Sitting in a forested area, the Ringing Rocks appear in a field
that has no vegetation except for lichens. Ten feet thick and seven
acres around, the rocks are composed of diabase, in other words
part of the Earth's basic crustal structure. There is absolutely
nothing strange or anomolous about them, except for the fact that
when struck hard they ring. In June of 1890 Dr. Ott, along with a
brass band, played several songs on the rocks for the enjoyment of
the appreciative Buckwampum Historical Society. Ott learned what
other investigators have since concluded: the rocks do not need to
be in their natural place to ring nor do they need to be wholly
intact. Curiously though made up of the same materials, not all of
the Ringing Rocks ring, in fact studies show that only about 30% of
them do so. Though this is more than likely a natural phenomenon,
there has never been a satisfacory explanation proposed. In 1965
geologist Richard Fass of Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania,
conducted laboratory experiments using sensitive equiptment. He
learned that when a ringing rock was struck, a series of subaudable
frequencies were produced, and that these combined or added up to a
tone which could be heard by the human ear. He could not offer any
physical cause.
To claim this earthcache, send a picture of your group at the
site. Also email cache owner how many rocks you hit and how many
had a "ring" and why you think they sounded that way.
If you forgot a hammer, DaisyChain put one in the nearby cache.
Recently I have been told that the hammer could not be found? You
might plan on bring one. Thanks Janee!