Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-29
SINGING SANDS.
Kansas People mystifled Until the Music
Was Traced to Its Source.
philadelphia Press. ]

| One Of the most remarkable natural GU.
| ro,ities ever heard of in this section has
! lust been discovered III Flint Hills. about
| five miles northwest of Piedmont, Kan.
| 4 long reach Of country III that section is
| composed Of sanl-beds and hills covered
| with small PARTICLES of flint interspersed
with some larger rocks. 1t is utterly bar
ren. 4 road passes through tho desoato
| tract, but ii IL travelled only when the
people are in a hurry, for 1t is hard OH man
| and beast.
About two months ago the people were
| surprised by several slight earthquake
| shocks. The tremblInes continued for
| several days. a few nights after the EARTH
| quake people at the farm Of Jasper New
| ton. on the edge of Flint Hill. thought
| they heard the sound Of music and got up
| 10 see who was playing at that time of
| night. The sound rose and fell liz regular
cadeace, but they could distinguish no
| tune. Ii had more of the sound of an
nolian harp than of any other instrument.
| They listened for some time. but as the
muse neither advanced nor reiterated they
| concluded that II must be at some neigh
| ior's, aud the sound was carried by pc
| culiar condition OF the atmosphere.
| The next night the music came again,
| only il seemed TO be louder and nearer. so
| loud was II that Mr.. Newton could dis
| tnguish the TACT that It came from the
| direction of the sand-hills. The next night
there was neayy raln-storm. and the
music did not sound for several nights
| afterward. Then came dry spell of a
| week. and one evening as the family was
| sitting In from, of the house the sweet
| strains were heard again. only they were
not so loud as formerly and appeared 20
| be al much greater distance. As the dry
weather continued the sounds became
| louder ard nearer every Ll1nt.
| AT last II was determined to solve the
mystery If possible. and party OF young
people set out for the Flint Hills, deter
| mined To camp out all night and see what
| il was that caused the sounds. The first
night they canpod about The centre OF tho
waste spot. After darkness came thev
oule,ed down and soon the sweet sounds
| were heard family III the direction of New
| tons house. They thought az first that Il
| trick was bein. played upon them 10y some
| one at Newton's, but the same strain con-
| tinued with no variation OF strength all
| night long. Then they moved their camp
nearer TO the edge OF the barren place, and
that night the music appeared to come
| from spot about 100 yards from them
The sound did not seem any louder
than when heard ~ the house Of New
| ton. but it was clearer and more distinct.
One of the party went out to investigate.
| and as he was walking about the music
suddenly stopped. He stood still for some
time. but not u sound came. Then he walk
ed away. and had gone but u short distance
| when he heard the music behind him.
ketracing his stops i: stopped again. but
u he walked on il started up. lie then
marked the sand with stick ana went
back to the tent. Next morning they in-
vestlgated the place where the stick had
been placed ana found that it was almost
gone. At the spot where it had been
placed the sand was working as If some.
thing underneath was boiling. Ii dubbed
and worked IN concentr.c circles and evi-
IDENTIFY caused the music by the rubbing
together of the particles during the Gu
nous phenomena When it rained the wet
sand would emit no sound.