Weekly Arizona citizen., 1880-12-04
AN ARIZONA WONDER.
4 Remarkable Cave in the santa Rita MOuntains-A Brief Account of the Results of Recent Partial Investi- gatiOn.

curious cave near Greaterville has
 been known to the miners of the vi-
 cinIty, but the difficulty of thorough
 exploration has deterred many from
 visiting it, and half it's wonderful ex-
 tent is as yet unknown. From NIT. P.J. Coyne, well-known and reli-
 able prospector, who is in the city in the city in company with Mir. John ! son, @ CITIZEN reporter on Tuesday gathered some interesting facts re-
 garding the cave, the result of a par
 tial exploration.
 The cave, which is known by the
 miners as the Aztec, is located about
 four miles south of the Greaterville placers, in a limestone ridge. Quite recently a party of miners numbering eight or ten, including MT. Coyne,
 determined to discover if possible the extent and resources of the cave, and ! provided themselves with ropes, can l dies and other necessities. They ex- plored r rooms in all, the corridors and approaches to which extend for nearly a mile from the entrance. They experienced great difficulty, as their progress was frequently inter-
 rupted by abrupt breaks Tn the plane Of the cave, at which breaks they rap- idly used up their available supply of ropes. The cave has two entrances,
 which lead into an oval cavity, thence a corridor leads into a large room, and thence into a still larger. In from the latter are two smaller cavi
 ties, and these comprise the extent of former explorations. Tn them have been found at various times in the past relics of Indian occupation, In- cluding- arrows and skeletons. In one place several Indian skeletons were found in a depression in the floor of the cave, evidently fashioned by human hands. This latter room
 is described as being of marvellous
 beauty. It is irregular in shape and is full of all the various forms which the action of lime has the power tO create. In one of these rooms isa group of almost perfect slatuary. It con- sists of large block of limestone in the shape of a man, woman and child, the man being in the center, and also 1having the closest resemblance to humanity. The head is especially like that of a man, having the iea- turcs almost distinct and surmOunted ly a hat. A short distance away from the group, n the fickering can dlcIieht. the illusion is said to be absolutely perfect.
 At this point the cave discloses the strange feature of being two-storied, 10 reach the lowerTooms of which it was necessary to descend by means of ropes. Here the extent of the ole ex- ploratious cease, and the adFenturers had to be careful lest some new and strange feature ot the cave cause them trouble. In one of a group of three lower rooms was found a huge stalag- mite, which was instinctively call ed Pompev's Pillar. It is three feet in diameter at the base, and lessons gracefully in size to the roof of the cave, 90 feet high. This is probably GOO feet below the Surface.
 From the rooms last mentioned corridor leads to very large and IT,
 regular cavity, and from this small corridors lend to several very beauti- ful rooms, which were given the names of different members of the exploring party. The one named for
 Mr. Coyle IS the largest in the cave. From what was named Hale's room the party followed a steeply inclined tunnel 1j or so feet long, which terminated iu @ large abyss GO or 70 feet in diameter. After lowering one of the party down the perpendic- ular sides from the mouth of the tun- mel as far as the remaining rope would permit about 70 feet), and failing to find bottom, the explorers named it tho Bottomless Pit" and retraced their steps 10 the surface, resolving to return at a future time and see what there was in it. The exploration of the Pit will reveal some strange 1 features. as there must be some outlet to the open air at the bottom, NIT. ! Coyne stating that while the air was oppressive and stale at a number of the remoter recesses of the cave, the | atmosphere in the Pit" was fresh
 and good.
 The CITIZEN is promised an account or fine future explorations by the party.