Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-04-03
A PRANK OF NATURE.
One Of the Strange Sights OF
Long Island
0helter Rock IL an object Of Great In
terest 70 Residents and Visitors
It's Peculiar Position and
Formation.


Formation.
Nature played some queer pranks
when she formed Long Island. Evi-
dences of these are the peculiar 10
biography of the island, its still more
peculiar position upon the map, anu
its striking outline, which, with It's
topography, make it resemble great
leyiathau with a protruding backbone
There is in this neighborhOod one more
striking frealS-a gigantic rock in
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
Nplace and Manhasset.
There are some biologists who claim
that Long island was the result OF a
great seismic disturbance which shat
tered it from the mainlaud-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.
Shelter rock could owe its existence
to either of these processes. 1t could
have been hurled here from some stony
portion OF the country by a powersoim-
jmense as to be almost ineonceivable
or it could have hoated here upon n
sea of lava when the earth was with
out form and void"
William Chester owns the land upon
(which this interesting stone stands.
He keeps a stock farm, and his sheep
nse the rock for shelter. 1t was from
this fact that it got it's name. 1t is
about 30 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 a man, and
their roots extend down into crevices
in the rock. On its south side it shelves
out toward the top, leaving beneath
q sheltered territory where a flock of
sheep can find protection during
storm.
There is on the west surface Of the
1ock a large hollow niche where a man
could sleep with plenty of room. Great
cracks, showing the strains which have
been upon it at different ages, radiate
Through it in all directions. Lichens
and moss cling to it. Besides the lilac
bushes upon its 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
souQht-for treasure. Kidd's rock, how
ever. is small. Shelter rock has been
for years the subject of much sPecuIa-
aion and study. Glasses Of students
from st. Paul's school at Garden City
have made critical study of it. Min
eraIogists 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 minernlogy
Those who have dug down in the
earth alongside the big stone have been
unable to reach its bottom. 1t must |
extend downward for many feet; in
fact. it is thought that only a small part |
of the real stone can be seen. In West-
chester county there are many rocks
similar, but none so large. There was |
smaller one not far from here, but that |
was broken up some years ago to make 1
stone walls It was once suggested thai
Shelter rock, which is of a good quality
of gray stone, be broken up and used
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 a handsome sum for the rock, but
he refused it.
Not only are there no other big stones
IN the neighborhood of Shelter RocN,
rxoept Kidd's rock. but there are but
few stones-af any kind. The immediate !
Is entirely free from
them, but it seems as If all the
stone thereabout had been solidified in
10 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 been
done before were it not for the owners
to sell. The old meeting
house formerly used by the Quakers Of
this village is but short distance away
No one has ever estimated the weight
IF Shelter rock, but the number of tons
must be pretty we'll up in the thousands.
To blast it to pieces for road-making or
would require many
pounds Of dynamite.-N. Y. Times.