While Crowd Watched, Rock Quarry Pumped Almost Dry, Aug. 12, 1921

Little Revealed by Draining Hole. . . Many Thousands Visit Hole But Get Scant Satisfaction—Summer Quiet Reigns in Raleigh

By M.L. Shipman

Raleigh, N.C., August 8—Mid-summer presents the usual quietude around the capitol building and in the city of Raleigh itself. A number of State officials and departmental clerks are away on their vacations and the excessive heat here recently is accountable in a large measure for the decreasing number of visitors from the surrounding country.

Draining the old Rock Quarry has held the center of the state the past week and the real life of the city has been transferred to the “pumping station” at the eastern terminal of Davie Street, where crowds of the curious have assembled daily to see the pumps in operation. The pumps were at work day and night for a week, before exposing the bottom to the scorching rays of an August sun.

The pool has been dumping ground for years and the mass of junk found at the bottom represents contributions from practically every class and condition of humanity, moral and depraved. Garbage from the city’s sanitary department added to mysterious packages from evil hands constitute a collection of debris which is difficult to describe. Visitors are allowed to view the scenes from a distance, but instructed to touch nothing taken from the big hole which as provoked so much discussion for the past three weeks.

By actual count 4,800 automobiles, bringing (brought) approximately 20,000 people to and from this Raleigh “curiosity” yesterday. Little was to be seen except a deep muddy hole in the earth with considerable filthy water still on the bottom. Many brought lunches and made a day of the trip. Few counties in the state were without representation. The lake has revealed “hidden mysteries” rather slowly. The cushion of an automobile seat, a brass dog-chain with rock attached and a wooden box enclosing a charred tow-sack containing a decaying object emitting an unpleasant odor and in such a state of discomposure as to preclude the possibility of identifications as about all that has been fished out of the pond except the “lost or stolen” automobiles brought to light three weeks ago. Solicitor Norris is taking all strange objects in hand and may start some investigations when the entire contents of this old quarry have been exposed.

From the front page of The Brevard News, Friday, August 12, 1921