Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-10-08

Der VINO KNOW very niue ABOUT now tnlS
and other similar caves were formed.
how old the Mammoth Cave probably
is. what service il performed for the
Youthful government Of the United
States during the War Of 1872. and va
rions other interesting. features connec-
ted with this greatest of all know caves
IF the world. brought out in an article
in the September number Of the Bulletin
Of the Pan-American Union. Washing
ton. ID. &.
From time immemorial'-to quote
from the Bulletins ~article-'caveS have
been objects IF interest To mankind.
Around them have clustered legend and
superstition. in them men have found
habitationS for the living. refuge for the
pursued. secret temples for the practi.r
Of their religious rites and mauSnleumS
for their dead. In ancient days they
were the ahodcS Of SvbilS and nvmphs
Of Roman mythology: i'm Greece they he
came the temples for the Worship of
Icus. Pan. Dionysus and Pluto. aS well
~ the homes of the oracleS of Delphi.
Corinth and Mount Cithcrun: in Persia
they were connected with the Worship OF
Mithras and in more modern times pop
nlar fancy in Europe peopled the mNS
AtEA fH>HEbUttfl tdNfN WITH flNf>. lltT
les and evil spirits galore
But after all. caves are but the re-
suits of perfect, natural forces work
ing beneath the surface Of the earth
just ~ the, do upon lis face and for the
sake Of convenience may bc divided into
three cla>>.>: nl These formed 10y the
action Of currents. the { ,rcr of waves.
and the grinding. Of Shinslc against u
/ cliff am a rprLN Sp.a.anSt which forces
sraual'y hollow ont caves in the weaker
places. Of which those found near Bar
IIarbor. Maine. may serve as examples:
~ those found in volcanic regions.
formed by the Subterranean flow of In
M. or bv The expansion Of steam aud
ea>eS. such rs those in the Klamath
Lake region in Oregon which are 50
large that they often served rs cilcctmal
hiding places for the indians in the
early DAYS If the conqucSt of the West:
md ~ those whL'h have been cut ont
If calrarcou> rocks hv the chemical az
lion of carhnmic acid in rain water. rom
bincd with the mechanical friction ~
he sand ana stones set in forciblc mo
ton lv the streams nfwatcr which have
ilnwcd through them for ages. These last
IRE the most numerous and most imppr
ant in size and it is Ia This class that
Mammoth Cave belongs.
AS most prorlc know. the cave j. in
Edmon>pn county. Kentucky. about ~
miles southwest Of Louisville AMI not
far from Green River. into which the
caves >ubtcrramcan waters empty. This
section of Kentucky. where may be foun
limestone beds frequently reaching u
thickness of .J0O feet. j. Noted for IT.
rocky erottoe>. sink holes. and cavcrn>.
rh" rocks in the vicinity ot Mammoth
Cave give evidence of but little di>tnr-
Dance hy the dynamic forces of past
ier>. III IL such areas of limestone dr
pnSlt>. with comparatively level strata
md located above a drainage level. with
mall r%rcvice> or Joints that furnish the
conditions for the formation If I'M 'cr-
ground p~a>ag.waNS and chambers by
he chemical and mechanical agency az
underground waters.
From Il geological viewpoint Nam
moth Cave IL of comparatively recent
origin. its formation having begun some
thing less than l.0OD. 900 wears ago in
the Pliocenc age. The cave action bean
after Green River had cut its channel
down into the limestone stratum which
mdcrllcS this section. The rain water.
with its carbonic acid contents. ~ccpr,l
through the .vcrl in. earth anl pas
II. into and through the crcvicc> and
oInt> Of the same stone at taht time
tbovc the level Of the river began work
# solution and e o>ion. These under
ground waters gathered ilon. the planes
II LOST resistance and ~ the ere, lees
grow ~ size more ANIL more Of the sur
lace wafer WAS drained into them. and
~ Green River cuts its bed DEEPER into
he limestone undcriay the cave waters
kept pace with the process until what
aad once been mere >nbtcrrancan rills
crew into that rcrarkahlc underground
,tr"am known rs Echo River. which II
o y through the lowest levels Of the
cave aud emptir> into Gre n River. Dur
ing the ages il has been M work diS>ol
Ving the stone and cutting its way alone
where Resistance" WIS least ever seek
ng l"Wer levels. il has left behind il The
twisted. %fOrtnonS paSSa.cwaNS and large
galleries and Examiners which form tn
mi.htir>t cf all krbwn raves. According
10 biologists. ii took Green River nearly
.hun.tW wears ia cIt away its present
bed. - the cavr il cStimat N Ia b. N!
mos; rs old. III first cam irfn prnmi
rcnre dnrin. the War or l>lo. when The
: hlI"' states geo, crnmcni nrrD,rrI nitrate
- make nnwdcr. Srmc az The llr"c on
trance chambers of thu cave n, formed
he winter hahitationS for m, riads of
bats Tor m'nv ages. ana rs 4 consequence
Nc soil had hs nmc converted int., guaro
beds with . large nitrate content AZ !
result IF III" cave hcramc n nitrate mine
hence much ~ the now,ier Srpplv for
me y"lne Nation was ohtained.
Do'cafe WarI IS Hiuhest Dam