The Nevada journal., 1853-06-10
For the Journal.
Who Can Explain il :"


an occurrence of singular nature,
which is thus described by that Journal:
son Thursday last about IL o'c:ock
a. NJ, the people at Dobbins' Ranch
were startled by the sound of an ex-
plosion like that of heavy piece of
ordinance. Following the explosion was
whizzing sound like that Of a large
cannon ball passing through the air,
which was succeeded by rumbling
like the approach of train of cars up
on a railroad blowing off steam. At
first it was supposed to be the explosion
of steam mill in the immediate vicinity
but on learning that such was not the
case, it became o matter of general
speculation. A similar sound was heard
at the Keystone and Nevada house, but
at the latter place it seemed to come
from high in the air. 1t has been sug-
gested that it must have been heated
air escaping from some assure in the
mountain. but we prefer leaving the
question for the curious to decide.
The same explosion was heard, at
nearly the same moment, in this vicini-
ty. | was at the time about three miles
above Nevada and between Deer Greek
and the Sugar Loaf Range. The same
= .'explosion" at that point answered pre-
cisely to the description Of that at Dob
bins; Ranch. 1t appeared evidently
subterranean, and travelled very rapid
ly from West to East, as though it were
following a fssure in the under lying
strata
Explosions of this description are by
no means uncommon. They occur in
almost all mountainous coun tries, but
have never been satisfac torily accounted
for, although many and often fanciful ex-
plantations have been offered by learned
men. They are said to occur frequently
in the mountainous regions of Brazil
They are very common throughout the
whole extent of the central mountain
Gus portions of this contenent. They are
m entioned by Lewis s. Clarke as having
been heard by them in their tour accross
the Rocky mountains, where they were
attributed, by the Indians, to the BURST
ing of the rich silver mines supposed to
be contained in the bowels of those
mountains.
Irving, in his ASTORIA also allu des
to them as being reported to him by the
trappers who frequently heard them in
their wanderings among the Black Hills
and along the Eastern 81, pc of the Rocky
mountains The same author also al
ludeS to their occurrence in other places.
He records remarkable instance of q
similar character, by Jesuit Father,
who observed it in the mountainous re-
gion of Piratininga, in South America,
which he compared to the discharge Of
park of artillery. On examination he
found where a rock had burst and ex-
like bomb-shell and about the size of
q bullock's heart. This encrusted mass
was broken either by its election or fall,
exposing very remarkable internal or
ganization, within which were arranged,
like the seeds of pomegranate, SUBJ
stances like jewels, of various colors, but
of no value.
The more usual characteristics of
these phenomena, are, however, similar
to those described by the Express. in
the recent instance which occurred here.
An explosion precisely similar to this,
occurred in the Eastern part of Aassa-
chusetts, in the spring of 1912, with this
difference only, that the sound there pro-
ceeded from East to West.
There appears to be marked differ
ence between these explosions and the
usual phenomena attendent upon even
slightest shock of an earthquake
The former are accompanied with a
mere detonation,a ,and no trembling of the
earth, as is always the case with the
latter. They are doubtless. however,
both produced by the same causes,-the
disengagement of gasses, or the produc-
ton of heat in the bowls of the Garth.
In the former case the gasses find more
gradual heat by elongated fissures-s sim
liar, and probably identical, in many
cases with quartz veins, which pierce
the underlying strata of almost every
country. In the latter cases the dis
turbing cause lying deeper and being of
greater volume, is unable to find a vent
by any convenient assure, and in its
struggles and throes to free itself pro-
duces the phenomena called earth