Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1896-08-09
One OF the Strange Sights OF
Long Island
Shelter Rock IL an Object of Great In
terest to Residents and Hlsiton-
Its Peculiar Position and
formation.

Nature played some queer pranks
when she formed Long Island. Evil
dcnces Of these are the peculiar 10
biography OF the island, its still more
peculiar position upon the map, aad
its striking outline, which, with its
topography. make it resemble u great
'leviathan with u protruding backbone
There is in this neighborEood IN more
striking frcnk-a gigantic rock In u
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 thi,
place and Manhasset.
There are some biologists who claim
that Long Island vas the result OF q
great seismic disturbance which shat
tered il from the mainlaud-now Con.
necticut and Rhode Island. Other:
hold to the opinion that il was a float
ing mass OF lava which settled here
in the plastic period of the earth.
Shelter rock could owe it's existence
To either of these processes. Ii could
have been hurled here from some stony
portion OF the country by a powersoim-
mcnSc as to he almost uncomfortable
or it could have tloated here upon IL
sea of lava when the earth was with
out form and void"
William Chester owns the !and upon
which this interesting stone stands.
lie keeps Il stock farm, and his sheep
use the rock for shelter. 1t was from
this fact hat H. got it's name. Ii is
about 10 feet high, 50 feet in width
and IS or so feet i'll length. Upon the
top grow bushes Of purple and white
~lilacs, tw ice the height of II man, AMI
their roots extend down into crcviccs
in the rock. On it's south side II shelves
out toward the top, leaving beneath
u sheltered territory where n flock of
sheep can find protection during II
! storm.
There is on the west surface Of the
lock II large hollow niche where n man
could sleep with plenty Of room. Great
( cracks. showing the strains which have
been upon it ut different ngcs, radiatc
through il in all directions. I.ichcns
and moss cling TO H.. Besides II lilac
l]usitr. upon it's top several good-sizcd
maple trees grow. The roadway from
here To- Manhassc; passes directly by
I the east side of the rock.
I There is but one rock like Shelter
rock in all this region. That is what j.
called Eidd's rock, ncar Sands point
where. legend says, the great pirate
8 captain buried some of his much
sought-for treasure. Kidd's rock, how
ever. is small. Shelter rock Inns been
for years the subject of much spcculn-
ton and study. Glasses of
from ST. paul's school ut Garden CITY
nave made n critical study of IL. Min
~cralogists and g~coloGistE from other
/ Institutions have examined il. Among
them was Prof. Refs, of the Columbia
college scIcoIofmincs, who examined il
ia the interest of the Columbia depart
mCnt Of geology and mincrnlogy.
Those who have dug down III the
earth alongside the big stone ave been
unable to reach it's bottom. IL must
extend downward for many icct' III
fact, il is thought that only n SihalI pnr'
OF the real stone can TIC seen. IN West
! chester county there are many rocks
similar, hut none 10 large. There wns n
smalIcr one not far from here, but that
WINS broken up some years hEo 10 make
stone walls. 1t was once suggested thnt
Shelter rock, which is Of n good quality
of gray stone. lie broken up and used
for mncadnm roads. An engineer was
sent here and made careful measure
mcnis Of the rock. Guessing Mt lis
depth. he estimated that il contained
enough stone to mncndnmilc all the
roads in North Hampstead town and
r.u,v more besides. Chester WAS Of
f,rcd a handsome sum for the rock, but
he refused IL.
Not only nrc there no other hig stoncr
i'm the n~cighborhood OF Shelter Rocn
txccpt Kid.'s rock, hut there are bu'
few stones OF any kind. The immediate
n~cighborhood Is entirely free fro"
them, but IL seems ms II all tn
stone tiicrcnbout Ind been solidilcd IN.
10 one great muss.
IT, has been suggested TINT the top o.
the big stone he lcveled of and the rOci;
used as the foundation for n meeting
hail, or Il memorial building of some
kind. This would probably have bcci.
done before were IL not for the owners
unwillingncss 10 sell. The old meeting
house fc-mcrly used Ivy the Quukcrs Of
this village II hut n short distance away
No n has ever estimated the weight
of Shelter rock, but the number Of torE
must be pretty well up n the thousands.
TO blast IL 90 pieces for road-mnking or
wull.building would require many
pounds Of dynnmitc.-N. Y. Times.