The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-02-07
Discovery OF another Mammoth Cave
near Coiurnbsa, Ky.

near COInEnbsa, Ay.
THREE HUMAN SKELETONS OF EXTRAORDINARY
PROPORTIONS ForsD IN suBrERRASEoUs
VAULT.
Correspondence or the CONFECTIONERY
COLUMBIA, January 80, 1876.
About the middle of the past week two
young men named White, while idly wan.
dering in a large tract of wild, dense forest,
In the southeastern part of our county, dis
covered what they supposed to be sink.
hole or fox-den, and with that idea proceeded
TO explore It. After 4 little trouble in
making their. way through the entrance, the
cave flor such 1t proved to be} became
large enough to admit Of their walking
upright. They bad proceeded thus in
this passage probably one hundred
and fifty yards, when they emerged
into large and picturesque gallery, the
beauty and grandeur of which will rival that
of the old Mammoth ITSELF The room, ac-
cordipg TO their calculations is about 150 by
100 feet, and abounds in all the varieties of
the stalactites and stalagmites. But tits not
the things that we naturally expect to find
in caves that l wish to mention particularly,
but the curious remains that wefe discover.
ed therein. In the northeast corner of the
first gallery (for there are five, OF which
will hereafter speak,, about live feet from the
ground, they noticed some strange charac.
ters, or hieroglyphics, neatly carved in the
wall, which, upon close examination, proved
to be the head-rock of vault. lew min
utes' priZipg served to loosen this
and disclose to view the interior OF
an enclosure in the solid rock OF
about five by ten feet, which contained the
remains of three human skeletons, which
measure eight feet seven and hall inches,
eight feet five inches, and eight ieel four and
three quarter inches 10 length, respectively.
The heads were laying towards the east, each
body parallel to the other. Beside them lay
three huge-what looked to be swords, but
were so decayed that upon being touched
Immediately crumblcd TO dust. After ex.
aiming the remains closely, but finding
nothing that would serve to throw any hight
on the question as TO who and from whence
they are, they closed the vault, but in doing
so knocked their torch out which they had
contriyed before entering, leaving them in
anything buta pleasant predcament. Alter
searching some time for their lost treasure
they concluded to try to escape by feeling
their way out, but in this they Dade the
matter worse. They stated shat alter leaV-
ing the fist large room they struck eoou-
| sized branch, and continued following II
until forced TO turn into another passage
The stream disappearing suddenly in huge
perpendicular gu!ch- which led them into
another spacious hall the size of which they
| believed to be quite as great as the first. Out
of this second opening and through wha'
| they conceived to be three Others similar al
least in size their way seemed to gradu'
ally ascend until their hearts were made
glad by the discovery of light ahead, and
finally emerged from their ugly con
fnement through hole about mid
way the cliff OF Ru>sel's creek, having
been confined in their subterranean dlscov'
cry over thirty.eight hours. The whcl.
country thereabout is rife with speculation:
concerniug the interesting discovery, anc
numbers OF citizens will visit it as soon ii
the Messrs. White finish their work OF reu
derng the entrance les difficult TO pass.
The above is correct account, ana may
be relied on, as the young men are OF unlm
peacb4bIe veracity. With party from town
your correspondent will start in the moran!
to further explore, and should ne" curlosl
ties present themselves will give you Tn
then account of an eyewitness. ALEX.