New Britain herald., 1925-05-28
KENTUCKY CAVES
 WORLD'S WONDERS
Scientists Believe Them Most
 Remarkable in Universe

f'aHhort, hSn May 2s,--- (Apl- The largest and most extensive cayes ID tho country and perhaps in the world are found In Kentucky. ac. cording to Dr. W. D. Funkhouser zoologist at the University of Ken. lucky, who with the cooperation of Dr. Willard Rouse Jillson. state geolosist, has made exhaustive studies over several years.
 Declaring that these caves hold many secrets Of old and even pre. historic days. Dr. Funkhouser sstd' Kentucky is negleclng a great op- portunity to contribute to the field of science. which European sx- plorers, coming to this state, might grasp to bring to light important data which have been for years within our reach, but for which we have neglected even to search"
 Dr. Funkhouser was Governor Fields scientific representative at the time of the Floyd Collins trag- edy at Sand cave. The military court of inquiry. appointed by the governor. has just declared Collins to have been imbedded in Sand hole instead of a cave. Its official report declared Mammoth cave, for the es- tablishing of which as a national park q movement is under foot, and other caves "are safer than Main street"
 Mammoth Cave
 Mentioning Mammoth cave, Crys- tai cave. Onyx cave, Colossal cavern, Horse cave and Grand cave, Dr. Fnnkhouser said none of these caves has been entirely explored and their extent Is problematical."
 Most of them extend for miles under the surface of the earth pa ssage after passage. chamber after chamber. with branches in many directions, offering rare dis plays of stalactites and stalagmites and dazzling surfaces of crystal and ornamental rock"
 In virtually all parts Of the state wherever limestone of any thickness and purity occurs near the surface, then men have found large subter- ranean caverns. besides thousands Of smaller caves and sinks, ''- which often aye the entrances 10 caves.
 Most of these caves have been formed by the dissolvlng out Of the bcds of soluble limestoncs by under ground waters.
 '"They are inhabtted today by foxes. coons, sknnks and bats" Dr. Tunkhouser said. "and are used as places Of htbernation by snakes. lizards and hosts of lower forms. In former years the hears and wolves made them their dens and dragged the carcasses of their prey into their gloomy recesses to he devoured.
 "Today the cattle seek the cool mouths of the caves 10 escape the heat and flies; a hundred or more years ago the buffalo used them for the same purpose, as is mutely te5- tifed hy their bones.
 Blind Fish in Caves
 The caves also have a very inter nsting fauna Of their own. consist ing of the blind fish, blind crickets, blind crayfsil, peculiar spiders and distinct species of salsmanders which are found in large numbers far underground but never on the surface.'
 Tn the recent second digging 10 extrlcate Floyd Collins body from Sand hole. after the state had closed its efforts. large family of vicious snakes were found squirming and vtggling crazily about 50 feet down and the diggers finally killed them near Collins underground tomb. Their presence so far underground was unaccounted for by the diggers.
 Protected from influences of air and water, bones which have been found are T valuable record of an