Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-10-16
AERIAL EXPLOSIONS.
A STARTLING PHENOMENA
FOUND IN INDIA.
Scientists Can Throw no Light ON 'tho
Barisal Gun''-No One Has Ever
Been known to lie Near
Them--A Problem.

One OF the most startling mysteries
Of nature is the phenomenon known In
India as "the Barisal gun" In a
part OF the delta OF the Ganges detona-
tions. that sound as If caused by the
discharge OF heavy artillery. are heard
booming through the air at irregular
intervals. rising from none can say
where and caused by none can say what.
They have been heard during at
least 400 years as is proved by local
history. and tradition does not reach a
time when they were not heard.
Nevertheless they have never been
explained.
Barisal is town on the western
bank of the Barisal River. sixty-five
miles north OF the Bay of Bengal.
Although its name has been used as
though the sounds were peculiar to the
place, the noises are familiar to the
people of Dacca seventy-fve miles
noIthward They sometimes occur at
Chittagong. 100 miles eastwardly, and
occas onally startle folks at equally
great distances away toward the west
and the south. They have even been
hoard with great distinctness at Cher
IA Punni which is nearly 200 miles
north of the Bay of Bengal.
At times they seem to come from
the south or southwest and again
from the north or east. Whenever
ono hears them they always seem to
come from somewhere else No one
has ever been known 10 be near them.
but they are never SO remote as to
leave doubt in the minds OF those who
hear them that they are actually the
sounds OF cannonading.
The natives ever ready to explain
what they do not understand by giving
it supernatural origin, had two YER
sions OF the cause of the detonations-
one, that they were the sound of the
opening and shutting OF the brazen
gates of the mythical palace of Ravan-
ma on the island OF Ceylon; the other.
that aerial Observation-Disclosures
them by the firing of ghostly cannon ia
honor OF Khan a Ali or Khan Jahan,
who was Tahslldar OF Bagirnat 400
years ago
OF course when matter of-fact Eng
lishmen got into the country they said:
''Poohl pooh!' TO all that and straight
way set to work TO find scientific ex-
PLANTATION for the sounds.
But they have TO admit that they
have not yet found it.
Colonel II. s. Olcott. says the Youths
Companion. after devoting much in
quiry and study to the matter, averred
that so far us he could see the ghostly
artillerists of Indian story were as
probable as any thing that the most
advanced modern science could sug-
gest and maintain by way OF explana-
ton.
Now. during more than year. the
Asiatic Society OF Bengal. after COL
lecting and studying the facts. finds
these mysterious aerial demonstra-
tions as deep puzzle as ever.
The nearest hills are 100 miles away
from Barisal toward the east and near
ly that distance north westerly. so
there is no basis for an "echo" hypo-
thesis IL even it were possible to find
any thing that might cause such
echoes.
There are no military environments
and no heavy guns in all that part OF
the delta where these noises occur, SO
they can not by caused ey real materi-
al guns.
The detonations are always heard nj
their best ia the clearest and dryest
weather. and lever during storms. so
atmospheric electricity can not reason
ably be held responsible for them.
They have not been known to occur
simultaneously with earth 1uakes.
All over the territory in which the
phenomenon occurs the Asiatic Soci-
ETY. OF Bengal has caused to be distrib-
uted printed lists of questions and
blank forms to be filed out with data
which it is hoped will when collated.
sustain some hypothesis or demolish
by unquestionable evidence all that
have been or may be advanced.
Hundreds OF the most intelligent
residents in this district are getting
the desired facts. Should the society
succeed in finding physical cause for
this acoustic marvel OF the centuries.
1t will have solved one of the most
pulling problems ever propounded
10 scientific men.