The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-02-06
WONDERFUL CAvERNs.
PIE. historic Remafns Lately reund
an M1Bsourf ana OHIO
! n1ssouRT cAvF-rEMPLE-


GENTLY explored in Monroe county, Mis-
souri,. It is in limestone ridge a. the
head waters of Salt river. which emptIes
into the Mississippi. This ridge is
known in the Iocality as the "Narrows,"
aud itsrocky bln ifs, rising osfhe height
Of 20O feet present = bold and pictur-
esdue scene. II has had a local fame on
account of the many Indian curiosities
found there Indian mounds are nu-
merous en- the rocky ledge, and Indian
skulls. arrow heads, flint hammers and
iron and stone hatchets have been found
in considerable numbers A recent dis
covery there caused a correspondent 90
visit Mr.. Waldron, the owner OF. the
land. and this account is given OF an
exploration:
Without much difficulty found Mr. Wal
dron. the discoverer of the temple, on whose
land 1t is situated He proposed, as Il was
late, that shonid remain With him duf1ne
the hight, and walk over ann see tue tempie
i'm the morning ! assented, and after sup
per Mr. WaIdron brc,ugEt cut some articles
that he had found in Che temple for my in
speetion. They were bronze hatchet OF
hammer, having an eye and heavy knob
on the hammer portion rude bronze lance
or arrow head more than six inches In length;
a niece of deer or elk horn. about nine inches
in length, from which small branches were
pjver, of. and an iilipticai piece of bronze, on
which was cut in rude manner an Imitation
OF the sun and some alphabetical characters
closely resembling the PhRnician.
The next morning with hr. W Naidron ana
his two solis set out to visit the temple.
Our way lay through low bottom covered
with a dense growth of timber. We soon
found ourselves before The cleft in the rock,
and after lighting torch we entered. Inc
arch Is ellipticai, and for gTacefulness of
curve and beauty of finish is not excefied by
any OF the works Of the present day. Each
stone is of the finest granite, polished as
smooth as glass, and they sent back reflee-
tions of our torches, like polished steel: Inc
springer rests on an entablature, which IS
placed on the capital of beautiful column.
also hewn from the granite The keystone
of the arch projects from the inferior stones
and seems TO have been finished with the
view of placing an inscription thereon, but
this was never done. Passing under the
arch we found ourselves in room bewn out
of solid limestone, 35 feet wide, 80 feet long
30 feet high, and vaulted to the centre, the
ceiling being As feet from the floor To the
middle of the room. At intervals of ten feet
are graceful, slender columns of granite,
with square base Enthusiastically carved in imi-
tation of some unknown plant.
The shafts, like the shaft supporting the
arch, are supported by capital. Upon
this rests heavy entablature of mag
nesian limestone, which is closely titted ufl-
der the roof. and gives the columns the ap-
pearance of supporting the ceiiinG- Ihe
acoustic properties of the temple are remark
able A whisper can be heard from one end
of the room to the other There are twelve
columns in the temple, six on each side.
Between the columns on each side Of the
temple, and on each side of the arch or en-
trance to the temple, are set into the wall
blocks of polished gray and black granite
but there Is no inscription ON any of them.
No sculpture of anv kind, except the plants
mentioned above, has been discovered. At
the western portion of the room is a dais, OF
- srnN,
supports huge block of granite feet long
and "a inches thick. On this is laid slab
of polished and berelled granite, smoother
than marble This slab projects over the
block beneath il about six inches on every
side, and is feet long and 3 wide. Evil
IDENTIFY this was an altar, for there are ashes
scattered around. What was the character
of the sacrifice I? To the right of the altar is
a small ante-room, which you enter through
an arched doorway, evidently intended for
the priest who attended 20 the duties of the
altar. About this there is nothing destruct-
i've. 1t is not even certain by what means it
was shut off from the auditorium. The
place is wonderfully dry. The ravages OF
time have not in the least impaired IL, and
every portion retains the freshness and glow
that il had when it came from the hands of
the workmen.
1t is undoubtedly one of the great curiosi-
ties of the age, and is attracting the atten-
ton of archTologists. An exhaustive report
! is now being prepared by committee, which
is to be presented to the Historical Society OF
I the State of Missouri. That ]. Will add fresh
interest to the study OF the civilization that
I preceded the present Indian tribes of thi:
{ country seems probable.
! TABLETS. CARVING AND 3fUSIMIEs II
{ AN OHIO CAVE.
T.. Adams county, O. is rich ia remain:
! Of prehistoric mounds and fortifications
and is the Mecca OF enthusiastic arch
! aologists. Most of the mounds ale oil
/ alluvIal bottom lands of the Ohio River
( Seventeen miles northeast OF Manchest e
I is prehistoric cavern. in which wonder
( full discoveries have lately been nild
of great interest to the scientific world
They throw much light on the charaa
ter and habits OF this remarkable people
( evidences of whose high civilization
have been preserved 10 us. A core
spondent of the New York Sun ialel
visited this cavern, and gfses this de
scription of recent discoveries
The entrance to the cave is cfsoked a
with the debris of ages, but traces of a fiigi
of steps are to be seen. The entrance is q
the bottom of "Sink hole" which is nearl
in the centre of p level field. This field
2eo acres in extent, and is bounded on A
sides by lofty hills. 1t Is about tweuty-fy
feet from the surface Of the ground to til
bottom of the cave. | have been unable
J .
was known to the earliest settlers and the,
no doubt, learned of its existance from tn
Indians. 1t contains nine chambers,
rooms. These apartments are connected D
narrow galleries. All but the third ofse frol
the entrance are mathematicaly regular
shape being each about thirty feet in ienCfl
twenty feet in wid Rnd fifteen in heigh
4 The galleries are b Ehe same height As II
main rooms, but are only six feet wide. I'll
excavation passes through solid ledge
freestone, which Is bisected about one hui
dred feet from the mouth by vein of IiI.f
stone The chamber where the limest0s
crops ont IS of irregular shape. The wat.
, has 0oZed through the limestone rock f
ages, and formed thousands Of beautif
: stalactites aud staIagmites The cave
riich visited by picnic parties, and eyel
4 corner OF it has been thoroughly explored
thousand times
The fourth chamber has deep well in OF
corner, at the bottom of which * a stream
water. The depth of the well is unknow
but it must be several hundred feet A fe
days ago party of gentlenfen paid visit
, thiscage, equipped to explore this mysterio
| well. Forty-fve feet from the top of Il
well, they found the entrance to secol
cavern, which proved to be the family ton
| of a race of gigantic men. narrow gale
, which expanded as they left the wen 6ehii
them opened into lofty chamber 225 fe
long, and ITO feet wide. The walls, foe
and roof Of this Immense room are smooth
finished. Inthe centre of the apartment is
J, sarcOphaFas and mansoleum combined It
: Tnans0ieuin at its base measures fifty-fve
thifty-fivt feet. 1t is of simple. thou
beautiful, design, and carved out Of the so
rock Its base is parallel on all sides, the
panels containing bas reiiefs which arc SO