The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-06-30
STRANGE NOISES AT SEA.

An officer OF the royal mail steamer Shan
NON writes TO the "Nature0 an account of n
phenomenon which he says been repeatedly
noticed IN the harbor Of GreyIoWn Nicaranua
lie says
Owing to II shallow bar, vessels cannot
enter the harhor or river, and are therefore
Obliged to anchor IN from seven to eight faith
um@ Of water, about two miles from the beach
the bottom consisting of a heavy dark sand
and mad containing much vegetable matter
brought down by the river. Now, while at
anchor in this situation, we hear, commence
ing at a marvellous punctuality at about mid
night, peculiar metallic vibratory sound, of
sufficient l0udness to awaken a great MAORI
ly OF the ships crew, however tired they may
be after hard days work This sound con
hnues lor two hours, with but one or two
very short Intervals 1t was first noticed
some lew years ago in the iron-built vessels
Wye. Tyne, Elder, and Danube. 1t has
never been heard on board the copper-wood-
en- Vessels Trent Thames, Tomar, or Solent.
hese were steamers formerly employed on
the branch OF the companys mtercolonial
service and when any OF their officers or crew
we've told OF the wonderful music heard on
board At Greytown, il was generally treated
is "a yarn or hoax. Well for the last two
years the company's large transatlantic sbius
have called 1T Grcytown, and remained there
on such occasions tCr from five to six davs
We have thus all had ample opportunity of
hearing for ourselves. When first heard by
the negroes they were more frightened than
astonlShed, and they ut once gave way to SUI
perslilous fears of ghosts and Obeihism. Ry
English sailors 1t was considered to be caused
by the trumpet fish, or what they called such
Certainly not the DedtriScus scOl0par. which
does not even exist here) They invented a
fish to account for it. But if caused by any
kind OF fish, why only at certain hours of the
night Everything on board is as still from
two to four, as from twelve to two O'Clock
yet the sound is heard between twelve and
two, yet not between two and four The shin,
is undoubtedly one Of the principal instra-
ments id its production She is in fact 70,
the time being converted into a great musical
sounding board
Ii IS ny no means easy to describe this
sound and each listener gives a somewhat
different account Of it,
1t is musical, metallic with a certain ca
dence, and one-two-three time tendency ot
beat; 1t is heard most distinctly over open
hatchways, over the engine-room, throupb
me oal-Shoots, and close round the outside
"i the ship. IT cannot be fixed at any one
p,''ct' Always appearing to recede from the
observer On applying the ear to the side OF
az 9 9pen bunker one fancies that it is pro-
ceeqlng rom the very bottom of the hold.
'eiS inherent were the comparisons made
ny dll1erent listeners. The blowing of a
conch shell by fishermen at a distance .
shell held to the ear, an polian harm tho
Whlir or buzzing sound of wheel machinery
in rapid motion, the vibration of a laroe he'll
when the first and louder part of the sonnd
has ceased, the echo of chimes in tho hnlfrn
the ricochetting Of stone on ice. the Wind
blowing over telegraph wires, have all heen
assigned as bearing a more or less close re-.
semblance; it is louder on the second than
the first; and reaches its acme on the third
night; calm weather and smooth water favor
ITS Development The ripping of the water
alongside and the breaking Of the surf on
me shore are heard quite distinct from it.