The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-11-03
KANSAS MAMMOTH CAVE.
discovery Of n Mammoth Cave Contain
ing Many Aboriginal Remains.

AtAAtbHery OF n lA44AAaAuln -aaNe LOuAlALla
ing Many Aboriginal Remains.
IGayI0rd, Kansas, HeraId.I
EnOmas County being only sparsely
settled, the discovery of the cave was
accidental and made while following a
wounded wolf, who took refuge there,
and finding q human skull and other
bones, from which the flesh had long
since been removed, at its entrance.
The discOverer, sUppOsing it to be a
VOLTS den, obtained the assistance of
Mr.. Hamilton, who happened to be in
the vicinity, and the owner Of the land,
and the three, well armed and carrying
a lantern, proceeded to the spot at the
base of a high bluff, and pushing aside
the Underbrush found On opening In the
mound, irregular in shape and about
three feet in diameter. Into this OPEN
ing the party cautiously proceeded on
their hands and knees n distance Of three
or four feet, when the passage way,
enlarging in every direction, permitted
them to assume an erect position, and
they found themselves in an irregular
shaped room, its ceiling sloping upward
and out Of sight The place was intense
" dark, only a few rays Of sunlight
penetrating through the entrance, and
the light Of the lantern seemed but to
make the darkness more perceptible.
Passing over the VOLTS body they found
that the floor of the room was covered
with human skeletons and bones entirely
denuded Of flesh, placed In every con
ceivable position some stood upright
against the walls, others were IN a sit
ting posture, but the greater part lay
scattered on the floor in confused masses.
The room was someWhst triangular In
shape, its longest side being upward Of
forty feet, and the others about twenty
each. Hung on its walls or resting
against them, and lying on the floor
among the skeletons, we're numerous
shields and spears and other implements
of warfare Of a savage race
On the next morning having procured
two additional lanterns and improVised
q torch, the explorers re-entered the
cave, and, clamberiRg over the skeletons
to the aperture in the wall noticed the
day previous, they entered it and found
themselves in a passage way about four
feet high and ten feet wide, and arched
overhead the walls were Of solid white
rock and covered with moisture The
floor Of the hallway slOped downward
Tho hallway was about twenty feet
long, and appeared to have been cut IN
the solid rock by skilled WOrkmen. At
the further extremity It opened into
another chamber, on the threshold Of
which the party was halted by noises
resembling the movements Of animals
wiEhin. Peering into the Egyptian dark
ness and discerning nothing, and think
ing that they had found the VOLTS
abode, one Of them fred his pis-
tOl, and their ears were astounded with
q succession Of reports as from a dozen
pistols, repeated from oil parts of the
room. An involuntary exclamation Of
surprise escaped from one Of the party.
and his words, ' Great God !" were in a
like manner distinctly echoed and re-
echoed as by a dozen Voices in as many
tones, finally dying out, apparently, in
the far distance.
After their astonishmout had subsided
they were convinced that they had dis
covered q veritable echo gallery. Leav-
ing a light at the entrance to mark
its locality, they proceeded to explore
it, and found it to be nearly circular In
form and nearly one hundred feet In di-
smeter. The walls were perpendicular
and rising to a great height and having
numerous inches, some apparently being
openings into other chambers the
lights were not strong enough to reveal
the ceiling. The floor was solid rock
and quite level and smooth and very
damp. On one side Of the room was
found a platform Of solid rock about
twenty feet square rising abruptly from
the floor to q height of about four feet,
otherwise the room was quite empty.
Mr.. Hamilton here said emphatically
50 Nature might have furnished the out
lines Of the cave, but nature never uses
a square in its work and lever makes
right angles and never chiseled chat
platform nor the hallway through which
we entered the room-it was the work Of
flesh and blood
On the other side of the platform was
found two openings IN the walls, one of
which resembled the hallway between
the two chambers, but with It's floor
obstEucCed with masses Of rock. The
other was an arched way about twenty
feet high, the arch extending to the
floor. Passing through the arch a short
distance, they came to a stream Of water
about q foot in depth, passing over a
bed of white sand The water was very
clear and cold, and, though evidently
flowing, had but little velocity The
width Of the stream could not be deter
mined, but as far as the lights could
1
walls Of rock, apparently very near its
surface.
Many miserable people drag themselves
about with failing strength, feeling that
hey are sinking into their graves, when
Parker's Ginger Tonic would Eegin with
the first dose to bring vitality and strength