New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-01
GREAT BUGS IN ONONDAG 4.
THEY SWARM IN A QUARRY AND STOP A
LOCOMOTIVE.


RARE CHANCE FOR NATURAL HISTORIANS
LIKE ELECTRIC LIGHT BUGS. BUT LARGER.
Syracuse May 31.--southeast OF Brighton Corners,
between this place and GAINESVILLE. the Laclnwanna
Railroad are extensive limestone quagrfes, which have
been in operation for many years, and have pene-
trated deeply into the rock. Through the cut thus
made and into the quarrles branch track mas been
laid from the Lactawanna road for the hauling OF
the hewn stone. Night work being necessary large
part Of the time light has been placed nigh
over the track the darkest part of the cut Several
cars were loaded with stone for shipment on Frday
and left on the switch pending the Observance o1
Memorial Day. Tonight in preparation for drawing
the cars out the electric Light was put In, and an
engine with the necessary crew left the city for the
Quarries. What the surprise OF all hands upon
reaching the Of operations to IND the track
beneath the electric light completely thronged with
strange insects of great size, some OF them lying
perfectly still in bunches and some OF them playing
q sort of leapfrog game. They covered space OF
not less than sixty feet along the tracks, though
either boundary of the occupied territory they
grew fewer as the rays of the light began to grow
DINNER These pickets, skirmishers, were one
and all OF most lively disposition, and ran over
the ground with that lightning like rapidity which
characterized the movements of the electric lglt
bugs that made their appearance all over the country
soon after the system of electric lighting became OF
general adoption in cities.
drivers rolled over the insects the insects died with
q cracking sound like the successive explosions OF
toy torpedoes. But this at the beginning OF
the swarm; as the iron monster ploughed It's way
along the bugs became more numerous and the
cracking grew to a monotonous din, as though some
frecracker storehouse had been touched off In o
hundred places until in the thick Of the swarm the
engine brought TO stop, the drivers refusing to
catch the slippery rails, creased BY the
she'd and slaughtered bugs. An examination OF
tho insects showed resemblance 10 the electrc-hght
bug though they somewhat larger than those bugs
the outer shell Of the back being about the size and
shape of half shanghaiegg shell. IT was this
turtelie armor with which the insects ore equipped
that made the cracking sound the wheels passed
over them. The shell is black and partakes Of the
nature Of stone, having slatey structure and being
brittle. This property Of The shell set the more
thoughtful people TO thinking and observing, and after
a time search along the sides Of the cut revealed In
Vulnerable small holes In the rock, which seemed to
have been bored into 1t by agency not that OF
man. and In them were traces OF a peculiar ovula
some Matched and some apparently blighted. An
eudite recuse whose abode is In the neighborhood Of
the ouarries had by this time appeared for news OF
the strange occurrence had spread rapidly. His
opinion was that the bugs that had blocked the track
were the issue Of species of lithodome-a rock
boring mol!usk-crossed with some kind Of predatory
insect. To secure the shipment Of the freight to-
night IL became necessary 10 let the loaded train from
above I'm the quarry come down the grade OF the cut
Gathering momentum all the time, It's impetus when
il came to the obstruction carried IL by the bugs