The Virginia Gazette

Bonneville, Aug. 13. The 31st of last Month, about Two o'Clock in the Afternoon, the Rock in the Mountain of Plainejou, near the Parish of Pay, sunk down so suddenly, that the Quantities of Earth which came tumbling down at the same Time from the Mountain, considerably damaged the neighbouring Habitations, where six Persons were crushed to Death, with about thirty Head of Cattle. Soon after the Rock's sinking the whole Mountain was covered with Ashes and Cinders; and out of the Rock there issued two Columns of thick Smoak, about a Quarter of a Mile distant from each other; whence we conjectured that it must be full of Bitumen and Sulphur. We saw no Flames, but the sulphureous Scent from the Mountains justified our Conjecture. The Rock continued sinking and crumbling away, the following Days, and still continues with a dreadful rumbling Noise, and a thick Smoak which is sometimes black, and sometimes of a reddish Colour. The Parishes of Pasy and Cervos, situate at the Foot of the Mountain, will be in Danger of being ruined whenever the vacant Space at the Foot of the Rock shall be filled up by its crumbling away. The Road of Chamonix is also in a fair Way of being entirely stopped up. We don't yet perceive any Flames; but if any Aperture should be made in the Mountain, and the Flames burst forth through it, as there is Room to fear, we shall then see two Mountains of a very different Kind, a Volcano at Plainejou, and an Icy Mountain at Chamonix.

Since this Relation has been received, we hear that the Flames have begun to issue at the same Apertures with the Smoak; whereupon his Sardinian Majesty has sent the ablest Professors in his University to examine into this Phenomenon.