Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-07-22
A SAND THAT BARKS
An ACCOUNT or TIE MUSICAL EARTH
or TIE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
A savant Describes . Curious Portion Of
the Globes Makeep-MasieAi Sand Is
Found in several Countries-scme Hy-
pothes~s to Explain the Cause.

A ssvant Describes . Curious Portion Of
the Globes A.keep-Ma,ieai Sand Is
Feuaa in several Countries-se@e Hy-
peth~s~s to Explain the Cause.
| The so-eallesl barking sands Of Kauai
are mentioned in the works of several
travellers in the Hawaiian islands. and
| have a worldwide fa,ne rs a nstuf-l curl
osity. As arale. however, the printed ae-
counts are meager in details, AMI show
the Authors 10 have been unacquainted
| with similar phenomena elsewhere.
| Jointly with DR.. Alexis A. Julien, Of
Columbia college. New York, have been
studying the properties Of sonoruus sand
| for long time. and have visited many
localities in America. Europe and Asia;
| hence was able during recent visit to
/ Kauai 10 make some notes and conpari-
sons that may interest the residents of
this kingdom
| Notwithstanding recent rains found
| the sand on the dune at Mana dry 10 the
depth of four or i've inches, and when
pushed down the steep incline il gave
out deep base note having tremulous
character. This hardly resembles the
Barking" of a dog. but a sound some
what like it is produced by plunging the
hands into the sand and bringing them
vigorously together. Another way is 10
| fill a long bag three-quarters full of sand,
and then dividing its contents into two
parts. holding one in each hand. to clap
he two portions togetheS. This had
| found TO be good method for testing
| she sonorousness of sand on sea beaches.
4 bag of the sand will preserve its
acoustic qualities long time if kept dry
and not too frequently manipulated.
| The angle at which the sand lies where
| it falls over the dune is 81 degrees; the
sonorousness extends several hundred
| feet along the dune, being interrupted
by creeping vine that thrives marvel
| ously in such soil.
| A similar dune of sonorous sand oc-
| ours ON Niihau. us has long been known
to residents of the island, and IT has been
also reported to occur near Koloe.
These observations. simple as they are.
have been Of special interest TO me, be-
cause they show that the sand of these
| localities forms link between that of
the sea beaches and that of IA certain hill
On the Gulf of SueZ known as Jebel Ma
gous. and which visited in April. 1889
| Sonorous sand is of more common occur
renee than generally supposed. 1t is
| found on the Atlantic coast of the Unit
ed States from Maine to Florida. on the
Pacific coast, in Europe. Japan, Africa,
| Tasmania, etc, as we'll as on the shores of
many fresh water lakes. In these localities
it forms areas generally between low
| tide aud the base of adjoining dunes. and
emits sounds only wien subjected to
friction by the feet and hands or in :.
bag as described. At Jebel Nagous. III
! Arabia. ON the other hand, the sand rests
in ravine, and produces sound only
when it rolls down the incline (which it
often does spontaneously)a and fails to re-
spond to kicks and cuffs
The sand at Mana. as shown, unites in
itself both these acoustic properties. The
angle at which the sand lies at Jebel
Wagons is the same ~ at Mana. II de
grees being the "ancln of rest for fine
dry sand. The music notes obtained
ut these far separated localities are also
the same, but in Arabia the incline is
800 feet high, and consequently til
sounds are far louder, especially as they
are further magnified by being echoed
from adjoining cliffs.
The sand at Kauai and Niihau is made
mp of fragments of shell and coral, while
that of all other localities known to US
lover 100 in numberl is siliceous This
shows that the sonorousnrSS is indie
pendent of material. Ex animation under
the microscope further shows that the
sonorous quality is not connected with
the shape of the grain.
Souorous sand is distinguished by
benl: free from fine dust or silt. the in
diviiual grains are very uniform III size.
1t is very easy to deprive sand Of it,
acoustic power by mixing "a little earth
with it or Ivy wettins il. |. is difficult,
it not impossible, to restore 10 sand its
sonorouS quality when once killed.
A number of hypothesis have been
proposed to explain the cause of this Gu
rious property of certain sands. The
prevalent idea i'll these islands that the
sound is Dire to the cellular structure Of
tile sand must be abandoned. since most
sonorous snnd is not SO constituted, tina,
of Kauai forming an exception. .Snrno
have attributed the sonorous quality TO
saline crusts, others TO electricity. effel
vescence of air between the particles
reverberation within subtcrrancan cay
tiles and to solarization, and one author
attnmrts TO cvnlain the phenomena by
vr,tin., nf ..n re1uplicution of i,,n,l.e,
sa+.;,,,. NV j., ,;,,,.,,;n,, i, :. f.r,,s =,
,,hn,