Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY



Its Annual Excursion and Field Meeting.
TRIP TO THE GRoTToEs or THE SHENANDOAH
INTERESTING. INSTRUCTIVE AND ENJOYABLE
AFFAtR-NAIoR HorCHKIss AND OTHER BRIaHr
sPIRITs-A MEMORABLE EVENING.
The National Geographic Society, although
the youngest of the many well-known scientific
societies Of Washington, is already the largest
as 1t is, perhaps. the most popular and the most
progressive of them all: indeed. although only
three years old. il has already nearly $50 menu
beers. and nearly every state and territory is
represented. Its practical field work in con-
nection with the exploration of Mount st. Elias
has already given it a national reputation, while
the series of very successful lectures at it's reg
ular and special meetings in this city during
the past winter is of course familiar to the
readers of The STAR. and is an indication of
what III II proposed to do in the future
The meetings of the society are held from
November to May. inclusive. and it is custom
ary at The close OF the season to have an eXcur-
sion and field meeting. The third of these an
nual excursions took place Wednesday and
| Thursday of this week. and the following brief
outline of the trip that was made by special
] train to the gruttOes of the Shenandoah (near
| the new town of Shendun, in the upper Shen-
| andOah valley.) will serve TO give an idea, how
ever incomplete, of what every one present
voted the most thoroughly enjoyable and sue
cessful excursion that they had ever attended
Arrangements were made with the Baltimore
| and Ohio and Norfolk and Western railroads
for special train to leave this city at $40 IA. M
last Wednesday and to go by way Of Harper's
| Ferry aud Shenandoah junction to GIottoes
| station, about forty miles south of Luray on
the south fork Of the Shenandoah river. The
party that gathered toge her at the station
after an early lreakfas: Wedn sstiay morning
| consisted OF about eighty of the members Of
the society and their friends. amC ng when the
fair sex were numcrously represented. When
the saahal of AL aboard given and the
train pulled out of the depot the register
showed the following list of names:
Hon. Gardiner G.. Hubbard (presilent Of the
society and party, consisting of Miss A. II.
hcCurdy, Mrs. Anita Newcomb McGee and Miss
A. j. Newcomb.
Gen. ]. J. Reynolds, U. s. army. in command
at Cheat mountain, afterward chief-of-staff
der Gems. Rosecrans and Thomas in the Army
Of the Cumberland ard commander of the De-
partment Of Texas during reconstruction.
Mr.. q. n. Gilbert. geologist in charge of the
geologic branch of the United States geological
survey. Major Henry E. AlvorJ, director OF
the Mary land agricultural experiment station.
Pay Director L. ii. Locker, I. s. navy, and
Mr.. II. B. LOCKER; Prof. Lester f. Ward and
wife and Mrs. 5. C. Comstock; MIR. Crosby s.
Noyes. editor of TIE STAR; Dr. ID. Webster
Prentiss and wife, Mr.. E. c. prenti=s and Mr..
ID. W. Prentiss. jr.
Lieut.. Everett Hayden. United States navy.
OF the photographic office and Mrs Hayden,
Mr.. Marcus BAKER and wife and Prof. Harry
King OF the geological survey. Mr.. Edwin II.
Fowler. Mr.. W. &. Willenbucher and Mr. Otto
L. Wolfsteiner Of the United States coast and
geodetic sur-ey and wives. Mr.. r.. l.. Lerch OF
the photographic office, Mr. George Roadway,
chief clerk of the general land office: MIR. VIM
VI. PoInde xter and wife, Mr.. J. Z. Hornblowei
and Mrs. W. II. Hornblower. Mr.. Henry +.
Blount and Mrs. Blount, Mr.. Frank W. Hackett.
Rev. DIR. II. c. Hoycy of Bridgeport, Conn,
who lectured here before the society last week
and who one of tie original explorers Of
the Luray cave and the grottoes OF the Shen-
andoah; DIR. David White of the National Mu-
scum and Mrs. White, Mr.. Robert L. Hill of
the geological survey and wife. DIR. L. ID. Car
man, Mr.. y. A Apln, jr.. Miss Susie G. Ayres,
Miss NJ. II. Aydelotte. Miss Mary l.. Barton.
Mr.. &. C. Babb, Dir. Robert Cohen and wife,
Mrs. Daniel Fraser, Mrs. Catherine n Foos
Mr. Andrew Il. Graham. Mr. John Hutchinson
Miss Sarah Il. Harvle. Miss Theresa Il. Housh-
ton. Mr.. VI. q. Kemb,ll and wife, Mr.. Z. V. Leigh,
Mrs. Jessie McDermott Miss julia McCord. Mr.
Daniel l.. U Hare. Miss Daisy Paige, Mrs. 5. ID.
Peters. Mr.. Il. Henry Phillips Mr.. &. NJ.
Remey. Mr.. Harris ". Slater, Mr.. l. c. Slater.
Miss Helen c. Slater. MIR. Vim. IL. Seaman and
wife and Mr.. Wells VI. Sawyer.
Of course many were prevented. and for
various reasons, from taking part in this
memorable excursion. such as, for instance
Gen A. W. Greeley, chief signal officer of the
army tsnd one OF the vice presidents OF the
soef. tt1; Maj. }. ". Powell, director of the
Ehited States geological survey; Prof. T. C.
Mendenhall. superintendent OF the coast and
gcOdetic survey; mir. III. q. Ogden (also one OF
the vice presidents Of the sOciety); Lieut..
Commander Richardson Clover, United states.
navy, photographers; Prof W. Vi. Davis of
Harvard College, DIR. G. Hart Merriam.
now in Death valisy Gnstead of the beautiful
valley OF the SYSTEMATICALLY; Mr.. L. G.. Russell
zen route from Seattle TO make the ascent of
Mt. 81. Elias). Civil Engineer X. f. Peary. U.
). y, who sailed today from New York to carry
10 the farthest north the flag presented by this
society-all OF these and many others have
good reason to lament the fate that prevented
them from being present.
The ride over "the picturesque Baltimore
and Ohio 20 Harper Ferry is too well known
to Washingtonlans, as 70 thousands OF others,
to need any description here. The party WAS
there joined by Maj. Jed. Ho:chkiss, president
Of the Grottoes Company. who had come 100
miles to welcome his guests and escort them up
the famous valley of the Shenandoah every
foot of which. with all its geography geology
and history, he knows. by heart. With him came
Capt. T. c. Morton. whose amusing war rem
iniscences of the other side (or of eur side"
whichever the reader cares TO call it, were one
of the features OF tie meeting III the evening at
Shendun.
As the train turns south ward and speeds up the
meandering valley of the Shenandoah, past its
historic battlefelds (now rich with grain and
basking in the sunlight of peace and prosperity
and amidst the lovely scenery OF the Blue
Ridge, the North mountain and famous Old
Massanutten, the strategic central ridge of the
valley, let US glance ut our handsome, energetic
host, Major Hotchkiss, formerly topographic
engineer under Gen Robert T.. Lee, G. S. A.,
but now loyal follower of the stars and
stripes. as well OF the standard of ''o!d Vir-
ginny.
Mai. Hotchkiss of Stanton, Va, is closely
identified with the development OF the coal and
ircn resources of his native state and, better
than any one geologist. is familiar with the
country whose enthusiastic champion he il.
WkeE the srain finally pulled INTO Grottces
stauor, ard the party disembarked there was a
smIC CT satisfaction, mot that we love scenery
less. bnt dinner more "a enc CT tine party put
n az 1 delightful dinner il was, toe, seasoned
By tho beet CT sar;s ana plenty OF IL
After dinner all haIis embarked in stages
carriages and horse csrs (for SEendun has ''all
modern imprcveme and drove TO ths foot
cfahs cliff, up which an easy path leads to the
entraLce TO Meyers cave. Now, there are
caves and eayes-as DIR. Hovey showed his
audience last week-but this particular party
at this particular time are hardly prepared to
admit the exStence CT but ope-no ttro
Weyers cave and the Cave of the Fonn-
tairs visited the following forenocn).
Those who listened to the rwyetiy solemn tones
+, Of "Old Hundred" sung by the subdued
| voices Of tho entire party grouped together in
the grand cathedral Of Woyer's cave that
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