The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-06-08
UNDERGROUND
More About that Remarkable csss-Dsserp-
den Of the Same % Furnished BY
Party who Recently Ex-
z Il plored n.


4 pIorsd II.
CHEYENNE. June z, 1878.
To the Editor Of The Leader:
About a month ago as you are aware,
William Lannan discovered a rather
remarkable cave, while looking for
stock. 1t Is situated near the north
end of Table Mountain, between North
Crow creek and South Pole creek.
Having o iariat of one hundred and
fifty feet in length, he let it down the
mouth Of the cave. the entrance being
vertical instead Of horizontal, without
touching bottom. He then threw in
some stones, and from the reverbera-
tions coming up, he concluded that the
cavity was Of immense depth. Two
weeks ago a dozen Of us went to exam
inc and explore this subterranean grotto
and providing ourselves with windlass,
ropes, torches, lanterns, etc., proceeded
to the place. Fixing a strong windlass
and attaching a stout rope, one of the
party placed his feet into a loop of the
rope and holding On with both hands,
and with n lantern tied to his belt, we
lowered him into the heretofore unex-
plored abyss. 1t is a perpendicular de-
scent Of eightytwo feet, to an inclined
plane of forty-hve degrees. Upon go
ing two hundred feet farther 1t becomes
comparatively level. The descent is
hazardous, and the sensation novel and
confusing. I was whirled and spun
about a hundred times before touching
the ground. As soon as I was very
sure that l had terra firma under my
feet, l speedily assumed the undignifed
attitude Of a lobster in Mysteries, or a
turtle upon his back, vainly clawing the
air and scratching gravel to gain a foot
hold. At last / succeeded, only to come
within ar ace Of butting out my brains
against n and stalagmites, for I
was 80 dazed and dizzy from the spin
ming descent, that 1t was fully five
minutes or more, before i could pre-
serve an equilibrium. The interior
seemed lofty and extensive; the ground
or floor being set with one and stalag-
mites while the ceiling is also studded
with pendant stalactites of all sizes
from that Of n few inches to ten and
twelve feet in length. This is in what
1 should call the dome or first entrance.
II reminded me of entering the dome of
the Capitol at Washington from the
top and descending to the floor below.
One would get this impression upon
looking up; for it Is nearly circular or
bell shaped, widening from the entrance
to the floor. A number Of passages,
vaults and apartments radiate in every
direction from this point. l advanced
in a northwestern direction about
three hundred yards, and then arrived
at what first l supposed to be the end.
Upon close examination l discovered
an aperture two feet in diameter which
l entered, and passing through six feet
of wall emerged into a vast and lofty
vault. Here the ceiling is fully sixty
feet from the floor, and studded with
enormous stalactites of every size, like
huge or minute i%cicles, while the floor
Ii also studded with cones and tall
stalagmites like inverted icicles. In
some places the stalagmites and stalac-
tites are joined together In the center,
having the appearance Of huge hour
glasses, forming a series Of columns
from the floor to the ceiling, adding a
grotesque and weird grandeur to the
perspective. I advanced into this vault
about four hundred yards, from which
other vaults and apartments opened on
either side; but becoming fearful Of
getting lost I retraced my steps to the
dome, and can only conjecture It's
length. Other members of our party
explored other vaults and passages, and
from their descriptions I conclude that
the whole of Table Mountain is fairly
honey-combed by this cave and its nu-
merous vaults and qualifications. The
entrance at the surface is only 7x4 feet
but widens rapidly to an incline of eigh-
ty-two feet down. The bones and heads
of buffalo, deer, elk and antelopes are
numerous, while the bones of smaller
~ruminants, carnivora and rhodents, are
strewn around. These probably STUN
bled into this fearful abyss ages and
ages ago. Professors Darwin, Huxley,