The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-09-14
4 Curiosity In wcs,moreland.

About one mile southeast of the village
OF Hillside, u station ON the Penusylvanii
| Railroad, in Westmoreland County, there is
"A natural cave, callod by the early settlers
tho Bare Cave, which name it retains to the
present day. Why it has received this
name, is more than we can tell. We were
fortunately one Of party who visited this
cave some four years ago, and its features
arc indellihly stamped upon our memory
! The party consisted of six persons, all of
J whom were provided with small hook.
lamps, twnc, firearms and each an ol
suit of clothes for entering. Taking the
train at Blairsville, we ahghled at Hillside,
aud after refreshing walk of half an hour
up the gradual slope of the Chestnut Ridge
To the south aud east reached the mouth Of
the cave, which nj FIRST sight appeared to
bc nothing more than an opening amid II
huge mass Of towering, moss.covered rocks,
into which the most tluUrous were rtluc
tant TO enter.
Donning our old clothes, lighting the
lamps, and tying tho outer end OF the twine
lirmly at the mouth OF the cave, we entered
the subterranean passage, carrying the bal
with us, unwinding it as we proceeded
After traversing u straight but narrow
court or alley for about three hundred feet,
you come to room ont of which lead a
dozen or moro passages, each one to diff.
lcrent point in the cave. We selected what
appeared TO he a most capacious one, and
entered TO the end of our twine-some
fourteen hundred yards, or over three.
fourths OF mile.
The explorer is Mt once reminded of his
lnslgniIicance rs ho stands amid such won
drous works Of nature, those massive rocks
on either hand being capable of crushing
him tO doath should u sudden earthly agita-
ton cause them to quit their place. Or as
he leans tremblingly over the verge of u
doep and narrow chasm, listening TO the
faint sound OF tho gurgling water below,
no fceli chill of horror as he contemplates
his tragic end should misstep hurl him
into it's depths.
This cavern is of curious structure, being
so formed as to admit of exploration either
way you wish to CO. to the right or left up
or down. Streams of pure spring water
course down through rocky lodges, and
nestle in artificial reservoirs at their base,
giving an air of comfort to tho dirt be-
grimmed explorer. The rocks forming the
sides aud ceilings Of the different rooms
and passages are sot with stalactitcs, she'd
ding off strange lustre when brought in
coutact with the light. Tho sandy rocks are
| literally covered with names from all parts
of the country, aud dated as early az 1920.
A number of years ago, II lady from Pitts
burg lost herself in this cave, aud boing;
unable to regain tho course to the mouth,
| perished her whitened bonos were found
few years afterwards by an exploring
party, being tho ouly vostige left to tell OF
her unhappy fate, She had probably cn.
tered tho cave unguded, and thus unthnk-
ingly subjected herself to an awful death
| by starvation.
Nothing can be moro striking to the
| lover of romance in nature tnan this truly
historic cave. The discoverer is not known
and it may he this was one of the accus-
toned hauuts of savage band of Indians,
and more atterly the rendezvous of band
of thieves, who infested this country in
! 1852, 1t has never been explored to its
fullest extent, but seems to cover large
area, us our party crossed their twino two
or three times. For some distance, per.
haps rod or more, in certain places, il
narrows down to small circular hole, per.
haps two feet or more, in diameter, and
then into large, spacious room. Shaped
in the rocks arc to he seen the outlines of
snakes, lizards aud other curious.shaped
reptiles, and occasionally the marks OF
human feet and hands in the solid rocks
once supposed to be soft clay, Bats. both
white and black, are found, which set up a
terrible soreechiug upon the approach ol
light--a thing to which they are so unac
oustomed.- BidirScWe (Pd) Ne,o Era.