The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-03
SCIENCE OF CAVE STUDY.
GROWING INHERENT SHOWN J IN
UNDERGROUND EXPLORATION

months OF inc year turing INC REMAINING throo
he IL an enthusiastic student oil he comparatively
new science OF speleology' Speicoiogy, In Its
scientific aspects at least has never received
much attention In America 80 II may DO well
to define the term at the outset Briefly, II may
be said to comprise the study OF tho natural re-
cceses OF the carths INTERIOR OF caves and under
ground streams and caverna 10 use M Mnrters
expression II IL mountain climbing reversed,
and in his opinion II II much more valuable and
fascinating employment than inc SCALING Oh
heights NJ Marteii Is by no means The only expon
ont OF the new science although no Is perhaps tho
most prominent In Paris II has Interested sufho-
lent number OF persons 70 lead 70 the formation oil
society. the Society de Speicosogie which hos
been In existence Tor some time M Martel IL
it's secretary Tho society holds frequent ses
sions publishes review devoted to the subject
Of underground exploration and In summer sends
out exploring parties In Austria there are clubs
organized for the purpose Of cave exploration,
and there are few underground explorers in
every Continental country.
No doubt toe speleoiogists themselves would
object 70 the description OF their pursuit az hoboy
They insist that II should he regarded az dgni-
f,od and important branch OF human roeearch.
aud point 70 the Important practical results that
has achieved as we'll A. 10 Its additions 70 the gen
eral human stock of scientific knowledge ons
Of tho most Important OF these pracncai achieve
ments was accomplished In Hungary two years
ago under the direction OF NJ. MareL An cpl
dcmic OF typhoid fever was going on IL seemed
impossible TO detect Tho source NJ Tho posulence
though Il was believed to he duo To some hidden
pollution Of the water supply NJ Martei under
took an investigation. Tho region was one Of
limestone formation, and contained many socaiied
wells. circular pits extending to great Depth
in some instances ~ was INC custom hWOnk
the farm rs 10 throw 'hc carcassos ot deau AMI
mails and other refuse into these wells A'houSh
none oil them existed NJ the inincdiase source OF
tho water supply OF the fevcrsnlcken village NJ
Mnriel found number on a plateau sume two
:, ,h,o. ,,,,., .v., and h, dssc.ndipu into tbern
he established the fact that they communicated
directly with the underground streams and springs
-. .'-.,,.,.,, a.. -, .,,,n,,
ha' iunlST" VIC "aN' S"PpS'
This discovery led not only to the abatement
=, a.. ,.v., i, this p,,,icl,r district hut .l,, 10
a., -.,.,,,,,.,, :, H., ,o,h,dd,,, a.. d,u,i,o
% ,s ens' .ni.. ,n,o ,,s mo.a,, r.,s The
,,spn bn. becn n reduction Of the death rnso
-. -. 40, ~, ..,,,.I u,,n.,r
" Martel In the pioneer among thoeo who havc
,,Lcr mn spelcoIoVv ~ a SERIOUS study. His
interest IN the subject dates baok 10 1874 Accord
ing 10 hts own account. he attracted 10 II dur
ing visit to Causes In southern France which
IN disuict OIL "onu"tiui hsSuroS ana uhnefRro"lu
caverns This beginning interested him in the
Nuo'' SUI" "a ~ Wv ""
his leisure tine " II since then ana has explored
underground regions in nearly every European
-, n,,;, a.. 80, .,,r,r., n. xis,sd
COUNTY, puink H'e p"'' summer "o ''
n number Of the submerged lakes and streams OF
I,.isnd rhs.h ou,r,,v IL 40 ,.maTkohI. Tor the
-, -, de- ,,nd.-,,,o,,,d ,,ord.,s a ~, IN.
'arn" OF "s unu'it'ounu "on'''' ~ 'o' "'
beauty Of Its surface scenery.
.-rh. .,hi.c,- s,id N M.,,., ,r d,.-r.st,,,
i"e su'''N' - a. :" ulIN u'S,'''H
a pcrson. I, contains all the mys,ery and fascin,.
a., -. ,h .orr,.,.lv u,Lnou, Owe n.xs,
can tell what he may find Just b-fore him Dan
gcrousT Well sometimes | have had some
closr calls, az you say. But II one is ordinarily
cautious II is not more dangerous than other
kinds 81 exploration.
There IL a general opinion tina, cave exrnra-
ton must be very dirty and unpleasant work;
OF cnurr We must expect somctucs 70 get drcnched
But h ser hand spd5 A'T One ar n Ssn%S5S and
grott""s with stalaEmites ana s'alaetltcs Tint
dazzle the eye under The reflection 81 the torches
| ing ones table and taking luncheon IN such a
SPIT, rerhGps 10y ihc sidr "i clear. silent, un-
dsf Hi and tnistsr'igs forms d blind laan. and
strange flowers which one sometimes encounters
70, instance. on my reveh' ,'ip !" hilt'heis'nWn.
Ireland. IN lhr gIeat ave 'hrtc, when Is miis
and quarter IN eHtrh, l iouad Srverai NV
| species There Is The i"y o. h9nnns swiftly
along some nndergrnnnd n'er iai bripm We
surface; on which one knows no othet human
being has ever paSsld A4gc'her the sIelr~
oiogist nrrd moi lack inr ntllEhh 10 compensate
hls dangr'TnS or uhp'Te sah ~, In" nc
ohy "l.lef pursuits " NhiS4l Wls may N COM
| parnd ar mountain cIlmmhE ~ INC ohllornS
| ot unknown surincr irsluhS, ana 70 my inlnd
| my WIrk is more interesting man ei'hef o, lhoee
=, IN me S"uI~ nl ms ny .'rh SSaIs n eAlSiehco
N MhiIeI mas ue ,i q" ctaIII,nw cquE!hncn'
| tnf use IN unn'tgI"unn sApiI INV. nsn
ne 80 gu, w, a., IL iit,i Ntp III I'M, !" -
| eAmnHfe ihn W. 'nS ",ur LUMP pni,s nus
wagon ioan OF pI'tS anu u';, di ,o,r 'anurLs
| sslne shleH otuSS nm '" " nA'hNeh '"' " Ha'e'-
| "nk Sno nov mn iah.. 40 do an, .x,.,sI,, o,,,,
| -, IL Jmu muTS on, az ny 49, SI,uu .
| 81 81. uhn.Is,ouiu NPU,u' 10y Ia, "aIe':
" " ne''ss1nIs W. nov sps.,ai ouu., Mns'
unut,stnuha s., a n,v n ,S ~ n."''S pr,
| P.nui, n .nn ,,, anJ ,o,,nh .nJ f ~
or $500 . T. nhai,I ,.i,h dsSri ri - " ~,
no. , ~ - .aohu r'n u.o,n m.I.1.c nv
nIsI uing .S s sni !" ~, ops ,oi lnc
weo,Pvu u ~ s inT IN dn "s Ios = use orc
."o ,nus III, W az ~. Va M t ~ ,L - ~ ~
p mas 'nun, AK ~, Gnu n,. LII MISC .ney
Nou,a " ar, - .u. ~ ;nha ~; w''u .ne haip
| euErS %, VIC IShs nna nlSm Wv. he explorer
| lhii 'iIas Nouu me"n .rt.a.h uea'i AS mt
yer o. ecauMon y, nas ,nE n surh a zen one
shoulu nay an ~, cAMa snJ'I mho aoput nus Waist
ror Hys1m us US 'up" 10, Lnn, nN oes or more
| conioItaplG man iloin hh1 Tt .op.s ana can
| pc h~VniN W''. chNhS, ~. k''n',s' uestent