The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-03-05
NATURES QUEER PRANK.
Shelter Rock, Near Great Neck, Strange
Phenomenon.

Shelter Rock, Near Great Neck, Strange
III Phenomenon.
III Nature played some queer FRANKS
n,vhen she formed Long Island. Evil
lM ences of these are the peculiar to
ography of the island, its still more
ocular position upon the map, and
striking outline, which, with its
III biography, make it resemble a great
~ fiathan with protruding backbone.
,f1here is in this neighborhood one more
striking freak-a gigantic rock in a
| place which is, for miles around, al
| most totally devoid of stones of any
! kind. This great rock is called Shelter
|. rock, and is on the road between this
' place and Manhasset.
| There are some biologists who claim
that Long Island was the result or Il
| great seismic disturbance which shat
| tered it from the mainland-now Con-
necticut and Rhode Island. Others
| hold to the opinion that it was float
| ing mass of lava which settled here
in the plastic period of the earth.
I Shelter rock could owe its existence
to either of these processes. 1t could
h have been hurled here from some stony
Uportion of the country by power so iin-
mense as to be almost inconceivable,
| or it could have floated here upon
rNsee of lava when the earth was with :
| out form and void"
| William Chester owns the land upon
which this interesting stone stands.
| 20 and his sheen
use the rock for shelter. 1t was from
this fact that it got its name. LII Is
about so feet high, so feet in width
and rs or so feet in length. Upon the
top grow bushes of purple and white
lilacs, twice the height OF man, and
their roots extend down into crevices
in the rock. On it's south side it shelves
out toward the top, leaving beneath
sheltered territory where flock of
sheep can find protection during u
storm.
There is on the west surface OF the
rock large hollow niche where man
could sleep with plenty of room. Great
cracks, showing the strains which have
been upon it at different ages, radiatc
through it in all directions. Lichens
and moss cling to it. Besides the lilac
bushes upon it's top several good-sized
maple trees grow. The roadway from
here to Manhasset passes directly by
| the east side of the rock.
| There is but one rock like Shelter
rock in all this region. That is what is
called Kidd's rock, near Sands point,
where, legend says, the great pirate
captain buried some of his much
sought-for treasure. Kidd's rock, how
ever, is small. Shelter rock has beeh
! for years the subject of much specula-
ton and study. Classes of students
from St. Paul's school az Garden City
have made critical study of it. Min
eralogists and biologists from other
institutions have examined it. Among
them was Prof. Refs, of the Columbia
college school of mines, who examined ii
in the interest of the Columbia depart
ment of geology and mineralogy.
Those who have dug down in the
earth alongside the big stone have been
unable to reach its bottom. 1t must
fact, it is thought that only small part
| of the real stone can be seen. In West
chester county there are many rocks
similar, but none so large. There was a
smaller one not far from here, but that
was broken up some years ago to make
| stone walls. 1t was once suggested that
Shelter rock, which is of good quality
| I 4 a
| for macadam roads. An engineer was
sent here and made careful measure
ments of the rock. Guessing at its
depth, he estimated that it contained
| enough stone to macadamize all the
roads in North Hampstead town and
many more besides. Chester was Of
| fered handsome sum for the rock, but
he refused it.
Not only are there no other big stones
in the neighborhood of Shelter Rock.
except Kidd's rock, but there are but
few stones of any kind. The immediate
neighborhood is entirely free from
them, but it seems as if all the
stone thereabout had been solidified in
TO one great mass.
1t has been suggested that the top of
the big stone be leveled off and the rock
used as the foundation for a meeting
hall, or a memorial building of some
kind. This would probably have beer
done before were it not for the owners
unwillingness to sell. The old meeting
house formerly used by the Quakers of
this village is but a short distance away,
No one has ever estimated the weight
of Shelter rock, but the number of tong
must be pretty well up in the thousands.
TO blast it to pieces for road-making or
wall-building would require many
pounds OF dynamite.-N. Y. Times.
No Chance for the Judge.
At Harrodsburg the other day Judge
Cardwell summoned negro boy in his
court to testify in a case. The follow