The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-12-22
KENTUCKY CATACO,1B.
The CrumbIinR Skeletons of Ten
Human Beings Discover.
ed i'm "a Cave.
From the GlasgIow (Kvl Times-


One day last week a party of hunters
chased a fox into a cave about five miles
from this place. on Beaver creek, near the
residence of Rev. William Neal. They en- :
tered the cave, and exploring IL found
number of human bones in a small chamOer
that had heretofore been unknown to them.
The cave Is about twenty PAGES to the right
of the Columbia road, on the hillside Just
beyond Beaver creek, is entered through a
ehasm in the earth, which has solid rock
walls. At the depth OF twenty feet two
avenues lead of, one to the right the other
to the left; these avenues are largs, easy of
access. aud have bSen often explored. La
II. lther OF them, however have human re-
mains been found. or anything of an unusual
character discovered.
But in the right OF southern avenue, there
is II small fissure in the rock ths lea Is off
ia an eastern direction, just large enough
10 admit the body OF man. The assure,
which is about twenty feet in length and is
passed through with the utmost difficulty.
leads to d small, oblOng chamber, eighteen
feet in length aud about twenty feet from
floor To ceiling. Save the toTtuous assure
by which access is gained to this my sterious
chamber there 10 no visible outlet nor evil
dencc OF one ever having existed. The
walls and ceiling are almost literally con-
posed of solid rock, covered with the for
nations peculiar to the caves OF this section
of country.
1t is in this mysterious little chamber that
the remains alluded to were fOumd-those of
at least ten human beings in all. Three
skulls were round ext osed above the sur
face. and on each there was a limestone for
nation. produced by the dridpiDg of water
from the ceiling above. Near the centre of
the cham Der seven skulls, with almost ev-
cry bone that comPOses the human anatomy
were found-some protruding from the
surface, and others as deep down as eighteen
inches, some perfectly sound and Others SO
much decayed that they would not admit OF
removal. There was no order or regularity
in the arrangement of the remains, for in
one instance three skulls were taken out in
less than foot of each other. Nothing re-
mains, or could be discovered, save the
bones. the clothing and flesh having long
since rctted away, and thus destroyed -ev-
cry evidence OF identity.
No clue has been or is ever likely to be
obtained TO unravel the mystery that
shrouds this subterranean chamber of The
dead, and thus far all seem to be lost in con-
lecture and wonderment. Beyond question,
however, this cave must have been used by
the robbers and murderers who infested
this section of country in early days q
place of deposit for their murdered victims.
Its situation, the entrance being concealed,
yet within twenty-five PAGES of the Column
bia road, much travelled in early days; the
security of this little eastern chamber from
invasion even should the main cave be en-
tered. taken in connection with the fact that
no human beings-not even the aborIgines-
would have sought place so difficult of ac-
cess tor the simple burial Of the dead, or de-
posted the remains with so little regard TO
order-all these considerations lead US 10
the BELIEF that the bones unearthed in this
dim-vaulted sepulchre are the remains Of
unfortunate victims of crime. Within q
few days past We have heard OF a number of
persons-mcstly travellers-who many
years ago disappeared while in this section
of country aud were never heard of after
ward. One instance Is remembered where
q horse and buggy, belonging 70 a traveller
from Virginia. were found loose upon the
road near this cave, its owner missing and
never heard of.