it, thinking it was
thunder At length the other day
I heard this noise very distinctly. The
day was calm and clear and not a cloud
10 be seen. I halted and listened at
tentively about an hour during which
heard two other discharges and took
the direction of the sound with my
pocket compass. I thought 1t probable
It might be caused by the running
water in some of the caverns OF those
huge mountains, on the principal 81
the blowing caverns :. 1t is heard at
seasons of the day and night.
I am at a loss to account for this
Then the portage was finished. The
party headed on up the river, for the
Three Forks country. hearing at inter-
Yals those strange, booming noises
which so perplexed me. At last, on
July IL, 1905, Captain Lewis
apparently solved the mystery-at least,
% his own satisfaction
Gives Explanation
This evening a little before the sun [
;et I heard two other discharges OF j
his umaccountable artillery of the |
rocky mountains, proceeding from the
anne quarter that had heard 1t be-
ore. now recollected that the Mime
arees making mention of the noise
which they had frequently heard In |
he Rocky mountains like thunder; I
md which they said the mountains !
made; but paid no attention TO the /
Information supposing it either false {
y the phantom of a superstitious inn /
.Qination. I have also been informed /
" the engages that the Panis and /
Sicaras give the same account OF the /
slack mountains which lie west Of '
hem. This phenomenon the engages 3
eadily account for; they state 1t 70 {
Re the bursting Of the rich mines OF
liver which these mountains con- Z
ain" I
There is no further mention Of the y
artillery Of the mountains" in the I
L. I'D fcY1f.lU n