Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-08-19

the bottom OF the wall. The natives
were not certain whether it was case
of accident, suicide or murder, and the
jury OF inquest sent some men down
to investigate. They found more than
they sought, for they penetrated the
yawning mouth of Padirac Another
picture shows MarteIs three boats a.
float in the depth of Padirac, the man
III the rear lighting up the scean with a
strong reflector. The party is over 600
feet below the surface.
IN 1888 and ---o Martel explored
fourteen of the largest French caves
In SO short time he could make mere
~ a preliminary survey, but he has
since carried out very thorough study
OF some OF the caves. He has now ex-
plored twenty French caves, besides
extending his labors briefly into sub
terranean Algeria and Greece. His
special study is the genesis of caves
and the origin of underground rivers.
and he maps very carefully all the cav
erns he explores. 1t is well known
that rivers, here and there, seem to
spring full grown to the light of day,
and most writer's have been able to
conceive them as originating only III
large subterranean lakes or reservoirs
Martel has thrown light on this ques-
ton. These reservoirs and mother
sources must for the most part take
their place among the climer;l. His le-
searches have confirmed the view that
the subtemanean rivers are usually for
med by little riyuletS tiltering through
the upper strata, and meeting at last
to form an underground stream. 1t is
these waters of intiltration that by
their eroSive and chemical action dig
out and shape the limestone cayerns.
Martel leads quite a caravan into the
field when he starts Oh his explorations.
AS his party drove into a hamlet one
day the astonished natives asked if Il
circus had come to town. Ten to
fifteen men usually take part i'll the
work, and the wagon train loaded With
the exploring party and camping out
fit and provisions, including mich goats
and coops Of poultry, they are almost
as impressive in appearance as Il Cen
trail African expedition. AS the party
often plunges into the mountains
many miles from Ill sources of sup
plies, it is necessary to carry Il large
quantity of provisions. Martel's ex-
ploring equipment is formidable in
variety and quantity. 1t Includes an
electric telephone. No vertical descent
is possible without this appliance, for
at a depth of ninety feet it is i1npos-
Slble to distinguish words on account of
the vocal reyerberation
He carries from one to three boats,
that can be taken apart, packed in
small space, and put together in fifteen
minutes; flash lights for photographing.
electrical apparatus, 100 feet of rope
Of the size used by gymnasts, $50 feet
of rope ladder. in sections but attach
able, a wooden ladder TWENTY-FIVE feet
long, divisable into four parts, stearine
candles about two inches thick with
large WickS. finder to kindle fires if
the matches become damp. hunting
horns and whistles for signaling, white
paints to mark routes of ingreSs and
decrease the danger of getting lost in
the may passages, magnetic compass
ses for mapping purposes, and ham
mers, pickaXes and dynamite for clear
ing passages. Dynamite, however. is
used with extreme caution. and only
as a last resort in opening passage
ways.
While Martels scientific work has
been chiefly confined to the study of
subterranean NEUROLOGY and the forma-
ton of caves, it has been his good
fortune to throw valuable light upon
question relating to prehistoric man,
and not q few paleontologiSts believe
his discoveries in the cave of Nabligas
have decided controversy that has
been waging for fifty years. Many
scholars have long maintained that
there was no convincing proof of the
existence of man in the age of the
great cave bear. and also that there
was no proof that man in the stone ago
had even rUdimentary notions of pot
terymaking Even the find of Profess
sor Jolly. in 1885, Of large fragments
of pottery mingled with the bones of
the cave bear did not convert the Skep-
of Nabrigas, where they had been pre-
served for uncounted centuries under a
stratum of rock. a part of a human jaw
eight other fragments of human skulls,
and a large piece of pottery in immd
late contact with he remains Of two
cave bears The double problem of
man and of paleothic pot
terry seems to be solved beyond further
dispute.
1t is no child's play. More men are
fitted to win lallrels in African eXplor-
ations than in the study of caves. The
work requires the raining of the man
Of science. the agility and strength Of
the gymnast and a heart that is I'M
daunted by hardships or perils. But
Martel has helped. more than any
other one man, to give cave eXplor
alton an impetus that will carry it for
ward until all the facts of value that |
can b e revealed by the study are
brought to light. Cyrus G. Adams. |
The Thentroph0nc.
During the last two years the Theat- |
rophone company has developed in |
Paris a service that is quite remarkable.
The company now has installed i'll the
city 100 theatrophones, which are dis
fri h11tad IN aIpvpD lines in the large hO-