Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-25
A SINGING BEACH.
Singular Sounds Produced by Sand
at Manchester-by-the
From the Boston HerdSS.

Singular SOUNDS PRODUCED py Sanu
at Neutrality-suspicious.
From the Boston ReraSs.
1.-THE village OF Manchester-by-the-S
thirty miles northeast OF Boston, there is
Il singing beach, natural curiosity,
which has attracted considerable atten-
ton among scientific people. Until.quite
recently, but two Of these sO-called ~sing-
ing beaches" were known !; enc was this
one at Manchester, and the other was in
Europe. Within the past few years,
however, investigation has shown that
their existence is far more common than
was at fist supposed. In tue
early part of 1884 the superintendent
of the variouslIfe saving stations en-our
sea coast were instructed To procure sam
pies OF this sand, If anysOceurred in their
districts, and 26 werereceived. 1t is said
that the number OF American localities
has now been increased TO "a, while in
foreign couatries 13 places have been
noted. Singing sands~derive their name
from the noise whiehthe produce when
walked upon or otherwise disturbed. The
sound is one of low.pltch and intensity
and may be likened to a subdued crush
ing or crunching: it is shrill, but not
metallic nor cracking. The sound is
slightly percephble, when the sand
is merely stirred by the hand, is.
made quite. audible by the pressure OF the,
foot in walking on 1t, and is much in
tensiiied by drawing board or plank over
it. Prof. Bolton, OF Trinity College,
Hartford, who two years ago began the
study Of this subject, states that by SIM
ply driving a SLICK into the sand OF the
Manchester beach, a sound was evoked.
which by actual measurement could be.
heard 140feet, even with the noise Of the
surf breaking on the beach. The singing
beach at Manchester is about One-nfth
OF a mile In length. The. sand Is coarse
and compact, even when dry. The grains
of sand are mere angular tDan those OF
the ordinary beach saod, and are mostly
pure. CLASSY quartz and feldspar.
The sonOrOus phenomenon is exhibited
only by the sand lyjng below the extreme
high-water mark, but within that limit,
here and there, are patches closely con-
tiguous TO the musical portions, which,
are silent. From Prof. Bolton OF Trinity
and Prof. Julien. OF Columbia most OF the
information on this subject IL derived.
The facts as far as known are these: Ine
singing sand may occur in comparatively
small patches IN the midst OF ordinary
sand: IL always occurs between the
limits OF high and low tide; the same
sand does not produce sounds at
all seasons, nor does 10 always give
forth like sounds: when wet IL does
not emit sounds, IL has also been noticed
that samples OF this sand when transported
In bags lost It's sOnOfOusncss, hut retained
10 when seut In bottles. or course, many
theories have been advanced 10 explain
this phenomenon. but none OF them seem
entirely satisfactory. The most probable
one " that IL is produced By friction be-
tween the angular particles Of the sand
Prot. julien considers that the conditions
OF sOnOrOusness Ia sand are perfect dry
ness. uniformity Of grain, varying from
Cnn-lith, 10 One.ienth OF an inch in diane
ter aud freedom from dust. N0norous
sands are now known 10 be widely dis-
iributed throughout the word. lhey
have been found on the coasts Of scotland
and The Hebrides; on the coast OF Ntiiiol.
mia, in Netnda, aud on tho northwest
shore of Lake Champiaini along the
shores of the Caribbean eoa, where pa
some places if is said ~ Da ~ loud as tDe
barking of a dor, aud in several places in
Asla. 100 phenomenon d. therefore
widely distributed.