The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-03
PRoDS HOLES IN THE GROUND.
A sURTERRANEAN VOYAGE WHICH
RESULTED IN A TERRIBLE
EXPERIENCE.


Had Not Investigated Underground
Streams the Source of COntngiOn
Would Never Have been Found.
New York. Dec lit is no uncommon
thing for professional men in Europe to
adopt some scientific hobby as a means %
diversion and quite apart from their regu-
lar work Few of them however, hit
upon an occupation so unique as the one
to which NJ Martel of Paris devotes his
leisure time NJ Martel is a prominent
and talented lawyer during nine months
of the year. During the remaining three
he Is an enthusiastic devotee Of the com
paratlyely new science Of speleology.
speleology, in lis scientific aspects, at
least. has never received much attention
in America, so 1t may be we'll to define the
term at The outset. Briefly, it may be said
10 comprise the study OF the natural re-
cesses of the earih's interior-of caves
and underground streams and caverns. To
use W. Martels express on, it is mountain
climbing reversed, and in his opinion it is
a much more valuable and fascinating en-
ployment than the scaling of nights.
NJ. Martel is by no means the only ex-
ponent of the new science, although he is
perhaps the most prominent one. In Paris
it has interested a sufficient number of
persons to lead to the formation of So
ciety, the "Soclete de SpeHeologie." which
has been in existence for some time. NJ.
Martel Is its secretary. The society holds
frequent sessions, publishes a review de-
voted to the cause of underground explO-
ration and in summer sends out exploring
parties. In Austria, too there are numer-
Gus clubs organized for the purpose of cave
exploration, and there are a few under
ground explorers in every continental
country
No doubt the speleologists themselves
wosld object to the description of their
favorlte pursuit as a hobby. They insist
that 1t should be regarded as a dgnified
and important branch Of human research
and point to the important practical re-
suits that II has achieved as well as to its
additions to the general human stock of
scientific knowledge.
Saved a Town From Typhoid.
One of the most important of these
practical achievements was accomplished
in Hungary two years ago under the di-
rection Of NJ. MarteL A terrible epidemic
of typhoid fever ragged through a number
of towns in the interior, carrying off a
great many persons. 1t seemed impos-
sible to detect the source of the pestilence,
though it was believed to be due to some
hidden pollution of the water supply.
M. Martel was summoned and under
took an investigation to discover If DOS
sible the source of the trouble. The re-
gion was one of limestone formation and
contained many "wells"-circular pits ex-
tending to a great depth in some instan-
ces.It was the custom among the farmers
to throw the carcasses of dead animals
and other undesirable refuse into these
wells. Although none of them existed at
the immediate source of the water supply
of the feyer-stricken village. which was
carefully guarded, NJ. Martel found a num-
Der on a plateau some two or three miles
away. and by descending into them he es-
tablished the fact that they communicated
directly with the underground streams
and springs that fed the water reservoirs.
The result of this discovery led not only
to the abatement of the fever in this
particular district, but also to the enact
ment of rigorous laws forbldding the
dumping of dead animals into the lime
stone wells. The result has been a reduc-
ton of the death rate from infectious
diseases through a considerable portion of
central Hungary.
NJ. Martel is the pioneer among these
who have taken up speleology as a seri-
Gus study. His interest in the subject
dates back to 1888. According to his own
account he was attracted 10 ii during a.
visit 20 Causes in Southern France
which is a district of wonderful assures
and underground caverns This begin
ming Interested him in the subject to such
an extent that he has devoted all his
leisure time to it since then and has ex-
plored underground regions in nearly
every European country. During the past
summer he visited a number of the sub
1ak nf
which country is as remarkable for the
variety of its underground wonders as for
the beauty of its surface scenery.
Looking at the Really Unknown.
1.-THE subject" said Mr.. Martel, in dis
cussing his favorite occupation In the
course of his Irish trip, sis one that
grows upon person. 1t contains all the
mystery and fascination of the completely
unknown. One never can tell what he
may find just before him. Dangerous?
Well, sometimes l have had some close
calls, as you say. But If one is or
dinarily cautious It is not more dangerous
than other kinds of exploration.
There is a general opinion that cave ex-
ploration must be very dirty and unpleas-
ant work. OF course we must expect
sometimes to get drenched or smeared
with mud or to meet offensive odors. But
on the other hand there are wonderful
and beautiful sights to behold. One finds
remarkable grottoes with stalagmites and
stalactites that dazzle the eye under the
reflection of the torches as cave of dia-
monds might do Think of spreading ones
table and taking luncheon in such spot
perhaps by the side of a clear, silent, I'M
explored underground lake. There are the
wonderful and interesting forms of blind
fauna and strange flowers which one
. sometimes encounters. For instance, on
my recent trip to Mtchelstown, Ireland,
in the great cave there, which is a mile
and a quarter in extent, I found several
new species. There is the joy of floating
swiftly along some underground river
far below the surface, on which one
knows no other human being has ever
passed. Altogether the psychologist need
not lack for delights to compensate his
dangerous or unpleasant experiences. The
only other pursuit to which this may be
compared are mountain climbing or the
exploring of unknown surface regions,
and to my mind my work is more inter-
esting than either of these"
In the course of his sixteen years of ex-
perlence NJ Martel has developed an elab-
crate equipment for use in underground