Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-02-10
A FREAK OF NATURE.
The Strange Liquid Perpstua'Y OoIins
from tho "Fountain OF Blood"

The Strange Liquid PerpctuaHY OoHnS
from tho "Fountain OF Blood"
Near tho town of Virtud. in Hon
duras, South America, there cxiss
what Is known as the Fountain OF
Blood" It received this namc on ac-
count of the curious red liquid which
is perpelually oozing and dropping
from the roof of n cavern, and which,
on falling. congulates and exactly re-
semblcs human blood. Like blood,
also, it speedily corrupts and cmits an
odor of animal decay. Insects deposit
their Larvae in 1t, and dogs and carrion
birds flock 10 feast upon 1t, We are
informed by one who has witnessed it
that the grotto is tho nightly haunt of
mutitudcs of large bats, which, like
the dogs and birds, feast upon this
strange liquid. which has not only the
smell but the taste of blood. A fear
ful odor is perccptible at consider
able distance from the cavern. and
when II is reached masses of the
blood may be seen IN n
state of jcllilled coagulation.
Numerous attempts have been made to
obtain portion of this blood-like
liquid for analytical purposes. but in
every case without success. in consc-
quencc OF rapid decomposition. which
causes the bottles to burst. The late
Don Rafael 0'ejo undertook 10 trans
init somo bottles of il 10 London, but
his intention was frustrated by the
bursting of the bottles, and thai in less
than twenty-four hours after sealing
them. Mr.. Z G. Squicr did once sue
cccded in taking back with him TO
New York two bottles OF the liquid.
largely diluted with water, but IL be-
came very offensive, and no satis-
factory explanation Of the phenom-
onon could be obtained. We give the
Neutrality-suspicious. the most salts
celveus -0Snlanaiion that has been re-
undertook the Journey ls one who
satisfy his curiosity: Tho principal
cave" he says sis fissure about fif-
teen ortwcntv feet high and five or six
wide at the entrance, but II rapidly lar
rows, se that's man can only follow it
for thirty or forty feet. 1t abounds
with huge bats, which cling IN masses
to the narrower part of the fssure.
The stencil Is strongly ammoniacal,
and 50 intense that ! was obliged to
roiiro thrice before / could procure
from tho inncrmost part that ! could
reach sufficient quantity of the
material 10 fill the bottles Of alcohol
which had carried with mo for the
purpose. In the rainy season n small
current of red matter, like blood,
flows from the cave into the stream;
but in the dry season the water ceases
10 percolatc through the roof and back
of the cave. and the flow ceases. Al
my visit ii had already stopped, bul
the floor of tho cave was covered
several inches deep with n jelly-likC
or pnsty mass. which gave n blood-ret
color when mixed with water. On thu
sides of the cave were clotted masses
looking like dried blood, which had
run down from above; and In the mar
rowest parts that could reach in the
recess OF the assures | collected will
my knife somo fresh semi fluid
matter which the insects had moi
attacked. Examined with n micro
scope on the spot it exhibited
no living particles, nor in fact
any thing but minute fragments
of tho digested debris of insects. From
the tint Of the red color was at frs
inclined TO believe that 1t might result
from tho generation of sulphocyanidc
of ammonium during the putrefactior
of the animal excrotions, and the reac
ton of that substance with trace o.
iron in the water percolating through
the sandstone But Mr.. w. I. Taylor
to whom submitted some of the solit
matter collected. rs also the semi fluid
preserved in alcohol, writes mo thai
he can not detect any iron in the red
solution, and that 1t appears TO be en-
tircly an organic coloring matter Th'
insoiuble substance has beon found by
Dr. Leidy to consist chiefly of chitine
undigestcd fragments of insects
mingled with bats hair and homogene
Gus granular matter" In q country
like South America, wherc scientific
knowledge can hardly be said to exist
n freak OF nature of this extraordinar!
description could not fail to become
nm object of great and superstition
wonder. and many weird and mar
velous stories arc current concerning
tho "Fountain OF Blood. "-C CdsseI''
Saturday Journal