GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 646 Origin of the Brown Mountain Light in North Carolina Origin of the Brown Mountain Light in North Carolina By George Rogers Mansfield GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 646 Washington 1971 United States Department of the Interior ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretory Geological Survey W. A. Radlinski, Acting Director Free on application to the U.S. Geological Survey, Washmgton, D.C 20242 Brown Mountain--in the Blue Ridge country of western North Carolina--is the stage and setting for the intermit­ tent performances of the "mysterious lights" that have provoked legend and song since the beginning of the century. In 1922, responding t0 a general inter­ est in the lights, tt U.S. Geological Survey sent geologist George R. Mansfield to Brown Mountain to under­ take a thorough investigation of the reported phenomenon. Mansfield's meth­ od of study and his conclusions were released to the press in 1922. Because of the present interest in Brown Moun­ tain shown by visitors to this scenic area, George R. Mansfield's report to the press is reproduced here just as it was written a half century ago. CONTENTS Page Page Government investigations made--- 1 Proposed explanations------------ 7 Aid receiv-ed in this The investigation in 1922-------- 10 investigation------------------ 1 Methods employed------------- 10 Topography of Brown Mountain----- 2 Observations at Loven's------ 12 Geologic features---------------- 2 Observations at Gingercake Records of earlier observations-- 2 Mountain------------------- 12 Review of earlier observations--- 5 Observations at Brown Places of observation------------ 6 Mountain------------------- 14 Nature and appearance of the Conclusions---------------------- 15 light-------------------------- 7 ILLUSTRATION Page Figure 1. Map of Brown Mountain region, N.C., illustrating or1g1n of "Brown Mountain lights"------------------------------------ 3 v Origin of the Brown Mountain light in North Carolina 1 By George Rogers Mansfield GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS MADE after another local investigator failed to discover their origin, the For many years "mysterious lights" mystery seemed to grow deeper. Final­ have been seen near Brown Mountain, ly Senators Simmons and Overman pre­ in the northern part of Burke County, vailed upon the Geological Survey to N.C., about 12 miles northwest of make a second and more thorough in­ Morganton. Some have thought that vestigation of these puzzling lights. these lights were of supernatural The present writer, to whom the task origin; others have dreamed that they of making this investigation was as­ might indicate enormous mineral de­ signed, spent 2 weeks near Brown posits; and many who have not had such Mountain in March and April 1922 and visions have looked upon them as a took observations on seven evenings, natural wonder that lent interest to on four of them until after midnight, all vacation trips to the region. from hillsides that afforded favor­ In October 1913 at the urgent re­ able views of the lights. The results quest of Representative E. Y. Webb, of of the work are reported here. North Carolina, a member of the U.S. Geological Survey, D. B. Sterrett, was AID RECEIVED IN THIS INVESTIGATION sent to Brown Mountain to observe these lights and to determine their The writer gratefully acknowledges origin. After a few days investigation his indebtedness to Messrs. R. T. Mr. Sterrett declared that the lights Claywell, A. M. and Charles Kistler, were nothing but locomotive headlights and H. L. Millner, of Morganton, who seen over the mountain from the neigh­ gave him much information and assist­ boring heights. This explanation was ed him in many ways in his investi­ too simple and prosaic to please any­ gation. Joseph Loven, of Cold Spring, one who was looking for some super­ and H. C. Martin, of Lenoir, accom­ natural or un4sual cause of the lights, panied him on some of the evenings of and when they were seen after the observation. G. E. Moore, of Lenoir, great flood of 1916, while no trains furnished valuable information. F. H. were running in the vicinity, even May, of Lenoir, organized a party to some of those who had accepted Mr. accompany him to the summit of Brown Sterrett's explanation felt compelled Mountain and generously rendered much to abandon it. valuable aid. Monroe Coffey and As time went on, the interest in the Theodore Crump, of the U.S. Forest lights became more general, and as one Service, extended to him the hospi­ tality of their camp on Brown 1rssued in 1922 as Press Notice Mountain and joined in the 14328. investigation. 1 Drs. W. J. Humphreys and Herbert of the mountain is composed of the Lyman and Mr. C. F. Talman, of the Cranberry Granite, a rock which also U.S. Weather Bureau, obligingly fur­ underlies many square miles on the nished correspondence and unpublished north side of the Blue Ridge. manuscript relating to the Brown The Caldwell Power Co. has drilled Mountain light, and W. W. Scott, of a series of holes, 50 to nearly 100 Washington, kindly lent a scrapbook feet deep, along the lower part of containing copies of his own and the east slope of Brown Mountain pre­ other published articles relating to liminary to the location of a tunnel. Brown Mountain. Through the kindness of H. L. Millne~ The writer is also indebted to his an officer of the company; the writer colleagues of the Geological Survey was permitted to examine the cores for helpful suggestions and discus­ taken from these holes. Most of them sions, particularly to Arthur Keith consisted of ordinary granite,· though for information about the geology of a few included masses of rock of the Brown Mountain region and to R. H. other kinds. The men who surveyed the Sargent, J. B. Mertie, Jr., and A. C. line for the tunnel reported local Spencer for aid in the interpretation magnetic attraction amounting to a of instrumental observations. deflection of about 6°, but though representative pieces of all the dif­ TOPOGRAPHY OF BROWN MOUNTAIN ferent kinds of cores were presented to the compass needle, they produced The shape and general elevation of no noticeable effect. Dip-needle Brown Mountain are shown on the ac­ tests made to determine magnetic con­ companying map. Its eastern ridge ditions at Brown Mountain gave read­ forms part of the boundary between ings of 41~0 , which is slightly Burke and Caldwell Counties. Its top greater than those made at Loven's or is plateaulike and reaches a maximum at Gingercake Mountain (40°) but less elevation of about 2,600 feet. It is than those made at Blowing Rock (43°) partly cut away by southward-flowing and at the Perkins place, near Adako branches of Johns River and is sep­ (45°). arated from more intricately carved uplands on the northwest, north, and RECORDS OF EARLIER OBSERVATIONS northeast by Upper and Wilson Creeks and their tributaries. Seen from a So far as the writer is aware the distance from almost any direction, first published account of the light Brown Mountain appears as a ridge was given in a dispatch from Linville having a nearly even skyline. (See Falls to the Charlotte Daily Observer, map , fig • 1. ) dated September 23, 1913, in which its discovery is credited to members GEOLOGIC FEATURES of the Morganton Fishing Club, who saw.it "more than two years ago" but The geologic features of the Brown who were "laughed at and accused of Mountain region are the southward seeing things at night." This account extension of the features seen far­ is quoted in part below: ther north, which are described and · .. The mysterious light that is seen mapped in the Cranberry-folio, No. 90 just above the horizon almost every of the series of folios of the Geo­ night from Rattlesnake Knob, near logic Atlas of the United States. Cold Spring, on the Morganton road There is nothing unique or unusual in * * * is still baffling all investi­ t~e geology of Brown Mountain. Most gators * * * With punctual regular- 2 ~ N i i~ .PROFILE FROM STA. B ON UNE IS, SHOWING METHOD OF LOCATION OF LIGHT BY USE OF A VERTICAL ANGLE.. ELEVAT..t:lo\!. VERT1CA/.. ANISLC,. ANO CVRVAnJRE ~!EO 4 T/Ma!;. ~1SKETCH OF BROWN MOUNTAIN FROM STA.A NEAR LOVENS. NOT~ hOW' THE VIEW AT THE' RltSHT IS CUT OFF. w ---------~~~~6~: - ~~"-4- ------------ 0 Z 4 6 8 10 MILES l__.l......i---dd----4 Figure 1.--Map of Brown Mountain region, N.C., illustrating origin of 11 Brown Mountain lights. 11 ity the light rises in a southeasterly the lights and never heard of them direction from the point of observa­ until 1910. Similar testimony is tion just over the lower slope of given by Rev. Albert Sherrill, who Brown Mountain, first about 7:30 p.m. served two churches in the country and again at 10 o'clock. It looks much about Brown Mountain. In a letter to like a toy fire balloon, a distinct Dr. W. J. Humphreys dated January 25, ball, with no atmosphere about it. 1922 he says: * * * It is much smaller than the "For 4 years I traveled the roads to full moon, much larger than any star these churches and visited in the and very red. It rises in the far homes of the people all about this distance from beyond Brown Mountain, mountain. I held revival services day which is about 6 miles from Rattle­ and night, which gave me a chance of snake Knob, and after going up a short observation at night. This was from distance, wavers and goes out in less 1909 to 1912, inclusive. At no time than 1 minute * * *· It does not al­ in all these years did I see a light ways appear in exactly the same place, or hear of one * * * Two years but varies what must amount in the after I left there was the first I distance to several miles.