Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-02-18
MYSTERY NOISES.
Of Unknown Origin, They Sound
Like MuffIed Thunder.
COMMON IN THE OLD WORLD.
These Curious Boomings, That Puzzle
Science, Heard at Times From Aus
traiia to Ireland, Are Akin to the
"Moodus Noises" of Connecticut.

'SiiS s'Se~
traiia to Ireland, Are Akin to the
"Moodus Noises" of Connecticut.
1t is a hot and tranquil Summer aft
ernoon on the Belgian coast in time of
peace. Strolling along the shore you
are startled by a mufled defamation
that seems to come from somewhere
far out at sea. Can it be thunder?
There is not a cloud in the sky, and
you remember that thunder is rarely
audible at a greater distance than
fifteen miles. A man-of-war at target
practice, perhaps-far in the offing. At
this point your Belgian friend ex-
plains. 1t was the "~mistpoetfer.' he
IA and a sign that the weather will
continue fair.
But what is the mistpoeffer? If you
can answer that question you can also
explain the mysterious Barisal guns of
India (Barisal is the name Of q town
in the Gauges delta), which have puz-
Zled scientific men for half a century.
You can explain also the strange rum
blings that in certain parts Of Italy
SCcu1 ~ IA " AL PAA
ticular and are known to the peasantry
under forty or more local names, the
desert sound Of the Australian wilder
ness, the water guns of Tough Neagh
in Ireland and the aerial detonations
that occasionally startle Californians
during the warm season.
For example. in September, 1896, to
~,,n+a +l,, Sor+o Dnco pon,I1ionr 49,
tremendous explosion, presumably in
the air, ccurred near Cazadero. 1t
was heard by the jewellers Of the
mountain region over an area OF 900
square miles,"
All noises of this kind resembling
thunder, but not traceable to that or
any other known agency, are now gen
orally called in scientific literature
brontidi, a name first used by Profess
sor Tito Alippi, who has made a spe-
cial study of these phenomena in
Italy.
The "Moodus noises" familiar to old
residents OF Moodus and East Had
dam. Conn. are probably kindred phe-
nomena, although they seem to be
somewhat more definitely associated
with subterranean earth shocks than
are typical brontidi. and the same may
be said of the goutfre of Haiti, which
at least in some cases-is easily recog-
nized as Of Subterranean origin.
Although systematic Investigations
of brontidi are of recent date. occur
ences of the phenomena have been re
corded from early times. Lord Bacon
mentions IAN extraordinary noise in
the sky when there is no thunder"
and similar sounds were known to
Humboldt and Bo~usSinGault. Captain
Sturt, a pioneer explorer of Australia.
wrote in 1929:
about 3 p. N. of Feb. { during the
Australian summer Mr.. Hume and l
were occupied tracing the chart Upon
the ground. The day had Deer re-
markably fine. There vas not a cloud
in the heavens nor q breath of air to
be felt. On a sudden we heard what
seemed to be the report Of q gun free
at the distance of between five and six
miles. 1t was not the hollow sound Of
an earthly eSplosiSn or the sharp crac-
king noise of falling timber. but in
every way resembled the discharge of
a heavy piece OF ordnance.
mo one was certain whence the
sound proceeded. Both Mr.. Hume and
myself thought it came from the north
west. l sent one of the men up a tree,
but he could observe nothing unusual.
The country round him appeared equal
ly fat on all sides and thickly wooded.
Whatever OccaSiOned the report, it
made 4 strong impression OF all of us,
and to this day such a sound in such a
situation is 4 matter of mystery to
me-
Science has not fully solved the mys-
terry of brOntidi, but it can hardly be
doubted that the origin of these sounds
is really subterranean. From a focus
far underground the jar of settling
rocks sends vibrations to the surface
not at n spot. but over Il wide area.
Then if the everything air is calm and
homogeneous it also is set in vibration,
and if the vibrations are of the right
period to be audible the result is a
booming sound of altogether indefinite
location. 1t is simply lin the air.
Youths Companion.
French Officers Made Thrifty.
The French army officer has to be