Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-06-29
DRY BONES VALLEYS
PLACES WHERE DEAD BODIES ARE
PRESERVED BY The CLIMATE.

Among the most curious things in
this queer old world perhaps the weird
est is the valley Of dry bones" which
continually crops UP ia various parts
OF both hemlsphcrcs.
In Chile. FOR instance. the air Is SO
dry that * is almost impossible FOR a
body 10 decompoSc I'm the ordinary
way. Here ana there In the mountains
or on the plains one may discover a
body that has been clay for several
years. but has no moro returned 20
dust than TO life
There is literally valley of dry
bones not far from Valparaiso where
battle was fought during the Balma-
ccda troubles Here may Ice seen today
bodies Of men ana horses scattered
among the rocks that are ike nothing
SO much rs Egyptian mummies. shriv-
eled 10y the fierce sun and Cm0almcd
by the natural dry atmosphere.
This IS not strictly speaking. "A val
ley OF dry bones, but that there Is a
real one in Coyion uo one who has Wis
itcd that island ean doubt for a mo-
mcnt IL il "a peculiar fact ana one
which is borne oUt by thc testimony OF
when ana cicphant feels les last hour
approachiuc % viii Go permitted 90 90
SO escape nto Che jmsic to die Once
the sick elephant gets away Il Is never
seen again. Where they 20 TO is tile
problem.
IL is absolutely certain that they
must 80 someUacrc ANA therefore rs
they vanish 50 mystcriousiy I'M the
hour OF death one cannot but -ive
credcnce 90 She tale which is often
brought dova from the hills by the
Tamus ard .ngllcsc
According 3D. these people. there is a
valley OF dry bones ucar Talawakcle.
which Is about twenty-five miles south
Of Randy ua Oh capital of the IS
sand This valley. to dee correct. IS
said To lc WASH underground tunnel.
With numerous lut difficult to nud cn-
frances ano cyits. such places are
common in ocy'on hut the particular
cave whore t'e elephants Esd to Cie has
mover hccn rycrcj lou-h uumcr-
ous cAred.lons latc sought Cor &c.
tn slow of t-c fact tlst t.c elc-
phants Co -lpucar vixen lct are
about to l. t seems probable that
some such r..., docs exist ou .lc u.s.
land. for So certain THAT tho -rcat
uuwicidy oc DO uot swim across
the -uir OF t..naar. The person who
finds this elephant scnuicher wiz prob
ably reap fortune iu ivory.
Another strange place exists as
real "vallcy o dry bones" 1 The is
land or Jaf...Ua. Wcst Indies. or
course there is 81 lcgcnl attached 90 it.
but here are tlc hard facts und am
actual lcscr u OF the valley itself
IL ls situate. rDlr tlc Cuuaeuna zap.
In the Maroon country. at Tie eastern
extremity oi t.c island This REGION is
clothed in pr.lcral forest. auj the fact
that rain fails ou an average twelve
hours "a day au the year round givcs
the jungle iuyur'aut grccu vceeta-
ton not 60 Doe found elsewhere. Bur
this valley. though situated right in
the heart OF tAe "wct country" is bare
OF leaf and llc
The limestone rock is white ana hot
Giant trees that seem 10 have been
bllghted suddenly stand up an cauut.
white and dead. The valley is sheltered
from the wind and the first force of the
rainstorms. AS consequence this
strange raVne is silent unmolcstcl
and quite dry.
The weird feature is that although
vegetation seems 10 have boon dense
here In former years. nothing viii
grow now. Nature has como to "a COM
plete standsuu. During tbe hot season
the temperature OF the valley Is almost
unbearable, and it Is visited by seismic
disturbance that cause the dead trees
and Cry hot stones ts rattle like dry
bones; hence the name the valley has
acquired.
The legend of this valley of dry
bones" can hardly be taken without
pinch OF salt but let us be nothing II
not complete. Many years ago. says
the negro story teller. woman lived
on plantation I'm Cuba. She was no.
torious for her cruelty 90 her slaves.
She used 10 throw cayenne pepper in
their eyes and afterward stick cactus
needles into their bodies just FOR sport.
One night the slaves rcvoltel and
burned the plantation house 20 the
ground. The woman managed 70 cs-
cape in an open boat 10 Jamaica.
where she sought refuge from her enc
mics in the heart OF the jungle
Here she developed mania for col
lecting All sorts and conditions of cats.
When she had procured a multitude OF
the feline tribe she amused herself by
torturing them. The legend has ii that
every night the demoniacal shrieks OF
the woman and the cries of the eats
were 10 be heard even i'm the Maroon
villages. But one night severe earth
quake came and swallowed up the
cats. their tormentor aud her home
New York Herald.