Connecticut western news., 1880-10-27
A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.
A Natural Palace in the Heart of a
 Mountain.


 The Leadville Chronicle tells the fol- lowing wonderful story: "A few days since French miner by the name of John Nell was in the bottom of the shaft preparing to put in blast, but while cutting the hole the hollow sound gave warning that he was nearing some subterrauean passage. He kept on, however, and actively cleared away the earth. In an instant later, with 8 great crash, the bottom of the shaft fell in, and the unlueky miner disappeared into black and yawning pit His terrified companion at the windlass above peered down the gloomy shaft, but was soon reassured by hearing from out the dark 1 ness voice exclaim:
 "Hell's not half mile off!'
 He had only fallen four or five feet and stood then upon the bottom of sort of natural tunnel that pitched abruptly into the heart of the noun tain. He was uninjured, and called out to the man above:
 "Come down and isten."
 Hastily descending the rope the two stood upon the cavern floor, and what seemed to be an inexplicable phenome- non smote upon their ears. It was rumbling, rolling sound, like cart pulled along, or 8 heavy man running deep in the darkness of the great noun tain. They listened with superstitious awe, but presently the cause of the strange sounds made itself known. A stone lying at their feet became loosened and with bound started to roll down the steep declivity of the floor. In an instant the granite traveller was beyond the feeble rays of their candles, but they could hear it rolling and falling fainter and yet fainter in the cavernous depths beyond. A little distance be- yond the tunnel enlarged into huge gallery, but into this they did not pen citrate. Fearful of pits and trapfalls the miners walked but few steps, and, returning to the upper air, lost no time in informing MT. Chisum of their dis covery.
 
 Preparations were then made to, if } possible, thoroughly explore the cave, and in the course of an hour or two the , three, equipped with ropes and lanterns, again descended the shaft. They soon stood upon the shelving floor of the tunnel and looked about them. The passage had been pierced somewhere ill its length, and on either hand-a gallery extended at an angle of almost twenty degrees up and down. Knowing that the upward passage must soon, at that ) rate, terminate in the outer air, the
 miners concluded to explore it first, and
 clambered up it's declivity. The tunnel
 was roughly rounded in shape and by
 some eight or ten feet high by as many broad. It was apparently some huge Assure in the face of @ rock pressed to, , gether Ivy the mighty convulsions ol nature. It showed no sign of enlarging, and after the men had scrambled oyer about a hundred feet of the rocky fool their further progress was suddenly stopped by huge granite boulder that lay directly in their path. There was plainly an end to exploration, and re- luctantly they retraced their steps and soon stood again below the bottom ot the shaft. The other extremity, how. ever, stretched dark, yawning and un. known before them. Before venturine into this, and fearful of pits and preci l pices, they linked themselves together by strands of rope like Alpine climbers When this was done, and holding theil lamps high above their heads, they l slowly proceeded in. At distance o about twenty-five feet the passage sud denly enlarged and the roof arche6 higher and yet higher above their heads . Lost in wonderment, the men journeyei on and. presently entered splendid gallery. Here they paused and seated ' themselves on the granite boulders witt s which the floor was strewn. Meantim, 7 the lights of their lamps slowly per J. meating the darkness revealed seen, 0 of unsurpassed beauty.
 Il NATURAL BEAUTY. l. Over fifty feet above their heads s dome like ceiling bent from wall to wall d Pendant from it and moulded in shape g fantastic beyond all imagery were tn y icicles of nature, the stalactites. Tn IS whole roof seemed dotted and stare, l. by million diamonds, and the strug Il gling rays were reproduced in all tn I myriad colors of the rainbow. Tn I scene was gorgeous past all description IS It was nature's palace, and there soli d tude reigned supreme. For a long tim d the explorers paused, wrapped in admi l, ration, and then taking up their lantern n journeyed on. As they proceeded tn Il gallery grew rather than diminished i le beauty and dimensions. In this wa y they traversed upward for 800 feet ( le the cavern, but finding it finally diverg 9, into several nassages they retraced thei T. up of the larger cavern was @ downwar r. shaft of unknown depth. A ston d dropped in the mouth could be hear d falling for many. seconds, and fnall a- plashed in water. As the miners wel or leaving the cave their attention wa W attracted by the formation of the ston al that composed the sides. To their SUI to prise they found it rich in galena an Id bearing heavy copper stain. It seem ly identical with the mineral found in tl ly shaft, which assays $79. 45 in silver. 'l- -------
 Loss OF PROPELLER WITH THIRI
 LIVES. s.-The probable loss of the Can' 8 dian propeller Europe is reported o n | Lake Michi0an She was known tO hay