Thank you, sir. I should have known that Mr. ADAH himself, AKA Bob Bradley, would know all that off the top of his massive brain and could put to ease this plodding dumb bunny who was still wondering over the whole situation.

it's pretty neat, though, to think that without the roar of traffic, interstates, etc., not to mention with far fewer people, that one could hear sounds like that from incredible distances, given the right conditions and wind direction.

Of course, I have another theory which helps explain the slaves being able to hear that well, but it may get me banned or deleted by our genial webmaster, although I certainly mean no disrespect to anyone, but, indeed mean it as a compliment. While going through an 1870 census many years ago, I begin to note the many 100 year + African-American females alive. This led me to an epiphany: Black people in the U.S. have been through an artificial winnowing process while being brought to this country in slave ships. Conditions were, of course, horrible and only the very strong mentally and physically survived. They tended also to intermarry among themselves (indeed, it was the law for far too many years) which concentrated those wonderful genes, traits, and strengths. The results were Jesse Owen (of Alabama), Muhammed Ali, Micheal Jordan, Venus Willams, etc.,etc., as well as folks in Alabama with great hearing. But, then again, what do I know?

Regards to all