Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-09-19
scientific Exploration Near Ryar.
RersA EerrV

DlsCoVERY OF INTENSIVE CAVES AND rrssrRRs
MI; QUO Lugger, custodian OF the Maryland
HnCaoeIny OF sciences, and himself q very en-
tnuslaslic naturalist, returned 10 the CITY res
1917 from liarper's Ferry. where he went To
hi,,, - ,psa cave IN which he heard that some
VII insects had recently been found A GEN.
tleman informed him that he HAD ytsi,aa esha
Jaw al secured an aRophthalmus catono ana
oa, n,u an OF which are species OF the beetle
senLoo- rue pIlEu curculio is something mt
known IN THIS country, the Europpan :, erisr a.
hyDcbus aDophthalmus being found ONLY in a.
gLeal halenpeTeer cave, and a second species in
lhe vita tranche cave, and Mr.. Lugger ar ooce
STARTED TO try and obtain specimen The cave
III question is about one and a-quarter rnIlee
mest OF Harpers Ferry, on the line OF the Balt-
more aIa ohfo railroad and on the Virginia
sloe. The entrance 10 IT is 6x7 feet, and about
62 leet above the level OF the river Mr. IuOyer
say ;, however, that 1t is not cave, but an
immense crack or assure, extending through
the mountain from the Potomac 10 The Sben.
andoah. IL is from four TO eight feet in wIatb
me VANS oelng composed OF Limestone mixed
WIN STATE and dipping at an angie OF eighty-two
degrees. MI. Lugger explored II for a distance
vi iour >s-e<sd with two dozen
s :, ian,cfh aIcium light, and he
is OF OF inion that IL extends four miles further
lt is or immense height, In fact so high thar
even with the aid or the Calcium lIght tho
ROOF could not be seen. The ioor, the sur.
formed by large rocks that have detached
themselves from the walls or sunk down. I'm
oeiheath the floor is another cave or chasm.
the depth OF which could not be determined
Mr. Logger climbed I'd the rocks which form
It's sides and after attaching a lantern 10 a
rol e 62 feet In length lowered Il. but no bottom
was reached. Gor could he see anything he
meath tie lantern bur darkness The sides
however, made an inclined plane and the
limestone seemed to be covered with a rela
llnous al q c.ayey substance. Astone was then
dropped, Which, after Tebounding three times
from the walls. dropped with a splash into
wafer. In nine observations which were taken
the average time OF the store reaching the bot.
tom was twenty-five and one-tenth seconds.
winch, had the stone fallen perpendIcuiariy.
would indicate depth or eight hundred feet.
no slalactites were met with, except that oc-
caSlonaly there was noticed on the walls q
wavy line about an inch wide IL IS evident
that the us, ure is the result OF some upheaval-
probably an earthquake.
Az Barpers Ferry the same stratum OF lime.
stone is horizontal the angie Increasing until
IL becomes almost perpendicular Next there
comes formation OF black marble capable OF
found In Frederick county, Md, and in Eeynf
After that another formation or slaty limesione.
also nearly perpendicular, and with the angle
DETECTING to the west.
Numbers OF bats were found in the great f,s
sure, cut no insects, except those which had
entered II for the purpose OF Information Mr.
Lugger does not think blind insects Will be
found In Ii, there being neither stagnaut nor
running water there, either OF which are neces-
sary for their existence. In Europe there are
400 species OF blind insects, while in the United
states there are only %, and the finding of a
curcullo here would enable the student 70 trace
the relation between the geographical and geo.
logical history OF the two countries. 1t needs
thousands OF years to perfectly develop a blind
insect so that others may be reproduced. In
American caves there have often been found
bllnd craWiish. and sometimes blind crickets
In the most or these cases there has been sim.
ply skin over the retina, while In others the
nerve has been found TO be entirely gone. BY
the law OF compensation, however, which pre.
walls Ia nature, the fish when It becomes blind
has its bal bs, and the cricket and beetle its au-
tenn4 or legs heightened, so that I'm each case
some sense has been made more acute-[BaIti-
mare Ann