Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-04-11
BONE CAVE.
Relies of Past People.

Relies of u Past People,.
A Manchester (Tenn. paper describes,
a ave near that city, commonly known
as Bone Cave" from which has been
brought, at various times, by boys and
other persons who have tried to explore
it's hidden recesses, human bones of
unusual size. The popular legends of
the people are to the effect that it is
somehow connected with the people or
race which created the sold Stone
Fort" that stands a short distance to
the west of the town. A few days since,
some boys discovered an aim ost entire
human skeleton of mammoth size. The
bones of the forearm were
nearly twenty inches long, while the
bone Of the lower part of the
leg was longer than an ordina.
nv mans lower limb, foot and
all. The jaw bone of this giant would
slip over the face of m ordinary man.
Stimulated by these discoveries, and a
laudable curiosity to learn the secrets
of this mysterious cavern, on a recent
day, six gentlemen, including the edi-
tors OF this paper, made the necessary
preparations and started out to explore
the "bone cave" After an exhlliarat-
ing walk of two miles through a clear,
bracing air, they reached the entrance
of the cave, where they Invested them
selves of their overcoats and lighting
their torches, they entered one Of the
many passages, but after a short
scramble, they found further advance
stopped by large pieces OF rock that
had fallen and blocked up the passages.
Again they started, and this time they
we're correct. Going back about $50
feet, they found the passage growing
more aud more narrow until they
had to go II "snake fashion," AT this
point they found n sharp descent
leading-they know not where, but
rocks detached and sent whlrling down,
reverberated and rebounded until the
sound was lost in the distance. After
some pounding away of rocks, a passage
was made large enough for II man to
"suuirmn through. A tough, long
grape vine was then procured, and
turned down, and while the upper end
was held by two stalwart men, the
senior editor arasped it and swung of,
determined to find the bottom of that
cave, China, or-some other place. At
a distance of about twenty-five feet
they struck bottom, but found it was
only on a shelving platform that sloped
off and led-no one knew where. Soon
other members of the party came down,
and explorations commenced. They
found themselves in a vaulted chamber
about twenty-five feet wide by sixty
long, with passages leading in every
direction. Following one, they
rambled on for forty or fifty feet,
and then their appeared one of the
water clear and sweet, and the ceiling
over the water, studied with stalactites,
reflected back the light of the torches
like diamonds. There was no means of
ascertaining the size of the lake, for the
banks were perpendicular, and 1t
seemed like a peril set in a bed of
rocks. Another passage which was ex-
plored by B. F. Fleming, was found to
extend in a directline towards the 'Old
Stone Fort" This passage followed
for a distance of nearly two hundred
feet, when further progress was stopped
by the passage being filled up with de-
bllS. Inc paSSuSc ioohS 40 II ~ h"'
been cut from the solid rock by the
hand of man, and gives rise to the
hypothesis that of some time, far back
in the dark ages, the cave was used by
a race of men-giants, if you like
that built this stone fort and the
mounds" and this underground pass
age led from the fort to the cave, a mile
distant. After a good look at this part
of the cave, the party returned to day
light, having been under ground three
hours, and traversing over a mile inside
of the cave. Then they had a short
search in the tunnel known as the
dead House" Here were found
many bones, but all in a state of decom-
position and decay. This tunnel or
chamber is coated with soft, loose soil
to the depth of a foot or more, into
which one can plunge a stick with per-
feet ease, while all of the rest of the
cave is solid rock. The soil is supposed
to be decayed animal matter-iesh and
bones. More explorations are pro-
posed, and an effort will be made to
get scientific knowledge of the phe-
nomena.
Union of the Central American StateS.