New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-15
BIGGEST BEEHIVE IN THE UORLD.
IN nATrHAr, CAVERN IN A CLIFF Buzz
or THE INSECTS HEARD Az EIGHTH
or MILE AWAY

From The san Francisco Call.

From The san Francisco call.
Did Won ever see bee tree with a swarm Of
bees around il? Well. magnify this about zen
thousand times and you viii nave shsht zoe,
OF a natural beehive in Mendocino County. Cal
|, IL a rift i'm the face OF cliff, and uaditloa
has it that there is large cave on the insdc
where the myriads OF busy insects make inc"
homes
This great natural curiosity is known TO re1-
dents OF the adjacent country az Bee ROCK.
and they have grown 10 look upon II as conS
monplacc when in reality II is the only oeen"s
OF the kind in existence.
There is no danger OF n person getting ven
near 10 this natural beehive without knowing
IT, for at all hours Of the day swarm OF 10.
sects hoycrs about several hundred feet In ~
directions. An incessant. maddenlng buzz nns
the air that can be heard an eighth OK mile
and serves a warning not TO venture TOO neat:
But men DO venture near after having nrst put.
on a suit II leather clothing, fastened mask
wire screen around their hatbands. and ligntee
a good big torch These precautions are aoso
lutciy necessary.
II takes nerve to approach close 10 the opening
in the rock and the experience IS never-to-oe'
forgotten one Bees TO the number OF millions
Of millions viii light on the intruder. hummnS
nendlshly. and endcavor 10 STING him TO deatn
They form a perfect cloud. and the air Is uneo
with fctid smell and fine dus, thar so
through the wire screen and causes an irtlt&
ton to the eyes The tiny Insects rcaliy Snou
sign. OF yicousness and fly into the hames q
the torch in countless numbers. as though tne{
intended TO cxtinguish II. Round and rouns
they ny win Il utattulfls buII anu
deed is the man who can stand the onsiausn'
Of the tiny foes for more than u" minutes
II is almost impossible 10 make on; just wneU
the entrance TO this natural beehive ia Tne1v
Is q sort OF cavern In the Cliff that seems
have q crack through the inner wall from !oy
TO bottom but most OF the bees hover around :
hole about eighteen inches wide. and appear
make that the point OF ingress and ogrcss. haW
days II is impossible even 10 see the Gill. 4
thickly covered IL It with insects. and they re-
In and out OF the opening like stream oi in'
lasses. 4.
During the summer dead birds can always -
seen on the ground around the mouth OF U
hive. They have been stung 10 death WINE -
tempting To fly through the sWai1ns or lhSeSSS
Four footed creatures never venture within ne0
q mile seeming to know that death turks the!S
In front Of the mouth Of the hive there Is pc
Of dried honey that has flowed from the lntenoI
IT looks like heap OF molten lava that n1s
been hardened after being discharged tro"
volcano. 4.
party of men living in this vicinity claim
have entered the beehive several years aSo
They selected cold day in winter. when 'ns
bees were half dormant. and poured coal oil ~.
benzine around and into the opening. Then tney
made big fire of wood. so that the whole cav
filled with flames. Then they pokes
rcdhot embers down into the opening ana
killed every bee In IT,
But there was not much to sec after the m Nc
got inside only large cave, with the val2
covered with wax and dried honey. and enoutI
Of the sweetness in pools In the bottom 70 ~
big city for several years. or course inc nvAS1
was unfit for use on account Of being iuh y
dead bees and ashes from the fire. The ne.t
however, did not linger In the cave any sIe.s
length OF time. as II was foul smelling sne
sitting Although countless millions OF - ~.
must have been destroyed on this occasion "
next summer they were as numerous as s'S
and just as vicious. ~.
Indians OF the neighborhood say that In "
good old days" the bad men OF their tribe xe
bound hand and foot and carried to within
short distance Of the beehive by men wrAprS
In blankets. There the helpless creatures W."
t~%A - Ma AhA nph hair 81