The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-11-02
VERY OLD MEN.
Indications that the Human Race Has Ex.
listed for Over 600, 900 Years.

listed for Over 0oo, 900 Years.
A correspondent of the Chicago TS@s., writing
from llolyWsll, North Wales, says:
In Devonshire, On the shores of Torbay, are tao
celebrated caves, one situated In the outskiFts oI
the village of Brixham, the other similarly located
In the beautiful town Of Torquay. In bath cases
these eayerns extend into the hills upon whose
slopes they situated 500 b. coo feet, the cham
bers ard galleries being very large, toTtaous, and
irregular. The cave at BrixhAin, the mouth of
which was completely closed by debris whun aeei-
| dsntaily discovered some years since. vas nos,
carefully explored under the auspices of the Roy
theological Society, which appointed the able xe.
olosis, Mr.. Psngsily, To Persenally supsrviss the
| operation. The cavern a, TOrqsay, knoun a.
.ksni's Cavern" l. now being similarly explored
BY cassfully removing iss eanssnts, Amesniing y,
hnHny theasaaas Of tons, under the same eminent
management.
The similarity in the contents and revelation,
Of these eaverns il remarkable. Combining our at.
teniiOn 10 that ai Torquay, which is the more re-
cent and important in its diselosure-, il doors j.
found To be composed, fret. of layer from two 90
twelve inches thick of decayed leaves and other
vegetable matter. eOmmingled with dust and frag-
meats of hmestone. which have fallen from the
sides and roof 0f the cavern. Under this stratum
OF black mold. and soinetimes peerihg ~ through
Il, is extensive floor of granular talagnite or
quite pure carbonate of lime, varying in theknes,
from a few inches 10 over Eve feet. BsEeaih the
granular stalagmite aud AZ n distAnee Il about
forty feet from the entrance 10 the cavern ocears
a stratum of charcoal ashes. bones. and ira gments
vf sood oseFing area of over 100 square feet
Below the charcoal band, and whore that doe. not
oeeaF. immediADly IN contact With tl.c aYor II
the stalasnte 10 thick stratum uf rel clay lalxe
With fragment. % limestone from the rJgi scale.
% siAlAgmte. etc, the Whole Au. untiug a. abou,
four fee, in depth, and called the cave earth
Beneath the cave earth occur. another foor ug
- - sl...
ia places o: over tselss feet, called the
"crystalline staiagn4te.' BsioW the latter ies
deep stratum composed pi fragments oi iime.tons.
rel gfii, quartz aud sand al more % ic.s cement
81 scthcf - eafbpLate g! has 10 ;he .e:a. 4
sialagmitic deposit.
Thctnteresting feature u this matter W hieh alone
Induced the - visit and iH.pect thee cayeFAs. j.
the TACT that the felics q an a., found iubedicl
in every stratum Of tlIs eAveFnYu. ls.E. even l.
the last che mentioned. Thee relies in u. bottom
stratum consist vi rude aIni sIeaf I,iAis All Gri
dagger % kuises. Iho.c Implements iusni nearer
the surface, Ia tue err stal.Ius s,aiasuitt a4e
better SHAPED. while IN the cave earth are foand
many seN formed flint spear. auI Arr1s points.
tint knites, bone dagger bgns lie. sItA eye..
etc. Nearer the surface the weapon. are more
nGmsruus ami elaborate. aud are as-t.-ia.el vita
oaJccts oi ornament. Along ~i;h these .inpietent.
q nan are found very iAFge asu bef q frAsIasnt
q bsuss % living and extinct animals. Among
the latter the mammoth. rhinscvrs,. ticaori-
ne. tie gigantic ifssh deer. tear. cave lion.
etr
The question =; once arisss. How 90 are thee
fsssis The problem. -. 4 large eAtsnt. uns Il
rhsfnis'ry. HoS long uoull the ;sftnatipn q .sch
massive tafs q stala gu tie istslici from Hafer
Which stsA eou'iuues O. iup from tn scllns o.;
the cavern, require Ia the calculation q uusi be
Remembered. ART. that the Ifp Egs; IL usierais
o;hersise the deposit ~oald be uashei auay: and
'esaonay, that 'A tAese esFerns evaporation, uaet
- mach facilitate. ias delusitlon u stalaetiie. u
der brdgss. etc. - whoily impossl BILE The for
uaaiion q the stAlagmitie 4sioslt is sholiy due
q the difference 10 ismPcFAture IN tie a.
~sys 81 fahfvEheit aH4 thu; pfes Alsnt uiihou'.
WAen the Temperature u Detonshirr below
en-. peaA, sAtsF slighUy eA@rEsa ~ssA csfbouss
aeid. 10 Iefvoiating threagh The everything lime
snue r.cks, hocaUe charged uith carb.nAie q
hme 81 snfsring the warmer cavern portion o..
the carb1uir aeii ga e.rapei aui pan q tie
ealssreaa' oafEo a. iei .ositsi A. stAla gutr.
fortunately u keu;'. eaVsfE. ~ have al = point
~hsf, The stAiaguitir hs-rs are thlckesi kini q
tme .eals - gauge on rather large Knob -
b.ss q staiaguis, by tas sii 81 tailes candle.
eA.ily fra.i thi. Inscription ~" kabcrs Hedge. "a
ifc.an4. fehrgar! 20. ls.> tie letter at-u; a.
inch 10 l,us;h. having h~su cut qr -efaieael 10
with knl:,. Althau= - the "hari~ Ha;sr .;iI
caaunses % drip 81 this n2Iac. isu wears have
~ g. asla ~; Mt esaes tks inscftpi4,n Tie
Eiu atss "a. st;ers CERTAINLY 4.ts net exceed the
ASIDE the -lasnsc time requisite g. the formation
q ali tss siheT strata. u aPPsars that the siAiAs
ulie as4s, 4lgLr AZ tA.s rate. wsEl4 LARs Fctg1F.
81 ossf .ooo year. foF thsis Deposition.
Enormous As shis time seems, the calculation j.
esfroeoFstsi IN . rsnArksbis manner by inde-
prnisni esi4shos. Aitkosgh thsss eAvcrns are
'iiaatei HlsrC than scscEi! feci ahose tie suAl.
streams ou ~ho.s htliside- they are leea;el i -
certain tia; the bottom ,traiam u each ease uas
washed in The pr'-oi 81; thas statement hes IN the
fast that ;he b-;'otl .iEa;sgn eoniAns hrse 4san.
title & fint. rel grit 4ni sani uhieh the wAlls
q the caserns could r.; have sEpIiiel, but q
Which the suplly !. found At the bead. q the
stream A. ~ateF ~iH U1i no.. aHl probably
woul4. run up bill. 10 foiioss tha; the Reds
q these strt Ain, uese q; near the level q the
easerns whsu ;kese materials wesc ~Asked ~.
The uex; prob eua. Therefore. .. hos long has Il
taken the r.ins 4 lea enshire g. sAeataie srd
iisnss;one ,alisys seral hundrei feSt icey He.
asch Limestone can ihe annual rainfall dissolve.
and kou uauch can Il neehanicaliy earty ani push
iats ths ,coAn Professor Haxlsy hAs estimated
that the Thames bA.in. ~hiek eobsists princiTally
e sof elAys and ChAlk. i. dsstens the rate vi
ahout the enc- ishth Of an inch peF een;sry. 40
ply this tiAe scale g. the prcs,n fni that
more ;haa soe.eoe Years Necessary for this
wurk. A. the excAv A;ion ~As. hoseser. tkroggh
bard tms.tone instead q chAik. and a. thu mouth
& thr cave at BriNhAH I. nearly leo irs; above
tAs present css Of tbe ereek. l. NdsHt that the
time sheali es lssEthsned. hat HAh ~As in Dc.-
vnshirs bsisrS thsse salieys bad bssn cut DEEPER
tkAn The m.uths VI the<S caSsrns. and luns be
fsre in<A Il the st4iagSnAiic assr had bscn de-
posted.
Dinini.h tis tiIss isvsivrsi u ;he.c fact and
eslcsiatien. IN any rea.ensble amer much
Ie.sihle. aud still the uAe daring which has
hsei In kagiAnd 10 sasFmsas compArs~i Nth
car Frssi~as conesPtions. taless admit that
knglani was the cradle of the hau.an fasaily. the
hglr.iive Ganisn ef Eden. these facts only point
% the antiquity sf u pss ssssshiss. bat Do not
IN the true antiquity of the race.