The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-30
A Pennsylvania Cavel


mile to the left, toward Mercer, of the old
Franklin and Mercer road and labout one
mile and Il quarter from the line Of the
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Rail
road, Franklin division, near the beautiful
little hamlet of Waterloo. on tract of land
owned by Mr.. Samuel r. Mckenzie, who
lives on farm in the vicinity.
On Christmas party of coal lnincrs from
the mines at Stoneboro, who were having
jolly time IN the village, hcard Of, this
wonderful place, and one of thc}h who had
worked in some of the deepest mines IN
England laughed at the fears OF the rustics
and proposed to go and explore It. They
procured ropes and ladders, aiid, with a
few tools and their miners lamps, set out
for the spot. Arriving on the ground two
of the miners, Jack HcndersonIand David
Davis made one end of sucker-rod line,
about five hundred feet long3 fast about
their waists, leaving a space of few feet
between them, and with theft tools and
lamps and a supply Of oil, sthrtcd down
the incline. They proceeded an this way
for about two hundred feet iB Il southerly
direction and downward, at an angle of
forty-tive degrees, through Il crooked and
very rough passage, when they iicamc to al
obstruction caused by the great number of
boulders which had been thrown in from
above and were about to give up and re-
turn when they discovered that the gentle
current of air still pressed the flame of their
lamps in the direction of the surface and
concluded to make an effort to remove the
obstruction, After considerable delay and
labor, they found that passage still con-
tinued, but raised abruptly for about sixteen
feet, and which had made the barrier to
the progress Of the boulders thrown in from
above. Davis then returned and procured
a ladder, and was accompanied by several
more of the party, who had now become
bolder With the assistance of the ladder,
they passed up over bank or wall of rock
some sixteen or eighteen feet high, and
found themselves in long, irregular
shaped room Or space, fifty feet wide at the
widest point and Mt places less than twenty
five feet wide, and upwards of 100 feet
long, in which hung and glistcncd count
less stalagmitic formations of every imagi-
nablc shape and size. The roof and sides
are limestone. The most wonderful thing
about the whole matter was the finding of
a quantity of bituminous coal on one side
of this large, irrcgular-shapcd room, and
which evidently had been conveyed there
from somo other place, as no coal cropped
out anywhere in the cave. Digging up
the debris at Il certain spot coal ashes or
burnt clay several inches thick was found,
so solid that pick was required to move
the deposit. At the extremity of this room,
and running away from It at right auglcs,
was found another passage or tissurc in the
lime rock down the sides of which water
tricklcd, and extending about fifty or sixty
feet to the right hand with gradual
downward slope, whom they came to an-
other stopping place. This time it proved
to he only dozen feet downward, and the
ladder soon helped them to safe footing
again. This proved to be another immense
room, somewhat in the form of huge let
ter S, very irregular, with one end longer
and higher than the other. Here more
coal was again found. All were impressed
with the idea that this coal had not been
brought from the surface, but were of the
opinion that 1t had been brought there from
some place i'll the cavc-pcrhaps further
down. So they proceeded to prosecute the
search and at length discovered another
passage or split in the rock, near tho taper
end of the s, which led downward, much
like the opening at the surface, only much
larger. After pursuing this, which led
through small room, about forty yards,
they came SUDDENLY to q halt at the cdge OF
a precipice, down which they clambcrcd
for about twenty feet, and found themselves
in long, narrow tunnel, apparently with
out ond, either way. The bottom of this
tunnel or entry was covered with a soft,
sticky mud, almost like putty The end
to the left, it was thought, would lead to
the surface or side of the hill, evidently not
very far above the level of the stream in
the valley. The other end led in the oppo-
site direction and across tho line of and
nearly below the first room explored,
underneath the body of the mountain. A
further investigation showed that coal
cropped out all along the line of the canal
or sides Of the cavern. and after careful
examination and measurement. the whole
space appeared to have been filled with
coal, which had been removed, and the
sides, which were gray with
age, left standing. Masses Of the lime
stone rock had fallen in several places,
over which the party struggled with diIi-
cut ty. After proceeding about one hum
dred yards from the point where the coal
drift was struck, a measurement showed
the vein of coal to- be eight feet three
inches in thickness, and the walls more
clearly defined and regular, ya
AT this point remains of masonry were
found, and the tunnel or drift divided and
ran In different directions. TO the right
hand seemed the most desirable route and
1t was explored first. " This room or cham
boris plentifully hung with stalagmite, Of
the most beautiful description imaginable,
which have been formed by the steady drip
through the limestone for unknown ages
past. Beautiful formations as II celnented
into the walls, IN many places appear. It
would be impossible to describe the various
turnings and directions in which tho mine,
for mine It's, has been worked, but all of
which radiate in all directions for upwards
of two thousand feet into the body Of the
mountain from the main entry, as tho
miners style 1t, The roof of the entry is
solid limestone;' with here and there great
dark riffs overhead, which ere probably
The entrances to other unexplored caverns
rs interesting as those already examined and
described, The miners and the other three
persons agreed among themselves TO keep
The matter secret, and did so for a short
time, In order that they might purchase the
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