Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-09-20
Scientific Exploration Near HarpeT's
Ferry.

4
Ferry.
NJ Otto Lugser. custodian Of the Maryland
Academy oi Sciences. and linse a very
enthusiastic uatrrahsi. returned 20 The city
yesterday from llarpers Ferry, where he went
. n eNpl.rc q cave ID which be heard that some
blind insects bal recently lcea found. \
gentleman Informed hin that he bal visited
o. cave aud secured an aooPhthalmus catopo
aud cu,cu,o, all of which are species Of the
beetle genus The blcd curcG,jo is slme-
tlinc not known in this country. The Euro
pcan trocarhyncLus Onophihalmus being
found orly ia ,ic great kalcDbergcF cave, aad
a secord SPECIES 20 Tie Villa Faucle cave.
arj Mr. L1Eeer 90 once started 20 try and
obtain a specimen. The cave In question is
about one aud a-QHarter miles ives; Of Har-
pcr's Ferry, co the line Of tie Baltimore aud
Ohio Railroad and 90 The Nirgiaia side. The
entrance 90 30 is ly feet, and Gbou, 50 feet
above tie level q; The river. Mr.. Lugger
says. however, that 10 Is not cave, but au
immense crack or assure. extending through
The mountain from tle Potomac % the Shcn-
aul0ah !. is from four @ eight icct 10 width,
tbe walls being composed OF limestoue, uixed
with slate. aud dipping al an angle of eighty
,wo degrees. Mr.. Lusger explored u for
distance % four miles. aud Is II opinion that
10 extends four o.iles further. Il is OF immense
height, in fact SO high that even with tie aid
of a calcium light toe roof could not be,
seen. The foar tie surface ot which Is
very irregular hss been formed Us large rocks
that have detached themselves f;om tie walls
~ sruk down. Underneath the q or is az
ether cave OF chasm, the depth Of which could
rot ie determined Mr. Lpcgcr climbed up
,be rocks which form It's sides, and after at
tsciino ,1uleru 60 rope - feet ia leug.h
lowered So. bui 90 bottom was reached, nor
could De see aoytli4 g beneath tie h.teru but
darkness Tie ia S. however, make az IN
Glued plane aud tho limes;ouo seemed 60 be
covered with ceai'uous aud clayey substance
A stone was then dropped, which. after re
6.usdiug three tim-s from lie walls, dropped
with splash into water. 10 nice observations
which were taken. tee average tine Of the
stone reaching the bottom was twenty-five
aHd 0ue-tcuih seconds which, had the stsue
.l'eu pcrpsrdcuar'y. would Indicate a depth
of c.1it hundred feet. No sialctiies were
met vItt. except thai occasionally there was
.ot.cel ou the walls wGvy line about au zach
wide. j. IS evident tlst Che hssuIe is the
result of some Upheaval- probably au earth
4lsk. so liarpcrs Ferry the same stratum
Of Limestone IS Lor'z,utsl, tae angle Increasing
until 8; ,,c,ues almost perpcud'co'ar. Next
there cones a formation e black marble,
capable G taking ou avery fue polish, and
AKIN o. th4i found u Frederick county Ma
and 10 Egypt After that another formation
OF s'aty limestone. also nearly perpendicular,
ana with the 1Dcl, detecting % ths west.
Numbers % bats were found On tte great
assure. but uo insects eXccp, those which had
eu.e,oi 10 fr the purpose Of hiheruaiioa- -
Nr. lr-gey llse uut thirk blind insects will
be found ia ,, thc'o being neither s'agusut
nor ruloirc water ibore. either oi which are
necessary fr their existence. IN Europe there
are 400 species of blind Insects, while IN the
Ulrej States there are Only 20, and the fluid
iae e curcgljo Lcrc would enable the student
% trace @ e relation between The geographical
srl geological history oi tac tive countries. Il
rce3s rssUds of years Co perfectly develop
tIuj-ir,cct 50 ttst Ot.ers NAY he repro
.gcei u American caves there lave often
been found blind cra0G,h. aud sometimes
blind cricke's lo the most of these cases
there las been simply q skin over tie retiua
while ic others tac Lcrvc has been fouui to be-
c.,.5c'y gone. By tle law % compensation
however. vljeh prevails 10 nature, tie G,h
vLcr 20 lccou.cs blind Las its tarls. and the
cricket ana beetle los auienup or legs length
,ucl. 81 tlat iu each case some sense has seeu
made morc acute.
The cave iu question, which is 90 tic farm
% Rudolph Rlu, Is called John Browns cave
a.d Was uslassa Ieef saloon during tie late
war About a nuc aud a-quuter further