The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1891-05-30
WAVES faAT sHAKE THE SHORE.
A Stirling Phenomenon on the Coast OF
Donegal.

@sThey that 90 down TO the sea in
ships, thHt do business in great waters
may suppose chat the wonders of tie
deep are revealed to lhem,7 said an
old traveller who had garnerod expert
enee beth ashore aud aaoat "but, as a
matter of fact, the average sailor has
very little idea of the size and power
of great waves On the rock-b0and
coast, exposed 10 the full sweep Of the
Atlantic Ocean, the pillows break in
storm with fury that they never ex-
hibit far from shore. A few months
ago was guest in the house of a
Donegal Irelan0 gentleman who lives
about five miles from the shore, and |
witnessed singular phenomenon,
which, think, is peculiar to that coast.
"On the evening of my arrival my
host gave dinner party, at which
was the only alien. Every one else at
the table was native Of Donegal, and
when the cloth was removed and the
ladies had withdrawn, the materials
essential to social evening were pro-
duced. was just about to raise my
glass to my lips when | heard a strange
booming noise, not unlike far off thun-
der, and at the same moment the room
was very plainly shaken, the easements
ratified, the floor trembled, and con-
siderable portion of my punch was
jolted over the edge of my tumbler
and fell upon the table. | had no
doubt that | had felt the shock of an
earthquake, aud dare say my face
was rather pale as | looked at my COM
panions to see how they were affected
by the situation. They did not seem
to be in the least disturbed. Joke and
laugh and story flowed OH unchecked,
but noticed that every man was now
holding his glass in his hand. Some
what reassured, was on the point of
again raising my glass when the BOOM
ing sound was repeated, the floor shiv-
cred, the window panes clattered and
the floor rocked again, and this time
the disturbance seemed nearer, clearer,
deadlier than before.
II could be silent no longer: Sad
dressing the guests generally, | said;
"ls that an earthquakeq You ap-
pear to be accustomed to such things,
judging from the small amount of at
tention you pay to it.
"For moment they all stared at me
wonderingly, Then with a common
impulse, they leaned back in their
chairs and fairly howled with laugh
ter. Il beg your PARDON said our
host as soon as he had recovered his
gravity, Il forgot that you were a
stranger In Donegal, and knew moth
ing about the force with which the
big Atlantic waves strike its rocks. A
storm is brewing at sea, and the great
rollers are just beginning to shake the
shore. The shock of billow OH the
ramparts may be felt much further
inland than this, and during a very
fierce tempest, when the wind is blow
ing straight from the ocean, the earth
trembles at least eight miles from the
COAST
"Thc following morning | drove to
the beach. A quarter of mile from
the sea was drenched with what !
mistook for rain, but | found it was
merely thick, flying spray from the
byeakers. On the coast the scene was
positively awful to one unaccustomed
to it. The storm Of the preceding
night had spent itfelf, but the giant
waves, with all the weight of the AT.
lantic Ocean behind them, smote the
immovable rocks with terrific force
and melting into seetbing foam, sank
back, baflled only for moment, upon
the breast of the almost fathomless
waters that washed that iron coast
When time was young these pitiless
pillows wasted their powers upon that
impregnable shore, and while timt
endures these everlasting ramparti
will beat them back. OF all places
have visited in which nature dwarf
humanity, have seen none wher,
mans littleness becomes so apparen
to himself as at the deep-sea coast o
Denegal.'