New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-13

INGS OF EUROPE. BY S. Barring
Gould, NJ. A. With 81 illustrations and
diagrams. syo PIP 324. Philadelphia:
The j. 4. Lippincott Company.
Mr.. Barring Gould may always be re-
lied upon for instructive entertainment.
Whatever subject he touches upon, and
his range has been an amazingly wide
one during the long years Of his author
ship, acquires interest for his reader
through his own unmistakable zest In
hunting down what is curious and out
Of the way. SO in this case. While lie
properly devotes an early chapter to the
prehistoric cave man OF Europe, and
even TO the geological era that roughly
fashioned his dwelling for occupancy. he
devotes the bulk of his book TO a side Of
the subject that is far more romantic,
because but little known.
He traces the cave dwelling. the sub
terranean refuge, the castle cut out Of
the. rock. the original crypt the grot-
toes Of hermts. rock converts. robbers
dens and underground cities all over
Europe. from the days OF the Roman
Conquest and the marauding NOrsemen.
through the Middle Ages, the Hundred
Years War i'm France, the Thirty Years
War in Germany and the French Revo-
luton down 10 our own day. There were
cave dwellers in Scotland in the first
half OF the last century, in all the print
tive meaning of the word. There are
cave dwellers in various parts Of Eng
land to this day, but their modern coun-
try IN Europe is France, above all
others AS is his habit, Mr.. Gould
Tibet, especially when he comes to dis
cuss the lonely dwelling places of her
mits. The romance Of these abodes and
refugees knows no limitation of time:
Elbe broke into Bohemia. when IT was
found that the Inhabitants Of a certain dis
trict had vanished along with their cattle
and goods, leaving behind empty houses
and stables 1t had been the same during
the Thirty Years War and the Seven
Years War, when the invaders found not
living soul. and contented themselves with
destroying the croDs and burning the vii
lagos and farms. Even the government Of
ficials had disappeared. Whittier had they
gone? Into the rock labyrinths OF Aders-
bach and WickelsdOfi, fdcn dCfeSSlDle only
through a single gan closed by door.
The existence of this labyrinth was I'M
known save 10 the peasants until the year
1924, when a forest fire revealed II.
From the cave made by Nature and
occupied as found TO the advantage taken
by man Of a natural situation is far
step whose various stages the author
discusses. especially when he comes to
consider the stronghods Of the medieval
mobiles Inaccessbilty was always one
of the results sought by barons, vassals.
robbers and recluses, by early Christians.
and, later, by Albgenses and other per-
secuted sects. The art If the builder,
pick and shovel, were called in to perfect
what Nature had begun. The Britons
had their "Dane holes" as Kansas has
it's cyclone cellars, and all Europe teens
with legends ascribing subterranean
passages 10 its old castles. Many Of
these traditions Mr.. Gould froves to be
incorrect, even though based on vague
memories Of fact. Subterranean refugees
there were. but rarely did they run from
castle to city, or far afield to the bank of
some river. They We're for local use, for
ultimate hiding. and defence rather than
for ultimate escape. Ilaccessibility high
w among the rocks Was easily enough