The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-04-14
A MONTANA ROMANCE.
Caves, Giants. Gold ana Things
;Daar Lod e Independently

Yesterday morning, however. four "t
ns determined upon fur her investiga-
tion to satisfy ours Ives, if possible, OF
the extent Of the cav, The p,"tv was
ma 'e up Of Mess"s. Leon Waittie-,
George Brnard, "Ahe" Echols and
your inform mt. We ou,iiltc,i with three
days rations. blankets, cihdles, pitch
pine for torches, twine, compass, and,
in short, everything necessary to prose.
cute thorongh exploration. We reach
ell there at 3 clock and proceeded to
the middle chamber, az it is called,
where we male camp and after an hours
rest began our labor At the end OF
the mii,lle chamber ale number Of
very long, narrow passages. into the
.argest Of these we insinulted ourselves
one behind the other. and by sometimes
crawling, and again fading room to
walk half erect, we worked our way for
over foar hundred feet, when we sud
denly emerged into magnificent cham
ber, the ceiling of which we found to
be about thirty-fve feet high, the length
of the room eighty six feet, width fifty.
tour feet As We held high our flaming
torches. the walls presented an appear.
ance of beauty and grandeur it seldom
falls to the privilege of mortal eve to
witness. At first sight we were i'm
pressed with The belief that this won
deri'ul chamber had been cut out Of the
solid rock by human hands; for it did
not seem possible that nature could
by accident, form so rare temple, with
such wonderful display Of architec
ture beneath the surface of the earth
After somewhat recovering from OUT
surprise. we proceeded to examine mi
nutely this strange place. Immediately
to the right Of the entrance, and in the
corner close to the wall, we discovered
the indications of an old fire. place =
Several small pieces Of charcoal were
picked up, and the backencd floor, a
we'll as the smoke. stained wall, furnish
ell evidence that il this hall some per
son or persons had at one time taker
refuge Continuing along the right We
had not progressed over forty feet
when we met with further evidence o.
the cave having once been the hiding
place Of men.
Considerable quantities of rich quartz
specimens were picked up, and abou
half ton of fair looking gold quartz
lay in corner. II is the opinion of al
of Us that the quartz is taken from
some part of the cave, probably further
on in the mountains, and these giants
were ut work there when a slide from
the mountain above the cave filed uE
the mouth of it, as it is plain to be seen
that the entrance at one time has beer
at least thirty feet in diameter, and the
opening, now very small, has been form
ed by the slide gradually slipping into
the outer chamber, which is about hal
full Of mountain debris. Another door
wsy was found, leading into a room
which, we think, contains the specia
money deposits of the miners But all
were too much excited to make further
investigations till to,morrow The cave
has been preempted, and every bone
tool, etc, will be carefully preserved; il
ib also not improbable that some new
light will'be thrown ON the time anC
manner in which this queer people
found their way to our land.
Leaning against the wall was hug,
plate of copper, fifty seven inches il
length and thirty-si in width land abou
one-fourth OF an inch in thickness
This We took to be shield, as near tn,
center were two holes eightinche apart
used doubtless for inserting a straI
through which to insert the arm
was wrought by hand, as the marks o
a sledge or some other heavy instru
ment were plainly visible on it, o.
discovering this, feeling akin to fea
came over the party, and We were al
most ready to beat hasty retreat an(
leave further investigation to those wh'
delight to explore tombs and resurrec
the remains of those who lived in tn
ages of long ago, when it was anticipa
ted by one Of the company that W
might find hidden treasure or trinket:
of value slowed away in some nook o
corner; and preparing new torches, wit
increased energy we renewed the search
About ten feet beyond where the shiel
was found, and eight feet from the flool
was cavity in the wall, ten feet il
length and over four feet high. P!asin
a few large stones one upon another
Bernard climbed up and held his ligh
in to get the extent of the opening, bu
he Immediately turned toward us with
frightened look, and it was some SEE
onds before he could explain the natur
Of the discovery he had made. Bu
when he assured US that in that Mich
lay petrified giant, all were eager t
get look at him, and one after anotl
er we climbed up and gazed in Th
opening had every indication of bfin
natural, no marks Of tools were visibi
in it. In the cascade wall, in the frs
chamber, are large number of simila
caverns, hut not so large, Two of tn
party being hoisted up to take the d
mensions of the monster man, ne wa
found to be nine feet seven and q ha
inches in length, thirty inches acros
the breast, and two feet deep. He wa
covered from head to foot with Goa
ing from one to two inches in thicl
ness, similar to that found on the roc
and pillars in number Of places, har
as limestone, and along the sides thi
casing, as it appeared to be at first, ha
united with the rock on which it la,
leaving this relic of the stone age, c
some other distant age, literally incase
in coffin Of stone. A helmet of bras
or copper, of gigantic proportions, wa
upon his head, which the corrosive el,
ments of time had sealed to his brow =
1t is the most perfect petritication
have ever seen--the whole body bein
as solid as though cut out of block {
marble Near this rare specimen wei
found two mammoth spear heads, eigl
teen inches in length and six inches
the widest point. One of them was il
tended to be fastened il q handle, ait,
the fashion of an arrowhead, while Il
other had socket Of silver into whiu
to insert huge pole or handle. Me-
by, on the floor, was picked up a lars
hook made Of bone-probably man
factured from the tusk of some levi
L.,