Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
Dinosaur Tracks in Virginia
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKlN.

A long slab of dark, grayish stone
has recently been placed on EXHIBIT In
the National Museum. On this slao
can be seen strange imprints. They
sugRest the fantastic idea that a
huge bird with claws larger than
mans hand might have walked across
the rock and left his footprints In
the stone as II 1t were soft mud. THIS
explanation appears commonplace.
however, in comparison with the real
one, for these are the footprints LETT
by a three-toed dinosaur some 2o.0eo.-
900 years ago.
To science the most interesting fact
about these fossilized footprints IL
that they were found in Virginia
Tracks Of great prehistoric reptiles
have been found at different times In
Connecticut, Pennsylvania. Massachu-
sets and some other places. Preeum-
ably the dinosaurs were widely scat
tered. The arrangement of oceans and
continents was much different IN
their day, and the huge, numbering
creatures, some of them sixty-hNe
feet long, could have Travelled great
distances with comparative ease Az
any rate, remains similar IN character
are found in different parts OF the
earth. The new footprint exhibit is
the first evidence Of dinosaurs in pre-
historic Virginia.
The quarry from which the slab
was taken has yielded a number OF
specimens Of dinosaur prints. 1t is
quarry of slate-like shale from which
stones for paving are cut. 1t is locat-
ed n few miles from Leesoufg on an
estate which once belonged to Prest-
dent Monroe. Recently the present
owner Of the estate began to cut s,'t
porch floor for the Monroe house. II
was while this work was IN progress
that slabs displaying the dinosaur
tracks were discovered in an upltfted
ledge. The owner has used some OF
the imprinted slabs in the floor OF his
porch.
The study OF fossils may sound like
a dead and dry subject, but the pale.
ontologist looks At simple slab or
stone of this sort and points out
amazing things. One gets tho feeling
that he has been listening not only 70
q very learned man but to formida-
Bile rival of Sherlock Holmes.
What the Tracks Tell.
Thus. the scientist explains that a
largo dinosaur and a very young
dinosaur walked together across pre-
historic Virginia on the day that the
museums exhibit came into existence.
He also shows that a few days later
the same large dinosaur, or another
abo 1t its size, walked over the hard
eninR ground and left another set Of
lighter tracks to be preserved In the
Same slab.
This il not so impressive as the de-
auctions from another specimen of
rock. Any layman seeing the Viz
einia exhibit would notice the large,
clear.cut prints. and speculate re-
garding them. But. another slab on
the museum wall shows only vague
uneyenness Of surface. Yet the card
beside it says that 2 dinosaur left his
tracks there end that q shower fol-
lowed and that after the rain another
dinosaur walked past and left his
Dr.. j. ". GidIey Of the National Mu-
seun1 explains that certain conditions
were necessary for the footprints TO
be preserved In stone through mil
lions OF years. The prints are found
mostly in sandstone and shale. Aeon.
ago tho sandstone was soft sand and
the shsle was mud. Prehistoric rep
tiies and mammals roamed through
iunxles and forests and along rivers
leaving their heavy footprints every
where. Most OF these prints were
soon obliterated by rain, time and
erosion,
Occasionally. though; q dinosaur
walking BY a river might make we'll
Ssfinsd tracks in fairly hard mud
These prints hardened ax In the oos sun anS
svsr them. covering the ground with
softer layer Of earthly material.
This material would fill in the hard.
snsd print. but later. neinE soit, u
still leaving the print.
In time the mud IN which the printA
were fixed would be packed down
perhaps buried . mile or more under.
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