The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-09-05
A hurled xhtp rewnd ny Two Miners
IN n Colorado Cave.

wgy. The pames OF these men were jacob
.Cahee and Louis Adams, the latter resi-
dent al Leadyille and the former from some
locality in southern Colorado, we beheve
near Alamosa. Both were mining experts,
and finding favorable indications on wide
plain, at the foot OF quite steep bill, began
to sink q shaft. first passing through thirty
feet OF wash and then striking lime forma-
ton stained with iron, and evidently not IN
place. They were on the point OF stopping
work In despair, but thus encouraged pushed
on their digging with renewed actlylty
until at depth OF fifteen feet hollow
sound responding TO the blows OF tne'r
picks gave warning that they were nearing
some subterranean passage or gallery. I'm
willing to give up what appeared TO DE so
fine a prospect, they secured themselves
from the top by ropes, aud proceeded very
cautiously with their work. After a days
digging. the bottom, which had been con-
stantly growing thinner, gave way with
crash. and the two adventurous miners
found themselves suspended midway IN
what appeared TO be large, irregular cave,
some 240 feet long and about $50 feet wide
at ils broadest point. Tbey had pierced
the cavern i'm its extremity, and had no
difficulty in swinging themselves against q
sort Of a natural stairway OF granite boul-
ders heaped against the sides.
Down this they scrambled, impelled by
curiosity and a spirit Of adventure, holding
their miners lamps above their heads. aud
soon stood or tolerably level sanded hcor,
with here and there huge crystal OF quartz,
while from the roof, which arched overhead
at distance OF about thirty feet, enormous
stalaetiteS depended like icicles, and catch
ing the feeble rays OF light threw them back
i'm q myriad OF rainbow hues. The cave
seemed at first empty, but as their eyes
gradually became accustomed TO the deep
gloom the men saw in the further extremity
huge black object. which, not without
some trepidation, they approached.
As they neared ii, to their unbounded
amazement they made out the outlines OF
some sort of sailing craft, but the idea OF a
ship fifty feet under ground was so prepos-
ferrous that they thought it some fantastic
mass OF rocks. and not until they fairly
touched the timbers would they believe the
evidence of their own senses. A ship 1t
plainly was or bad been, but ship different
from any that the eyes OF the astonished
miners bad ever looked upon. IL was, as
nearly as they could judge, about 60 feet
long by some 80 feet wide, and lay tilted
forward at an angle Of about 10 degrees over
rough pile Of stone. The body OF the craft
was built of short lengths Of some dark and
very porous wood, resembling our black |
walnut, IL it could be imagined with the
grain pulled apart like sponge or piece OF
bread, and made perfectly square. Both I
ends lit was evidently intended for sailing |
either way) were, turned abruptly up like |
the toe OF q peaked Moorish slipper. The |
planking was apparently double-riveted on |
with nails OF extremely hard copper, only |
slightly rust-eateD, and with the heads cut
or filed i'm an octagonal shape, while along |
the upper edge OF the ship eleven large |
rings OF the same metal, and evident
" for the securing Of rigging. were |
At the bottom edges OF the craft |
and running its entire length were two |
keels some four and half feet deep and |
six inches thick, hung on metallic hinges, |
and at the ends were fastened rough copper |
rods, extending upwards, and bent over so |
as to attach TO two masls rising from the |
upper edges. If the cross OF an inverted |
letter Y be conceived TO represent the deck |
lines, the two stems are at about the angle |
and position OF the masts. These were up |
wards OF twenty feet long, and as evidences |
that sail was at the time stretched across, |
SOME ragged remnants OF what appeared to
accord were found clnging TO the inner |
edges. The ends Of the masts were Sc
cured in piyots, and IL was evident that /
in lacking one could be moved forward |
and the other back, thus bringing the
sail at an angle with the body OF
the ship--an idea which 1t might not |
be bad for our modern nayigators to emu
late. This, it is believed. also explains the |
copper rods which moved the keels so as to |
the position Of the masts. While |
the whole ship was intact, the wood crum.
bled like dust beneath the finger touch, and,
fearful OF trap-falls, the two prospectors did |
not venture TO explere the interior. Lying |
on the ground near by, however, was dis
covered gold instrument bearing rude |
resemblance to the seXtant OF the present |
day, and possibly used 10 calculate the Ion
gitude. No trace OF any writing was found |
save at one end of the ship, where, about |
midway on the bow OF the ship, enclosed |
In metal ring, were twenty-six copper |
characters riveted to the wood, and bearing |
much resemblance to the Chinese hero
glyphics OF the present dug. No human |
remains Of any sort were found, although |
ii rs possible that search in the hold will |
reveal something OF this sort.
Without pushing their investigations fur
ther, the two miners, lost in wonderment,
retraced their steps to the upper air, leav.
ins ihO EhootiS thip ouCc noIc III SioUu |
and silence.
BY this time il had grown quite dark
above, aud with that tacit understanding |
existing among men who had seen that
v hich borders upoe the superb atural, they |
sDoke but little between themselves OF the |
discovery, but sought rest by their kindling |
campfire. In the msrning the whole thing
seemed so much like dream thatthey were
seriously inclined to regard it as oEse morbid
disOrGered vision OF the
,raiE alOne-having ne substance in real
ty, and eagerly, yet with a strange |
Tread, they descended the rope again.
they soon reached The rocky stair
way, scrambled down, stood once more
pom the cavern floor, and with an
neanDy. eerie feeling looked around. BY |;
he dim daylight that struggled dowg the
Iaft the cave gradually OutliRed itseh. and s
here, half hidden Ia the shadows, but
coming, lonely, mysterious, Nike a pkan- :
om OF a bygone age, they saw the ship.
Issuring themselves by short survey Of
be facts they had learned the night before,
he prospeetors hurriedly assembled the
halt and spent the rest of the
ay IN concealing as well as possible 1
be traces OF their excavation. This done,
ley went to the cabin OF wcll-to-do
liner living some thirty miles down the G
ulch, and 10 him first told their extraordi-
airy story. This gentleman is perfectly re- L
able, and together with a welLknown =.
lining expert residing In this city has seen
nd examined the ship, and will take steps
preserve the wonderful discovery to the
ord in all its possibly great historical
Hue. The minute particulars as to locality :
Q at present withheld for very obvious \
would attract horde of van. l