The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-03-22
From the Franklin EEainipsr,
THE GREAT INDIAN CAVE.

IN Crawford county, Indiana II Il 90 the
right bank Of Blue river For mAglhssnee
and beauty Of scenery, Il promises, When full
" explored, 10 rival even the .Aiasaslolh
Icays Or Kshmafy' nm fspsum miu rzyc,
known for nearly halfA century. and ssihoss-
fully worked for Sallpetre and salts many
years since, il about two miles long, and IN
some places 90 or so feet wide, and 20 feet
high but has nothing peculiarly interesting
in Il except beautifully huted column, some
2b feet in diamrter and % or thirty feet high
ALL Of stAlAatio matter,
Entering this cave under a jutting rock
nenr the brow Of a loAy bin, and descending
Cor about quarter Of milel AZ an uUPi,-of
80 or 40 degrees, We entered small door
and hfior STOPPING rather uncOmlortably for
60 yards, found ourselves ia large open
cave, or bathroom, in which tsns Of thousands
Of these little animals hang suspended FROM
the rocks in large clusters, like BEES In swarm
ing. Father on, sticks, the size ofhop-poles,
hickory bark, charcoal aud bare footed hu-
man tracks were discovered, which must have
remained tbcro for long time, n the door
10 this part of tie cave was 90 blocked up
with rocks whom first discovered that man
could not possibly pass We soon entered
an avenue 40 feet wide, aud varying In height
from 10 10 90 fcet--thc ceiling as smooth aud
beautiful, rs if finished by tho trowel, then
suddenly changing, presents the appearance
Of diveri6ed hanging dppory, and Of spot
less white. Then again the naked rocks ap-
pear. AZ the end Of this avenue We found
ourselves nt the foot Of rocky pyramid up
which We climbed some 60 feet, and ON the
top Of which stands two beautiful StAlngmites
some Eve feet high eighteen inches In diam
otcr, and ~ white As the purost Indian mar
BILE; and when viewed by tho dim light Of
our candles, presented a strong contrast with
the grey walls Of lime stone rock. An OBJ
long canopy, some 40 or 80 feet, 4 here hung
with beautiful s,alocitcs, suvponicd from tho
ceiling. We now found u necessary 10 crawl
upon our Fsgss' '--.-..l- i.s's-- -.--s q o 81.
when We came into an avenue wide and high.
Turning suddenly to the lcfl we found our
selves in the midst Of scenery of SURPRISING
and exquisite beauty. Tho entire walls arc
covered with an incrustation Of sulphatc Of
lime, crystaligcd 80 as To Plistcn like ten
> thousand diamonds in the light Some OF
, these crystals foot in length, an inch wide,
and thick as table knife blade, grew upon
this base in thousand diversified forms
Upon prgtvgtiHp- rork a. anc side Of the Av-
, cnue, great numbers had broken by their
, weight, and were lying in great profusion at
the bottom Of the cave, These formations,
like the base upon which they grew, arc sui
'phHte, and whiru NJ the driven sro'~r- QtA-
ers resembling glass, form upon the ceiling
as well as the floor, from an inch in diameter
/, to the lcngth and size Of q common kittng
needle, and smaiier. & nc incuistation is fire.
quendy an inch thick, but more generally
from an eighth 10 a quarter Of an inch thick.
Much Of il has fallon TO the noor,and is crush
T. ed nnder the feet Of tho visitor, aud the place
it occupied on the ceiling is being replaced
10y new formations. But am utterly una
y bic TO describe it.. II must be seen to be mp
preciRtcd; or any correct idea formed Of its
beauty.
We visited many rooms with spacious
domes and stalacitcs Of every imaginable form
and size. In one apartment the water finds
its way over large range ofprciecting rocks
, and the tialncitc matter is formed in folds
and blades like extended honey comb and
: hangs like drapery around the room. Upon
the bottom is formed great number of little
pools Of every form, elevated upon the floor
like basins or troughs--the rim of each be-
u ing perfectly level ahd inclined inward, the
u stone which forms the basin bcfs's not much
y if any thicker than paste board.
spent three days in this wonderful hole
Z in tho rround-say seven hours each day
' The FIRST two days were spent in examining
i and exploring, and think we must have
travelled at least one mile per hour, or four
| = teSn miles in two days The third day / re-
visited the most interesting parts TO procure
specimens for Geological Investigations,
had forgotten TO say that saltpctre and EPSON
! salts are found in various parts, in large
> quantities; and hprocured lump of salts Of
: halfa pound weight, quite pure. We ventnr-
ed a mile at least further thnn any other had
ever gone before, and leiI Il Cor others still to
prosecute. A quite transparent eyelcss craw-
fish which VIC found, was not tho least inter
esting thing we saw
The entrance TO the cave belongs 70 Hen
ry p. Ratbrack, wealthy and generous gem
tleman, who. cheerfnlly rendered us every
facility for examining the cave, and attended
US as guide. haveno doubt when it is fully
explored and surveyed, it will prove to DO
one Of the wonders Of Hoosicrdom.
Very respectfully,
S. BUTLER
Ca On "Wednesday, says the Portland Ad-