Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-08-19
Marvels of Underground Cav
ems Brought to Light by
Martel, the Explorer.
New T hings Revealed and Much
Ascertained Concerning
Prehistoric Man.
Small Rivers and Broad Lakes
Were Discovered in Dargi-
Ian Cave in Europe.

-.
yer OF Paris, las made his name We'll
known through his exploration OF
caves 1t costs Il great deal OF money
to make original Investigations i'll the
depths OF the earth, and it is fortunate
for Martel that he is rich and can at
ford to employ all the men lie needs
and provide the very best equipment
that money will buy. Only men of
rare hardihOOd endurance and agility
can Chamber successfully among the
preclplceS and explore the mysteries of
labyrlnthS, lakes and rivers that are
hidden deep III the earth; and it is u
curious fact that Martel had his cour-
age tested and his physical powers
developed and trained for his chosen
work by some years of climbing among
the tallest and most difficult of the
Alps. In 1883 he made the transition
from the highest lands in Europe to
the depths of it's least known caverns
The new work has become the passion
of his life; but Martel's doings would
nave little interest for the learned
world if his scientifi instincts and
training did not fit him admirably to
add new facts to human knowledge.
Grottology is Comparatively new study
to which not a few learned men and
amateurs are now turning their atten-
ton, knowing that thorough cave eX-
ploration will enrich several branches
of science. Ever since Cuvier, in the
last century, called attention to the fos-
sill remains of prehistoric man and
animals found in caves, the learned
world has recognized the Importance
OF this branch of study to paleontology.
| The most celebrated finds of relics OF
primeval man and of contemporary
animals are those that were discovered
at Gaylenreuth in Bavaria, at kirkdaie
in 1orkShire.at Kent Hole in Devon
shire. in the caves along the borders of
! the Meus in Belgium, and in the grot-
tos of the Jura, the Cevennes and the
Iyrenees in France. But caves afford
IN opurtunity for other studies of the
highest scientific interest The animal
life still found in them, the batrach;l,
the fishes, the crustacea, and insects,
most of TIM blind and all marvellous
+. ~ adapted for their environment of
darkness and gloom, has as yet been
studied but to n very limited extent.
Plant life also. the MOSES and cryp-
| tograms found in caves, are still little
| known. Most valuable observations
may also be made, under the surface
of the earth, in geology, terrestrial
| physics and other branches of know
ledge. Caves are also regarded with
/ the most curious interest by tourists
and not nearly so much has yet been
| done in Europe to make these subter-
ranean wonders accessible to travellers
! as has been done at Mammoth and
! Luray, our own great show caves
! The French Alpine Club, diverting it's
attention :; little from snowy mountains
! is now apropriating 4 part of its funds
! to make some of the beautiful lime
| stone caves of France accessible with
! out danger to the public
/ Martel found that many of the ig-
norant peaSanry in the Cevennes were
filled with the superstitious fears com
mon in ancient times when unframed
nnaginations peopled caves with hob
COLLINS and devils. But he has wrought
transformation. When he visited thu
Cevennes on his last exploring trip he
was welcomed as the benefactor of
the country. His published reports.
i issued after the journey. have called
attention, far and wide, to the wonders
! beauties of these caves. Tourists arc.
beginning to flock to the mountains.
| Tie people are building houses to en-
. terrain the visitors What YOU have
done for US said some of them to
Martel, has helped us make more
money than we ever made in a year
before"
This article could be filled with
mere catalogue of the marvellous the
cries and alleged facts coming from the
early explorers of caves One of the
most remarkable of them was the fan
tastic conception of the botanist
Tournefort who, in his description of
the grotto Of Antiparos i'll the Greek
archipelago, published in III. preten-
ded that stalactites grew like plants
The resemblance of these concretions
to the trunks and branches of trees
and the concentric rings he found in
their internal structure inspired I'm
Win the Utopian idea of the vegeta-
ton of stones.
Some of the great caves explored by
Mr.. Martel have only recently been
discovered. In 1850 a young peasant
clambered up a mountain side in the
department of Lozere. South France.
in pursuit Of a fox. Suddenly REWARD
disappeared in a hole. and the hunter. |
thinking it would be easy to smoke |
him out. kindled fire and then waited
for his prey. But the fox did not re- |
appear. and finally the young man en-
larged the opening and squeezed himself |
through it. He soon found he was |
able to stand erect. and lighting
handful of grass an unheard- Of world |
was revealed to his astonished gaze |
Two hours later he reappeared at the
hamlet IL the valley with blanched |
face and the announcement that he
had seen the entrance to hell. He had |
Discovered the Dargilan cave. one of |
the largest in Europe. whose tortuous
galleries. wide and lofty halls. their
ceilings fretted with stalactites. broad |
lakes and little rivers, have been ex-
plored and mapped by Mr.. Martel.
One of these pictures shows the great
and precipitous depression. at whose
bottom on the left is seen the black
mouth Of the great cave of Padirac.
The picture also shows the long rope
Jaddar Inv which Narfal descended |