The morning news., 1894-07-28

huO "a A@CS SSAA0S e@14A Al d04NlOnb OF
the Weird Locality.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer
In the new American Cyclopedia. vol.
xiii. page is, we find the following infor-
nation:
.Pascagoula river of Missi ssippi formed
by the junction Of the Leaf aud Chfczasawha.
II flows IN a southerly direction into Missis-
sippi sound through two separate mouths its
en- 0ouchure forming Pascagoula bay
The mouth Of the Pascagoula river is cele-
brated for the mysterious music which may
often be heard there on still summer even
iugs. The listeners beng on the beach, or
vet more favorably, in boat floating upon
the river a low. plaintive sound is heard
rising and falling ttke an lEollan harp and
seeming to issue from the water. 3 )
The actual occurrence OF this phenomenon,
not only at the mouth OF the PasCagoula, but
At other points on the same coast, is fully at
tested by unquestionable evidence. 1t is
the SUBJECT of various legends and traditions.
hut the most plausible CONJECTURE in ex-
PLANTATION OF its origin is that it is occasioned
by some species of shell fish or other marine
animal. A somewhat similar phenomenon
Is mentioned by Sir Emerson Tenant as oc-
curing in certain situations on the coast of
Ceylon.'
few weeks ago a party of Cincin-
natians visited the Pascagoula country,
and. incidentally, took some pains to in
vestigate these musical sounds. They
EDOUp6u at oil dlIOAls d l44OOClA SCGb4CuGllb
on Pascagoula bay, and employed four
days in an attempt to unravel
TIE -BoLIAN MYSTERY.
but to them and thousands of others it re-
mains a sealed book of harmony so far as
its source is concerned. The party stud
led the phenomenon in some 30 miles of
coast line, and went up the river six
miles, and at some points they heard the
music as soft as the notes of a loving
mother cooling to her babe, and at other
places it was loud and full and repre-
sented three parts-alto, tenor and bass.
In these latter manifestations the har-
mony was perfect, the notes round
and full, and the score replete with
abrupt though melodious changes, which
attested music's melting, mystic lay.
The monotones were sweetest, but lacked
volume. They had the popularity of
leading one to expect great deal more
than came, making him linger in uncer-
tain hope of more pronounced demonstra-
tions, and finally creating such a desire
for more that with some it amounted to
fascination of a strength, only possible to
dissipate by carrying the subject forcibly
away from its influence. This reminds
one of the legend of the Lorelei which
may have have had its strong fiber of
truth as the center of much Germanic
fringe and bedizenment, and leads to the
conclusion that fascination
Is NOT A MYTH,
And worth the study of careful biologists.
A prominent lady of aristocratie Clifton
will testify to the same effect, if she will
talk at all about her experience on the
occasions referred to, for she succumbed
to an ecstasy of delightful expectation on
the second day of our quest, and wished
TO insist upon staying until the finale of
the music, which she felt sure would be
grand beyond mortal description. We
stayed in that one particular spot more
than an hour for her special qualification,
and then her husband became apprehen-
sive that longer stop would prove iniu-
dicious, and we left the strange sounds
and weird influences for more normal sur
rOundings
The mellihuous trios were heard in a To-
cality quite remote from the enchanted
domain OF the solo, and were like choral
chants with operate variations, tapering
into a fugue, long drawn out and fairly
symphonious, but soon tiresome from irri-
tation. A gentlemen in the party thought
he recognized in the performance short
selections from "Lohengrin" Messiah"
and 'Pinafore,' - and the failure of others
10 hear with his fine sense he imputed to
the absence of orchestration. In tn ese
efforts there was a clearness of note and
disuncness of parts truly wonderful
der water and conveyed to the upper air
with their sweet resonance. is a problem
for scientists. They were as we'll defined
as if made in a clear atmosphere at a free
interval of 30 feet from our boat, and
strongly resem bled the sympathetic war
Ole OF 10 or 20 young voices of both sexes
in an eXtemporized concert. Mr.. Gay.
ARE, in his louisiana says these
sounds strike the ear of the listener
like the distant concert of 1000 .Folian
harps,' but none that we heard seemed
to warrant this very liberal compari-
son.
In locality as superstitious as the Pas
cagoula country stories relating to this
phenomenon and the legends accounting
for IL are numerous, and some are inter
esllng If only TO exhibit their eXtrava-
gance. One of these may be briefly sum-
married. On the Pascagoula coast once
dWelt peculiar tribe, differing in color,
customs and religion from all other In
dlans. Their complexion was lighter and
tradition declared that their ancestors
mad sprung from the sea. They were a
gay, gentle, inoffensive race, fond of holi-
days and festivals, living chiefly on fish
ana oysters and singularly gifted with
musical tastes and powers The princi-
pal object of their religious devotion was
mermaid
OR MARINE GODDESS,
Whose image they were won't to worship
or moonlight nights with songs and
strans of exquisite melody drawn from
Instruments OF shape and structure pc
cullar TO their race.
IN the year 1540-the account is particu-
ar IN the date-there appeared among the
people a venerable Christian missionary.
ne began the work of instructing them in
me truths of the Gospel, and was making
-dlr progress in their conversion when he
was oaned through prodigious deed by
ssue spiritual foe. One midnight, at the
a -uIl OF the moon, the waves of the bay or
iIter rolled inward, gathering themselves
.lIo nuge column, upon the top of which
5000 the goddess. The inha bitants ran
10 the shore TO witness the miracle The
glttering eye of the sea-nymph fascinated
,' ,neh' and her voice, calling them in
sUPERHUMAN MELODY,
III 90 utterly bewitched and maddened
.lsn That the whole tribe, men, women
rHu children, plun ged into the water to
S.1rn no more. Ever since has been
,garu, from time to time. the reverbera-
,;ou of those siren strains which lured
'A5m to their doom.
iIddltlon further relates that the poor
B ts'est dled in an agony of grief, and that
durlouted this awful event and victo-
nf 40 Ill III =a1f