‘Blobs,’ Mineral Snow In S. African Cave

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 15

‘Blobs,’ Mineral Snow In S. African Cave

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter)

JOHANNESBERG.

Members of the Speleological Association of South Africa are to investigate a peculiar mineral formation in a cave at West Driefontein. The formation is unique in Africa, and probably in the world. The cave has been a favourite haunt of speleologists for more than 15 years. But this section, so big that it has been called “Texas,” is a recent discovery.

The floor of a "new” section of the cave is covered with a mineral deposit which has the appearance of waist-deep snow.

Under the leadership of Vic Clarke, chairman of the Southern Transvaal section of the association, the speleological team will gather samples of the deposit. The cave has a deceptively small entrance through an unobtrusive hole situated near the edge of a fairly large depression.

From the entrance it falls away to a series of precipitous pitches, interspersed with ledges at various levels. The main tunnel divides into three separate branches, each descending to about 600 feet. The cave is vast and extremely dangerous, requiring a knowledge of rock climbing and traversing. It is out of bounds to the public and sealed off by a security fence. In the lower sections, fossilised remains of baboons have been found. There used to be

two lakes but these have disappeared. Caverns in the cave are immense. One of them can only be crossed by a knifeedge ridge running through its centre. From this ridge, it is difficult to pick out the bottom of the cavern even with the help of lamps. There is a gravel dome formation along a small section of the cave resembling those responsible for sinkholes.

During their descent, speleologists will pass through a “dust-bowl,” where there is a complete absence of moisture and everything is covered with a fine penetrating dust. These dust-bowls are caused when a section of the cave is isolated from ground water.

A mysterious form of life has been found at the bottom of the cave. Living in the maze of webs spun by cave spiders at the junction between the floor and wall of the cave, these creatures are transparent.

Known to the speleologists as “blobs,” they have no visible head and travel equaly well in either direction. They also have an ability to stretch themselves to several times their minimum length. They have not yet been positively identified, but zoologists at the University of Witwatersrand think they must be the larvae of some type of insect.