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SUBTERRANEAN SOUNDS.
Referring to the account in The Register
on Monday of an earthquake at Tumby
Bay, Mr. G. F. Dodwell. B.A., Govern-
ment Astronomer, told a reporter on
Tuesday that probably the noise was in the
nature of sounds frequently heard in Cen-
tral Australia, in the Port Lincoln district,
and several other localities. They had been
called 'desert sounds,' or barisal guns.
They had been variously described as loud,
rumbling sounds, like the boom of distant
cannon or the explosion of a quarry blast.
Sir George Darwin had dealt with subter-
ranean dislocations in Belgium and north-
ern France. Professor Gregory referred to
various other sounds in Central Australia.
They were attributed to local earth move-
ments. The country in the Flinders Range
was repeatedly shaken by small earthquake
shocks, which were due to slight earth
movements along the geological fracture.
In the Port Lincoln district the country
largely consisted of limestone overlying
granite rock, and it was well known that
subterranean cavities were likely to exist
in such a formation. The percolation of
water caused a loosening of the material.
At certain times that state readjusted itself
and caused the noises. The tremors re-
ferred to at Tumby Bay were of a minor
character, and the residents had no need
to be alarmed.
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