The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-05-17
The Ringing Rocks.

These celebrated rocks are found on the
farm of Abraham Mench, in Pottsgroye
Township, three miles northeast of Potts
town, "a They cover a space of three
quarters of an acre. In this tract bowl
ders are piled upon powders of all shapes
and forms, and so promiscously arranged
that considerable agility is required to
walk over them without falling. As one
steps from rock to rock q ringing sound,
produced by the nails in the boot-heels, is
plainly heard. On rapping the stones with
Il hammer, quite remarkable acoustic prop
critics are revealed. Some of them give
forth n rich, full tone, which would prob
ably vie with the best bell metal if the
stones were fashioned into bells. One of
them in particular, from its depth of tone,
Is known a. the state-house bell. This was
at one time among the largest of the rocks.
1t has been broken of, however, but still
has preserved its strong, full tone. The
general sound produced by striking the
smaller stones resembles that of a black
smith anvil, some having a little clearer
ring than Others, and nc two sounding Just
alike. In passing from one to another of
the larger rocks one is reminded of the
tapping of car wheels by the train inspec-
tors. Thousands of people visit this natural
phenomenon every summer. The rocks
themselves bear evidence of this, the edges
being battered of by hammer-srokes, and
the sides of many having names carved
upon them, some parties who were unwil-
ling to take the time or trouble to chisel
their names upon the rocks having resorted
TO paint, and considerable daubing has been
done in various colors. The advertising
iend has not failed to put in his appear
ance and We are made aware of the mer-
lis of patent medicines, of the place to buy
carpets and the like, upon every hand. We
have not heard any satisfactory explana-
ton of the cause of the ringing or bell-like
sounds of these rocks. Some say it is owing
to there being a cavern under them. This,
however, can have nothing to do with il, as
when the rocks are removed they still have
the same sound. One large and sonorous
bowlder was taken to the Centennial, and
created n great deal of attention there.
Another was sent 70 England afterwards.
There is probably a metallic substance in
this group of powders to which the ring
ing sound my be attributed. We have not
heard, however, of any geological analysis
being made. Half a mile east of the Ring
ing Rocks, and in the same range of hills,
there is another group of powders which
are much visited. Here a lofty pile of
rocks surmounts n cavity of considerable |
depth, the whole being known as the Stone
House" Near by the stone house is a huge
bowlder, some fifteen or twenty feet high,
which, from its peculiar contour, is called
the Hay Stack Besides their acoustic
qualities there is another singular circum-
stance about the Ringing Rocks which Wis
itors rarely fail to notice. Many of them
have very strange marks, or ~indentations
At some points these resemble the tracks
of a horses hoof. Others are like the track |
of n wagon. Some of the larger indenta-
tons are said to resemble an elephants
foot, and fac-similes of the human foot are
claimed to be found among the smaller
ones.