The Portland daily press., 1872-03-11
Another Mysterious Cave.
WONDERS IN TENNESSEE.

Another cave has been unearthed. This
time by paper published in Manchester,
Tennessee. 1t thus describes it:
There is a cave near this city, commonly
known as "Bone Caye'', from which has
been brought, at various times, by boys and
other persons who have tried to explore its
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
'Old Stone Fort" that stands a short dis
tance to the west Of the town. A few days
since some boys discovered an almost human
skeleton Of mammoth size. The bones of the
forearm were nearly twenty inches long,
while the bone Of the lower part of his leg
was longer than an ordinary mans lower
limb, foot and all. The jaw bone of this
giant would slip over the faco of an ordinary
man. Stimulated by these discoveries, and a
laudable curiosity to learn the secrets of this
mysterious cavern, on 4 recent day, six gen.
tlemsn, including the editor of this paper,
made the necessary preparations, and started
out to explore the 'bone cave" After an
exhiarating walk of two miles through
clear, bracing air, they reached the entrance
of the cave, where, divesting themselves Of
sheir overcoats and lighting their torches.
they entered one of the many passages, but
after short scramble, they found further
advances stopped by large pieces of rock that
had fallen and blocked up the passage.
Again they started, and this time they
were correct. Going back about two hun
dred and fifty feet, they found the passage
growing more and more narrow, until they
had got to go it snake fashion. At this point
they found sharp descent leadng-they
knew not where; but rocks detached and sent
whirling down, reverberated and rebounded
and rebounded until the sound was lost in
the distance. After some pounding away of
rocks, a passage was made large enough for
one man to ''sqirm" 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 grasped
it and swung of, determined to find the bot
tom Of that cave, China, or-some other
place. AT distance of about twenty-five
feet they struck bottom, but found it was on
ly shelving platform that sloped off and led
no one knew where.
down, and explorations commenced. They
found themselves in vaulted chamber about
twenty-five feet wide by sixty long, with pas
sages leading in every direction. Following
one, they rambled on for forty or fifty feet
and there appeared to be one of the most beau
tiful lakes imaginable. The water was clear
and sweet, and the ceiling over the water,
studded with stalactites, reflected back the
light of the torches like diamonds. There
wac M means of arfafpipo fha o;.a ~,
lake, for the banks were perpendicular, and
it seemed like pearl set in a bed of rocks.
Another passage which was explored by B.
+. Fleming, was found to extend in direct
line towards the sold Stone Fort" This
passage followed for distance of nearly two
hundred feet, when further progress wasgstop-
ped by the passage being filled up with debris
The passage looks as If It had been cut from
the solid rock by the hand of man, and gives
rise to the hypothesis that at some time, far
back in the dark ages, this cave was used by
a race ofmen-giants, if you like-that built
this stone fort and the mounds" and this
underground passage led from the fort to the
cave, a mile distant.
After good look at this part of the cave,
the party returned to daylight, having been
under ground three hours, and traversing
over mile inside of the cave Then they
had a search in the tunnel known as the
"Dead House." Here were found MANY
bones, all in state of decomposition and de-
cay. This tnnnel or chamber is coated with
soft, loose soil to the depth of foot or more,
into which one can plunge n stick with per-
feet ease, while all of the rest of the cave Il
solid rock. The soil is supposed to be decay
ed animal matter-fesh and bones. More
explorations are proposed, and an effort will
be made to get scientific knowledge of the
phenomena.