The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1907-04-13
CORkERS AND TWiSTERS.
BY Mrs. O'Houlihan.

1t is somewhat strange that the
schools and colleges do not pay more
attention to the study of fossils, or
petrifactions as they are commonly
called. These fossils indicate, or
identify to large extent, the forma-
v tons of the earth's surface. They
are most abundant, probably, in the
Devonian, and least abundant in the
Achaian formations.
Kentucky is rich in these relics of
past ages, and Franklin county not
only has it's share, but possesses one
fossil found nowhere else in the
world. This is a fossil sponge-the
oldest sponge in the world. In shape
it resembles a kings crown, with
circular rim and hollow fingers of
uniform size, but charging and di-
minishing shape, pointing upward.
Fragments, and some whole spec-
mems, of this rare sponge have been
found in a small ravine on Richard
sons Branch, near Cedar Run, and
also in the vicinity of Bridgeport.
Many of these fossils are not only
beautiful in appearance, when cleaned,
but curious and often artistic in
structure. Seen under an ordinary
magnifying glass, they show all the
unique outlines of the vegetable or
animal creation as it appeared before
petrifaction.
At the bend of the Shelbyville pike,
this side the city reservoir, is bed
of fossils, technically known as
brahiopods and lamellobranchs, OF
all sizes and shapes, from a small
hickory nut to a pins head, whilst
|others are elongated, interlaced in
shell form or varied as the animal it
represents. A specimen most abund-
ant and most beautiful is the orthis
borealis, resembling nut with lines
and fittings converging at top and
bottom.
Some specimens of the trilobite.
/. an animal that had three pairs Of
lungs, have been found around Frank
fort. The eyes, head and mouth Of
several trilobites have been extracted
from some slate rocks at the mouth
of Devils Hollow.
i Next to the ancient sponge, perhaps
1.-THE rarest find near Frankfort were
1.-TWO specimens Of fossil star fish, that
lwere found on the reservoir hill
when 1t was denuded of grasses and
Iiirt to but the reservoir. The tar
- teplaced. scales, tbe d.
|vsfgihgl sDIhss &h~ eAcsntra1 body
lwere all distinct and perfect. One
iof these specimens is now in the
Lexington Agricultural College col
lection.
j The reservoir hill was also a
lveritable bed of fossil corals, brachio-
lpods, lamellobranchs, gasteropods,
.Ipteropods, etc. The lamellobranchs
: included the corals like chains inter-
,ilaced, the cup corals with interior
} beautifully futed, and petrifactions
like the comb cells made by the honey
, bee. The brachiopods are like va
roiusly shaped nuts or round balls.
The gasteropods resemble the snails,
crawfish, etc. Whilst the pteropods
were the winged creatures, like but
tterflies and snake doctors.
She silurianI formation Of Frank
lin county is rich in fossil remains,
: and collectors from other counties
, and States have made valuable COL
} lectiors from it's exposed surfaces.
In addition to the places named,
} specimens have been gathered from
the Leestown hill, from the railroad
cut above the city, from the hills near
, Richardson's Branch, and from the
railroad cut near Benson Station.
Fossil collectors are divided as to
, whether the petrifaction of plants and
animals took place slowly, through
long periods of time, or suddenly.
We think the latter. We once had
a beautiful cup coral, shaped like a
tiny vase. Its interior artistically
carved and fiuted, and along it's sides
crept delicate vine, with leaves and
buds or flowers, all perfectly trans
ferred to a substance harder than
stone. Had the process been long,
: this delicate vine and attachments
must have persisted or lost their
shape before the process was COM
pleted.
OUGHT TO BE ATTENDED TO.