Litchfield enquirer., 1868-11-19


 barn of Mr. Odenbright, hospitable fa mer of Teutonic descent, whose heart wa larger than his house.
 Alter supper, we covered the barn -foo some three feet deep with straw; upo this we spread our blankets, and fourtee tired h'dcelters were soon in the arms c Morpheus. -..-.. E.
 "Rosefngered Morn found us all a-sti and ready for breakfast. which soon disap peared. The ''rage of hunger being ap peased, we donned onr old clothes, ans under tho guidance of Aetn He,r Oden bright set out for the Cave. Ascending hill, which rises from the shore of one o the ''Twin Lakes" we came to ''sinl hole" or small ravine. At the bottom O. this hollow was trap-door, locked with { paddock. This was the entrance lad infe ros." The guides key was the "open SC same, land we descended some ten feet up on ladder, from the foot of which a mar row passage led into the bowels of the mountain.
 Being provided with candles, we easily found our way to the first of the subterra. mean apartments, called the Reception Room" Passing through this the route became more circuitous. In a few mo. ments we came to what was called the Gallery of Humiliation. A Royal Arch Mason would be forcibly reminded here, of the exhortation, 'Stoop low, brethren, stoop low! He that Aumbleth himself shall be eralted.'
 Imagine passage in the solid work, some four feet ma17'ooo by eighteen inches l0w, descending at an angle of forty-fve degrees, extending some ten or twelve rods, to be traversed snaEe-aoise, part of the distance in a riMllet which flows through the cave into the Lake. Looking down ward at the task before us, contemplating the return, involuntarily exclaimed, "Fa- ellis descnsus Averni. Sed revocare grad um, hic labor, hoo opus estr'
 At this juncture one of our number, Abner, the Son of Ner, lustily demanded to be let outl His heart fainted within him at the deathful prospect before him! There being some ten or twelve behind him and the passages being too narrow for one to go back without driving the whole file out, al- SO, he was at last encouraged to move on In due time we came to the cave proper It is impossible, in one article to describe fully the curiosities and wonders we saw.
 In one apartment, Is 8 row of"ea.-drops' The shape of these drops is quite regular.
 
 end of the shelf to the other The first is about the size of the ear of ap OK, and the last not larger than cats ear, They are of calcaneous spar and were formed by the drip. .-.. ...
 In another place Is the monument. a stalactitic and stalagmitic shaft, resemb- ling memorial-column standing upon a base, which has no visible means of SUD- port.
 In another is the "Dome." an arched roof, with center-piece overhead resemb- ling an Egyptian Grown.
 Stalactites and stalagmites in various stages of formation are seen on every side. The Sounding Board:" a shelving mass of of limestone, when struck with the fist sounds like distant thunder
 Descending one of the passages to its terminus, the guide informed us that we were beneath the waters of the lake. In another gallery 1 put my foot in water which set from the Lake, into which the brook (which evidently formed the cave by decomposing the lime rock) emptied.
 lnnumerable alleys branched hither and thlther, leading to apartments and passa- ges yet to be discovered and explored.
 After wandering some two hours through the mazes of this natural labyrinth, we started on our return to the surface. We found the ascent more difficult than the descent. Being unaided by the force of gravity, las in going down. our upward progress told heavily on our fexors and ex- tensors. We reached the open air, wet, muddy, and weary with our subterranean journey, but abundantly rewarded for our pains. ....-se rar
 The scenery about the cave is beautiful beyond description. But I must hasten ad .Jinem. /a ...-. -."-
 In honor of our guide, who treated us with the most liberal hospitality, we nam ed our stopping place at the cave ''Camp Odenbright" Long may he wave
 We set out on the return march, on Tuesday at 12, a. m. Passing through Falls Village, we encamped for dinner in a beautiful, sheltered spot upon the banks of the Housatonic. Thence through wild and mountainous region to West Cornwall and Cornwall Bridge, where we passed the night at Platts Hotel. Here brave Cap tain of the Second Conn. Heavy Artillery. ''who was never known to be asleep during the entire term of service," enliyened the evenings entertainment by riding his horse into and about the bar-room. This eques- trian feat was received with great ap- plause. <''=..
 Rising at the ''crack of day" on Wednes- day morning, we marched" some two miles, and then halted for breakfast on the slope of Warren Mountain.
 Our tea-kettle was soon singing over the fire, and in short time beef-steak, and fried potatoes, Sc. etc., were vanishing be- tween sharp-set jaws. Leaving ''Camp Evergreen, I've passed through Warren and Rockville and encamped for dinner upon the shore of the brook which forms the boundary line between Washington and Woodbury. Dinner ove-, the ''home stretch'' was soon measured, and our Pill grimage ended.
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