Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-07-03
THE SOUNDING ROCKS.
Natural Phenomenon which Has Given
Rise to Many Legen.is.


capricious festoons, there is shown to
the tourist a heap of grayish rocks
known in the country under the name
Of the sounding stones of Guido"
In the crystalline texture of these
rocks and their slaty color we at once
recognize that variety of stone known
in mineralogy by the name of amphib-
ole Complex silicate of iron. manga
nese and lilne). These stones, which,
aside from their musical properties,
possess no novelty, are situated in the
midst of wonderful scenery. They oc-
cupy a small cove, that at rising tide is
entirely covered, and which is over
looked by high bank, upon which
stands the little village of Guido,
formerly the center of celebrated pill
grimage.
The stones of Guido are not erratic
blocks derived from the upper part of
the valley. It is clearly seen that
they have been detached from the
bank itself, the strata of which are
of rock of the same formation. They
are huge boulders rolled and polished
by the sea.
The sounding-stones are three in
number. They are long prismatic
blocks, lying side by side, at right
angles with the shore, and because of
their form, the inhabitants sometimes
call them 1.-The horses in the stable"
The central stone more particularly
exhibits the phenomenon. 1t is about
20 feet in length, and % feet in circum-
ference, thus giving it an approximate
weight of 165. 900 pounds. On the
river side it ends in a sort of truncated
spur. 1t is at this part that it is
necessary to strike it with an iron in
strument, or, better. with stone of the
same nature. Near this spur there
are observed three or four points that
are we'll marked by the wear produced
by the repeated blows of visitors.
These are the points at which the
maximum of sonorousness is obtained.
Under blow the stone emits very
clear, silvery sound, similar to that
which would be obtained by striking
large bell with mallet of soft wood.
The more one approaches the other
end, in continuing the blows. the deader
the sound becomes. Near the top the
totality seems to increase little.
Finally. at certain points, which must
be nodes of vibration. merely dull
sound is obtained. If, while striking.
one presses his ear against the other
extremity of the rock, the sound heard
is extraordinarily intense, and, in
measure as it dies out, the various har-
monies are distinctly perceived. The
two other stones emit nothing more
than muff1ed sound. 1t is asserted
that this is due to the fact that they
have been disturbed by the action of
the sea- In fact, it is to be noted that
the musical stone rests through a few
points only upon the pebbles that sup
port it, while the two others are now
partially sunk in the subjacent earth.
We examined all the surrounding
stones. and found several that gave
very varied sounds, without there SEEM
ing to be any relation between their
size and the height OF the pitch. At
the end of the cove we more particu-
larly remarked a horizontal stratum
partially buried in the shore and di-
vided into fragm ents, forming, as it
were, something like the gigantic keys
of prehistoric piano. Three of these
stones gave clearly the perfect major
chord. While watching our researches
with curiosity, boy of the locality
exclaimed now and then, previous to
our experiments: will soundr'
Won't sound!" and, accustomed to
make the singular stones spe ak. he
soon showed us how, at the first
glance, it was possible to recognize the
musical stones. The rocks in fact,
exhibit two very different aspects.
Those of a silvery gray, with very
line texture, all render, even when
broken, a very pure sound. Those of
a darker color and blotched with
brown, through an excess of iron, are
as if exfoliated. and emit no sound.
These sounding rocks have more
than once furnished their contingent
to the already rich legendary of the
Breton country. We were struck by
one of these legends. 1t is the story
of tailor mp-backed, of course),
who, one fnG evening, obligingly as
sisted in completing the round of the
fairies of Guido, who were disconso-
late over being in unequal numbers.
As a reward, the fairies taught him to
''sound the stone" in making wish.
At the Gull of the mysterious bell there
came from the depths of the earth
gnomes and elves, who satisfied the
fortunate tailor's wishes. and begun in
the first place by Kidding him of his
hump. Then comes the usual counter
part: The artful and scoffing miller of
the valley of the Arguenon wished to
initiate the tailor, and succeeded only
in making the fairies hostile. They
avenged themselves on him by Kidding
themselves, at his expense, of the
tailor's hump. which took up it's perch