Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-01-27
"A Cave Of Chants.


A correspondent Of the Philadelphia Times
| furnishes highly interesting description of q
notea cave IL Adams county, Ohio. discovered
many years ago. Recent explorations 90 10
show .hst the cyc.vat;oss aerc thc acrk OF
race cf glsots 10 pgc-bisieri, times, iEo.saads
OF yaais before Columbus discovered the New
World. Iho cntraLce 70 tho c:Yo Is located ia
whs! is korTn IS tie old Smith farm, By 2 III Il
hole three tc:t IN diameter. At degth OF
!weaty five isnt thero iS Grg cavern With
acco:h, even tl)Cr. reef and walls Of trcca: one.
Passing through cjrtla0r six feet Eido there
is another chamb9r. and sGcord c2rridor cal-
n;c With a thru chaoIber. The latter h?5 q
Lefty. aschcd oono, aad the hoo. aaG roaF arc
u !ll!ce;onc. The Waoc O., 2.ng through The
!cGi has 10: Dei Thousands CT stalGc tics. Thufe
!9 i3ar!h CHAMBER 10 gain ac,Css 70 which j,
IS necessary - c:i!ab q steep, w:t tank and
sQucG2i through q rarTnW fsiura il tie r2ak,
aGlch w..a oiigi&el'y z c)!rdar liz, tho oihcrs,
Eu: laa bc:n c9atrac2cd b. soins cJ2rai-,
=!cn cf nature. La tna coi1tr o: tt.is
i@Jr!, chamber thclY is 8 yuwa;ng well, ln3
l4o. :C !iamrtcr. At iiia mCu,h Ct his vel caa
t. heard the mu mur Of Al underlIuunG s!rcsui
& water nlauy huIut4Gs Of fat below,
others o9a0ccsed ty harrow gsI;eriea With the
exception vi tho third chamber, al gro Of The
snrle Rldth apd h.ight, though of diTcrco.
lcrg;ha. Every Cayoer II thn c.vc hSs been
thGtouehly explored thOr:atds OF tiuca, nud
tho walls ol tho limestone chambers sra ca7trtd
with The nGmcs OF plslt0r.. Gao iDscsiuiion,
high UP nn the wall. reads: won Brady,
1850 E.c,ntly party Of explore r. decoudad
Tho wall by ncaus ct rGEC ladder. About fifty
loot down thero Was &c entrauc) TO auottef
cavern. Tho gallery is straight and fifty feet
long, Whtro 1t entorsa large ICON 22D feet ICng,
] 10 foot wide and 81 leet in height, The roof,
tloor and walls arc smooth and ever. La tho
centre Ct this apartment is sarcophagus and
mauseltum combined. The mauscieum ct its
bas9 measures 55 by 55 feet. Ii is of simple,
though beautiful design. aud carved out of solid
rtck. Its base is pancled on all sides, these
panels cootsislng bss rsliois, which arc supposed
TO represent the four sessous n mans iifc-
childhood, youth, manhood aud old age. At
the ED Of tho bas-reefl ara tablets fell of
written characters, 10 shape something like The
Hebraic, presumed to bo menoriams Of the per.
aoncr persons 10 whose honor tn, mau5o-
leum is ortc:ed. The clrviog on the bss.
reIiclS is Of the most delicate description,
aud fully equal to the Greciao sc5oo! OF sculp
lure. lo the c,ntre rises couch twelve feet
loog sDd i've ttet wide. IL is probably Of III.
size. a0d measures Bino feet four inches 10
length. The limbs areGeely proportional, and
disposed 10 an easy aud graceful mauutr. Tho
arrus arc folded sctcs, the breast, aod the 6ng
CTS clasp bunch OF leaVos resembling osk. re-
produced with such fidelity to nature chat they
look like potrttc ons. Evtrg vein and str:a,
iiou Of the leaf is perfect. The figure is par
1oli,
aud lolns ard falling in graceful folds on each
side. The lace ls one OF great strength aud
beauty aud The features arc Of Hebrew cast.
The head is covered with winged cap, or
helmet. At esoh corDer of the c,uch is vsse
four fcot niue inches high. covered with beau.
tifully carved flJwers and leaves. They arc 10
shape something like an anphota, except that
the bottom is flat and the hsudles affixed 10
the b3dy of the vsss. The neck ia thirteen
inches 10 length and tapols gradually and grace.
fully. The VASES are OF unltorm siz', although
tho oarVe1 designs arc different. They meas,
uro 10 ciclmlcrctco fur feet 6yo iccics.
Tho diameter Of tho nGok is six inches.
Suspended from the roof aud directly
over tho head of the rtclmbcnt figure,
is copper lamp of ueique design, elegantly
chased, ard keptin position by rods OF the same
matal. At each c)roer Of The mausocum rs,s
d caEVod Iyramita! column, surmou5tai by
clps that ere unmlstskab'y Dotic. On two
sides Of the room arc tGmhs Of humber G.sisu.
They arc side by Sida,c uniform siz ari twe1r
ty in number. ten on q side. The tops sra olv
cred With slabs securely conenied Go tie
front OF esch is q raised scroll, covered with
written characters. Ga the wall Of tho room
Is psiotcd lweuty-Gge iaccs, DO doubc p9vtrairs
Of the occur auts Of tho ombs. Eight OF lhlsJ
| Iaccs. though blurred. can ho gecogrizsd as
children, Eve OF y5u,hs, tEo Of youug u0u, uiue
o. Eiddle-agcd meo AID women, and cuu, II
| the caGtre Of the gr2un, al txact copy of tho
| rrcunlbcnt Esule n the msusoeum. Tie &C!
| ors used aro red, yellow oSd black, aud aLr5
evidgDi!y been mixed With OIL Ous OF the
small totubs aas opertd and Gi:oiuscd a
mn nnly rico feet ora iGeb ia lcrgth. Fac
c!otn covering the lacs wss renewed, and ibo
mead cru;Hbied TO dust. Some of the hair
stuck 10 tic c!cth rs i; WEE brought away. Ii
Is black, curly, srG OF Gna texture. The tomb
aso ooOtaiocd g spear head or hstohei, tHv
lanocs, thrce mattoess or hoes, {. spade, clf,
i've plates aud small urr.
ali OF ;hcso were of copper, hardened IN
s0me peculiar manner that 6le will scarcely
make scratch. AID c2id clisel ,urna NJ like
Iced when struck against the metal 4 square
package at tbe head OF ;hs tomb contained q
book Of 100 lcaves Of thin copper, fastened
loosely 1T tic top end crowded with Gooly ca.
grsTtc characters, similar to these already DO
scribed. The slalaeites are supposed 10 have
fcrncd sIco it was sbandcued by tho rec, o;
giants formerly occuayug it. Calculating !heit
ocgth and the sIoz formation, it is estimated
.ba: it has tk,a 3, 325 years in reaching ihciI
present length. At the mouth of the c.Te
there are fragments CT rock. which st one time
forned broad staircase leadiog to the uppe.
world.
PIoUEs. PLAID MUsL1Ns SWISS MUsLIEs
CsmbIicj. NaGso,kS asd Lioen-a largo lo
Just opened Call and examine at
|. EICuDERG's.
Go AND SEE The IMMENSE SToCK at
ISAAC ElCHBERG's.