Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-01-30
A Cave of Giants.

Gave OF GlanCS
EXPLORATION OF A NOTED OHIO CAVE
MUMMY FOUND OF PRE-
EISTORIC GIANT.
A correspondent of the Philadelphia
"Tin,es' furnishes a highly interestin. de-
scription OF a noted cave in Adams coun-
ty, Ohio, discovered many years apo. Re-
cent explorations go to show that the ex-
cavati.ns were the work of race OF
G ants i'll prehistoric times, thousands OF
Years before Columbus discovered the New
World. The entrance to the cave is loca-
ted in what is known as the old Smith
farm. by a well-hole three feet in di-
there is dry cavern with smooth. even
floor, roof and walls of freestoue. Passing
through Il corridor six feet wide there is
another chamber, and second corridor
connects it'll third chamber. The lat
Ter II lofty, arched dome, and the floor
and roof are of limestone. The water
uozing through the roof has formed thou
SANDS of stalactites. There is a fourth
chamber to gain access to which it is ne
cesSary to climb d steep, wet bank and
squeeze through harrow assure in the
rock, which WAS originally Il corridor like
tine others, but has been contracted by
some CONFUSION of nature. In en- cor
ner of this fourth chamber tlnr. Is a
yawning we'll. ten feet in diameter. At
tue mouth of this well can be heari the
murmur Of IN underground stream Of Wa
ter many hundreds of leet below.
Beyond the fourth chamber there are
five others connected by narrow galleries.
With the exception Of the third chamber
all are Of the same width and height.
though OF different lengths. Every corner
Of the cave has been thoroughly explored
thousands OF times, and the walls Of the
limestone chamber ale covered with the
names of visitors Ore inscription, high
up on the wall, reads, ''Von Brady, 1850. =
Recently party Of explorers descended the
we'll by means of a rope ladder. About
fifty feet down there was All entrance To
another cavern The gallery is straight
and fifty feet long, " here it enters a large
room 220 feet long, ITO feet wide All "a
feet in height. The roof. floor and walls
are smooth and even. In the centre OF
this apartment is d sarcophagus and lnau-
soIeuln combined. The mausoleum at It's
base measures SIS by So feet. 1t is of simple,
though beautiful design, and carved Out OF
the solid rock. Its base is paneled nn all
sides, these panels containing bas-reliefs,
which are supposed to represent the four
seasons in man S life-childhOud, youth
manhood and old age.
at the ends OF the 6aS. reliefs are tables
full of written Characters, In Shap- SaLne-
thing like tile Hebraic. presumed TO be
memOriamS OF the person Or persons III
whose honor the lnauSoIeum is erected
The carving on the bas-reliefs is of th-
most delicate description, and fully equal
to the Grecian school Of sculpture. L.
the centre rises a figure, on coucli
twelve feet long and five feet wide.
1t is probably of life size. and meas
ures nine feet four inches i'll length. The
limbs are finely proportioned, and disposed
in an easy and graceful manner. The
arms are folded across the breast, and the
fingers clasp IL bunch of leaves resembling
oak, reproduced with sucn fidelity to Ma
ture that they look like petiifactions.
Every vein and SerratiOn Of the leaf Is
perfect. The figure is partially nude a
mantle or scarf crossing the breast and
loins and falling i'll graceful folds ON each
side. The face is one of great strength
and beauty, and the features are ola He
brew cast. The head is covered with a
winged cap or helmet AT each 'rner of
the couch is a vase four feet nine inches
high, covered with beautifully carved flow
ers and leaves. They are in shape some
thing like an amphora, except that the
bottom is fat and the handles affixed TO
the body Of the vase. The neck is Is
inches IN length and tapers gradually aud
gracefully.
The vases are of uniform size, although
the carved designs are different. They
measure in circumference four feet five
inches. The diameter of the neck is six
inches. Suspended from the roof, aud d.
rectly over the head of the recumbent fig
ure, is copper lamp of unique design,
elegantly carved, and kept in position by
rods of the same metal. At each corner
of the mausoleum rises carved pyramidal
column, surmounIed by Caps that are I'M
Dorlc. on two sides of the
room are tombs of humber design. They
are side by side, of uniform size and tWen-
ty in number, ten on side. The tops are
covered with slabs securely cemented. On
the front of each is a raised scroll, covered
with written character
On the wall of the room is painted twen
ty five faces, no doubt portraits OF the &C.
cupants Of the Lombs. Eight of these
faces though blurred, can be recognized
as children, five OF youths, two of young
men, nine of middle.aged men and women
and one. In the centre OF the group, an ex-
act copy Of the lecumbent figure III the
The colors used are red, yell
low and black, and have evidently been
mixed with oil. One Of the small tombs
was opened and disclosed mummy nine
feet one inch in length. The clotn cover
ing the faco was removed and the head
crumbled into dust. Some of the hair
stuck to tie cloth as it was brought away.
1t is black, curly, and of fine textnr The
tomb also contained a spearht al or hatch
ct, two lances three mattucks or hoes, a
spade, cup. two plates and asmall urn.
All of these were of copper, hardened in
some peculiar manner SO that file will
scarcely make a scratch. anu cold chlsei
turns up like lead when struck against the
metal A square package at the head of
the tomb contained book OF 100 leaves OF
thin copper. fastened loosely at the top,
and crowded with fiuely engraved charac
tiers, similar TO those already described.
The stalaclites are supposed to have form
I'd since it WAS abandoned by the race OF
giants formerly occupying 1t. Calculating
their length and the slow formation. 1t Is
that it has taken 3 325 years in
reaching their present length. At the
mouth Of the cave there are fragments Of
rock, which at one time formed broad
starr case leading TO the upper world.
The owner of the cave has organized a
and it is contemplated to open
all the tombs and the great maus 'leum.
The cave is at present closed, but when
their arrangements are complete these
wonders will be thrown open to the inspec
lion of the curious The engraved book
and the tools will b. deposited in the
Smi thsnnian IuStitute
w. W. nottingham, who six years ago
,hot and killed John Gaylorin an excited
election for mayor in Norfolk. and made
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