The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-12-04
NOISES At N|NETY-S|X.
They HeraIded the Great Garth
quake of August, 1886.
SILENT UNTIL RECENTLY.
They Arc Now Heard Agatu-- What
DoThey Presage?--D During the War
People Near Ninety Six Could Count
the Cannon Fired In Charleston.

Mr.. Henry ]. Kinard. writing from
Ninety-Six to the Columbia Register
under date IF Nov. %. says about
eleven or twelve years ago rumblins
noise was heard about four miles south
east of this place. resembling the re-
port Of a cannon. only the sound was
deadened somewt at by being under.
ground. 1t star ted nearly two years
before the = great August earth.
quake and became more frequent
and louder up to the earth
quake and continued only few weeks
after the earthquake. These OK
plosive reports we're oot at regular
intervals, sometimes one to Ave times
day, and some days would not be
heard. The vibration of the earth inst
after an explosion or report was suf-
ticient to rattle glassware and glass
windows hard enough to wake one at
night. or if lying with your head on
,hs base of a tree you could feel the
vibration. Some people living close
became very much alarmed and were
uneasy that something would happen
to injure them. I hove farm on
Ninety-Six creek where these reports
were 30 pronounced, and [ often heard
them. think large pieces of earth
must be dropping off beneath the sur
fnce, failing deep down in some cavity
below, which must cause the report.
These reports were heard in a radius of
about three miles. They were more
pronounced than the report of blast
ing, but having somewhat Of the
deadened sound. shall always be-
lieve they were somewhat connected
with the great earthquake, because
nearly two years before the earthquake,
when first heard, they were not SO loud
and less frequent, but just before the
earthquake they were very frequent
md 80 much louder and of course the
vibration of the earth so much more
triking, and, as L stated. after tho
arthquake they were less frequent and
not 80 loud, and in tho course OF about
tx weeks were heard no more
1 am not going to predict that We
are to have another earthquake, nor is
it my purpose in writing this article to
disturb those who are nervous, but it
is fact that about six or eight weeks
ago these unexplained and unexplaina,
ble reports started again and are more
frequent and louder now than when
first heard eight weeks ago. so say the
people who live out there,
wrote q short article one week ago
to the News and Courier, giving these
facts, selecting that paper simply be- ,
cause the Columbia correspondent of
that paper, some time before the'Au-
gust earthquake, came up here and
wrote alengthy article giving testimony
and statements OF different responsible
men in regard to these explosive noises.
The News and Courier did not publish
my article from some caase know not
I supposed the editor thought it might
affect Charleston liz some way, or that
it was not worth the space it would
take to publish it, or that it might dis
turb some nervous persons. II ask
you, Mr., Editor, to publish this for no
other purpose than it is fact that
these explosive noises we're associated
with the great August earthquake, and
that it ought to be known by the peo-. :.
pie that these explosive reports are
heard again. My correspondents
nine years ago in the Carolina Spar
tan was taken by the News i'd Courier
as a canaro, but proied to be'a fact.
Captain Petty took considerable inter
est at the tim: in my statements. Dur
ing the late war part;e. Living on these
dat lands where these no ses are now
heard, reported each day exactly the
number of 'anhons that were fired in
Charleston. If you are DISPOSED TO
pcblish this, if any changes in these ex:.
Llosions take place, I will y ,te yop
again.
Only one more week lin November,
and the early cotton fields, where the
cotton has ali been gathered, are white
with blooms and Irish .potHto"Eines
green and motning glories. blooming.
still. Who ever heard OF the like h,fore2