The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-01-25
AN ARIZONA WONDER.
A Ramnrkabie Cave in the Santa Rita
Mountains-rhe Boftom1ess Pit.

Mountains-The Bottomiess Pit.
From the Tucson Citizen.
For several years the existence of a
curious ave near Greaterville has been
known 20 the miners Of the vicinity, but
the difficulty of a thorough exploration
has deferred many from visiting it, and
half its wonderful extent is yet mn.
known. From p. J. Coyns, a well
known and reliable p~rospector, who il
in the city, in company with Mr.. John
son, a Citi-en reporter gathered some
interesting facts regarding the cave,
which is known by the miners as the
Aztec. and is located about four miles
south of the Greaterville placers, in a
limestone ridge. Quite recently a par
ty of miners. numbering eight or ten,
including Mr.. Coyne, determined to
discover, If possible, the extent and re-
sources Of the cave, and provided with
ropes, candles, and other necessities,
they explored seventeen rooms in all,
the corridors and approaches to which
extend for nearly a mile from the en-
trance. They experienced great diff
Guilty, as their progress was frequently
interrupted by abrupt breaks in the
plane of the cave, at which breaks they
rapidly used up their available supply
of ropes.
The cav has two entrances, which
lead into IN oval cavity, thence a corri-
dor leads into a larger room and thence
into a larger In from the latter are
two smaller cavities, and these COM
prise the extent of former explorations.
In them have been found at various
times in the past, relics of Indian oc-
cupation, including arrows and skele-
tons. In one place several Indian skel-
etons were found in a depression in the
floor Of the cave, evidently fashioned
with human hands. This latter room
is described as being OF marvellous
beauty. 1t 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 room is an almost per-
feet group of statuary. 1t consists OF
q large block of limestone in the shape
of a man, woman and child, the man
being in the center, and also having the
closest resemblance to humanity. The
head, especially, is like that of "a man,
having the features almost distinct, and
surmounted by a hat. A short distance
away from the group, in the Pickering
candle-light, the illusion is said to be
absolutely perfect. At this point the
cave discloses the strange feature Of be-
ing two storied, to reach the lower
rooms of which it is necessary to de-
scend by means of ropes. Here the
extent of the old explorations ceases,
and the adventures had to be careful
lest some new and strange feature OF
the ave should cause them trouble.
In n of a group Of three lower rooms
was found a huge stalagmite, which
was instinctively called Pompey's Pill
lar; 1t is three feet in diameter at the
base, and lessons gracefully in size to
the roof of the cave, thirty feet high.
This is probably GOO feet below the sur
face. From the rooms last mentioned
a corridor leads to a very large and ir-
regular cavity, and from this small cor
ridors lead TO very beautiful rooms,
which were given the the names of diff.
ferent members of the exploring party
The n named for Mr.. Coyne is the
largest in the cave. From what was
named Hale's room, the party followed
a steeply inclined tunnel, seventy-five
or eighty feet long, which terminated
in a large abyss sixty or seventy feet in
diameter. After lowering one of the
party down the perpendicular sides
from the mouth of the tunnel rs far as
the remaining rope would permit, about
seventy feet, and failing to find bottom,
the explorers named it the "Bottomless
Pit and returned.