The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-11-19
A BIG BEEHIVE.
Tons of Honey Stored Away in Penn
sylVania Mountain.

kishacOquillas gap is located in the
Tussey,or Seven mountain, range, and IS
one of the many breaks through this
wild chain of mountains leading from
PENIS valley into Stone valley.
The Seven mountain range is per-
haps the widest system in the state of
Pennsylvania. More than one ex-
Yerienced hunter and woodsman has
lost his way in these mountains, and
spent weary days wandering around
before he found his way to civilization
again, and some even failed to return
to it, and it is the general belief thai
their bones lie bleak and bare in some
dark rayine of the Tussey range.
Years ago current report said that
in one of the least explored of the man
Businesses of these mountains there
was bee hive in the rocks which corr
tanned enough honey to make man
rich. The story was in effect as fol
lows: Some eight or ten miles north of
The gap is one of the deepest ravines in
closing the widest spot in the entire
chain of mountains. Precipitous cliffs
10 the height of several hundred feet
rise on either side, the whole almost
completely covered with dense growth
Of small shrubbery and trailing vines,
while away down at the bottom, so deep
that the sun hardly penetrates, owir 2
10 the narrowness of the gorge, trickles
a small stream or rivulet.
On the north side of this gorge, about
half way up the rock side of the cliff.
is a fissure in the rock presenting an
opening perhaps 20 feet long and vary
ing in width from two to five feet.
knowing the depth of this assure or
cave in the rock side, it has been es-
t.mated at anywhere from 30 to 81
1eet, perhaps even more, and possibly
with the dimensions of a large cham
Der.
In this rift in the rock a swarm o.
bees years ago made their home, and
there they have continued to abide,
multiply and store up honey until three
years ago, when the last report of them,
as given by a lost hunter, stated that
so numerous had they become that
there was one perfect column or string
of bees fully a foot thick continually
going and coming from the stone hive.
Parties who claim to have seen it
aver that or a warm day the sweet
fluid, melted by the hot rays of the
sun in the brief time its rays penetrate
the opening, would trickle down the
side of the cliffs and fall in pools at
the bottom.
Several parties attempted to dis
lodge the bees and get at the hive IT
honey, but owing to the difficulty in
getting at the opening they were never
successful, as the bees always drove
them away.
y few days ago stranger, who
claimed to hail from the eastern part of
The state, and who had been trudging
these mountains in quest of the Outloo (
for game on several of the game pre-
serves located here, stopped few MN
utes at the gap, and while here told of
seeing the beehive in the rocks. The
man was so excited over the discovery
that he could hardly tell a complete
story, but the facts related by him are
so closely allied to the current report of
years that there is no doubt that he
found the wonderful honey deposit
The man averred that the bees 90
.ng and coming looked like an immense
tar rope at least two feet in diameter
and so constantly did they keep at their
work that in the hour or more he
watched them there was not one break
in the flying string of bees.
To dislodge the bees and secure the
honey would, however, be an almost ~
possible task, at the very least a Her
culean one. From the bottom of tie
ravine to where the rift in the rock oc-
ours is fully rs feet, and from the TOP
down to the rift is almost an equal dis
lance. The rocky side is very nearly
straight up and down, and the small
brush and wild vines with which the
side is almost entirely covered are not
embedded securely enough in the rocks
TO admit of one climbing either up Ut
Town them as a support.
There is only one way by which the
cavern could be reached, and then it
would be at the risk of destroying She
rich store therein, and that is to blow
the mountain side up with dynamite.
But even this mode of attack would
not rid the place of all the bees, and
when once their home was destroyed
all interlopers would want to seek soma
secure retreat. The stranger averrcd
that he would find way to get the
bees out and get at the store of honey.
He declared his intention of return
ing to make the attempt, at least, and
what the results will be remain to be
seen.
Five, four, or even two tons of honey
Is large pile of the sweet stuff, and
the smaller amount, if it could be put
on the market in anything like good
condition, at the present price of Is
tents per pound, would realize just 5000
for the successful bee hunter, a very
clever sum to pull from a rift in the
mountain side.-Philadelph Times.
Canned Corn Fvtters.
When fresh corn is not in season a