The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-09-20

y
this point the main cave terminates abrupt
ly in a mass of rocks that have fallen from
above. 1t is supposed that this is not the
end of the cave, but that it is closed at this
point in the same manner as Dickson's
cave was terminated, and that the obstruct-
ing rock would open communication with
cave of the same size as the one we are
attempting to describe"
OF the 'Long Route" which, as our
readers have already been informed, was
traversed by the editorial excursionists and
their lady and gentlemen friends on the
following day, August 23d, the same wri-
ter has this to say
"Having secured our lamps, we marched
forward through the Suain cave until we
arrived at the Giants Coffin Here we
left the main cave and pissed through the
Deserted Chamber into ,be Wooden Bowl
Cave which receives us name from the
fact that a wooden bowl, such as was used
by the Indians in early times, was found
therein when it was first discovered. De-
scending from here a steep declIvity and
pair OF narrow steps, called the steps OF
Time we entered 'Marth&'s Palace a
short distance from wbie@ a spring of
clear, potable water. Further onward we
reachG 'Side-saddle Pit, which is ninety feet
in depth, and over which is a dome of fifty
'Bottomless Pit which, however, is not
bOttomless, measuring one hundred and
seventy-five feet in depth. There are sew
eral avenues leading from the bottom.
'Shelby's Dome, sixty feet in height,
rests directly over this pit. Passing I'M
der low archway, termed the Valley of
Humility, we arrived at the 'Scotchman 5
Trap through which we descended. The
trap is a circular opening abont five feet
| in diameter over which is suspended
huge rock, which if it were TO fall, wouio
! completely close the avenue leading in this
direction. The next point of interest is
| Fat Mans Misery narrow, tor:uous
passage, fifty yards in length, which APP
pears to have been cut out of the solid
| rock by the mechanical action of the wa
| ter. The lower part of the passage varies
/ in wiGth from foot and half to three
! feet, and the upper part from four to ten
| feet, while its height varies from four to
! eight feet. Editors never being troubled
! with superabundance of the adipOse It's
sue, all succeeded in getting through the
| passage, Fl ON whence we emerged into
! Toomy chamber, most appropriately named
! Great Relief, which varies i'll width from
| forty to sixty feet, aud in height from five
| to twenty feet. There is an avenue called
| 'Bunyan's Way which passes directly
| over Great Relief and enters 1t short dis
| tance from Fat Mans Misery The next
! avenue is Called 'l(lN6f nan, anu eACenuS
| 60 the River Styx.' To the right of this
| hall is situated Bacon Chambers, so call
! ed from the numerous small masses of
| rock which project from the ceiling, iH
| size and appearance closely resembling ba-
| con hams. About forty feet below the
| terrace, which leads to the Natural Bridge,
is a collection of wafer iitly called the
Dead Sea- from its gloomy appearance.
We next arrived at tue River Styx,' which
is about one hundred and fifty yards in
length, from fifteen to forty in width, and
varies in depth from thirty to forty feet.
! 1t is said to have subterraneau communi-
| cation with the other rivers of the cave.
| Spanning this river, aud about thirty feet
| above it, is tue Natural Bridge Moving
! forward, we pass Lake Lethe,' body Of
water one hundred and fifty yards long,
/ ten to forty feet wide, and varying from
/ three to thirty feet IL depth, and travers-
ing the sandy floor of 'GreatJ Walk an
| avenue five hundred yards i'll length, and
| forty feet III height, whose ceiling presents
! a striking Tesem Olance to cumulous clouds,
at length arrive at the principal stream of
water in the cave, Echo River This
stream extends from Great Walk to
.Sileiman's Avenue a distance of three
quarters of a mile, and varies in width
| from twenty to two hundred feet, and in
! depth from ten To thirty feet. This river
! connects with Green river by a subterrau
eous passage near the commencement of
the last named avenue. When Green
river is rising, Echo river runs i'll the direc-
ton of Great Walk > when falling the
course sets in the opposite direction.
| When the waters of Green river flow into
| Echo river at temperature higher than
! that of the cave, a fog is produced, which,
| in point of density, is said to rival those off
the banks of Newfoundland. A rise of
eighteen feet in the Echo river, which oc
J ours during a freshet in the Green river,
| shuts off all communication with the rear
| part of the cave. An exploring party at
one time happened to be beyond the river
| when one of these freshets occurred, and
| on returning, found themselves peuned in,
| with no avenue of escape. They were
! there imprisoned for four days, when the
| waters subsidized and they escaped Among
| the curIOsities of the cave are the eyeless
| fish aud era w-fish of this river. The for
| mer are viviparous, and they prey upon
each other. They resemble the common
catfish i'm shape, but they rarely exceed
| eight inches i'll length. They have rudi-
meuts of eyes, but no optic nerve, aud are
therefore incapable of being affected by
| the most intense light Ordinary fish and
| craw fish are sometimes washed into the
cave from Green river; frogs are also
sometimes washed in in the same manner,
and may be heard croaking to the sound
| of their own voices.
"Embarking in fiat bottomed boats, we
were ferried over Echo river and landed
| at 'SilIiman's Avenue THIS avenue is a
mile and a half in length, extending to the
| Pass of Ell Ghor.' It varies in height
from twenty to forty feet, and in width
from twenty to two hundred feet. The
| walls and ceiling are rugged an0 water
| worn and the avenue is undoubtedly of
| recent formation as compared with other
| parts of the cave. The Pass of FL Ghor'
! resembles 'Silliman's Avenue, but the
| cliffs composing its walls present far
more wild and rugged appearance. 1t is
about two miles long. There are many
objects of interest in these two avenues,
but space will not ADMIT of any further
mention. From the pass We climbed up a
ladder and through a narrow hole, cmerg-
ing in 'Martha's Vineyard, SO called from
the stalactite nobules, in size and appear
auce closely resembling grapes, which stud
the walls and ceiling. From here we pro-
ceeded to Washington Hail. where we
found dinner awaiting us. This ball is
sixty feet W ide, twenty high aud one hun
dred in length ; and it being the poini