National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-11-09
LURAY OAvERNs.
THE SKELETON IN THE DEEP PIT.
Scientific Faeis-The Story Oran Indian Maidsn-TO
Whom Do the Bones olousi-ImplO-
ments FOand In the Cave-Where
the Original Is.

A matter of scientific wonder ID the
skeleton or rather the fragments Of one, lying In
deep pit in one Of the chambers. The place has
been fitly named Skeleton Gorge" The sides are
very rugged, wild aud gloomy the bottom Is con-
trActed, giving a space for standing room OF but
few square feet. on one side Is a perpendicular
ROCK to the height Of twenty or thirty feet on the
other two sides-for the space Is more nearly tri-
angular In form than any other-the rocks bear
away as they rise but their faces are so bold as to
make tho act of scaling them almost impossible
even with the aid OF light. On the discovery
Of the fact tint there were human bones In
the caverns, the standard stories and remem-
brances were unearthed from vivid imaginations
One was tho usual disappearance some thirty
years ago Of the porlpatectic peddler Another,
more recent, wishes to be more romantic, and
publishes In the Baltimore San of August s, 1881.
IN quotation marks, a story about an Indian
Maiden" and touching reference to her wrongs
aud sights. II would DO pleasure to know to
what history or work the quotation marks used
by the writer refer, for we are seeking light.
THERE ARE CERTAIN GIVEN FACTS
before us, and they are facts which TO the scien.
tlnc world are OF great importance:
First-There are the bones lying in the dirt and
clay, and washing from the rocks above and
around
second-The greater part Of them are buried
under the hardened surface, which remains as yet
NhOAeReh ~
o softor material below.
Third-Enough OF the bones are exposed to show
eonclusvely that they at some time belonged to q
human being. The femur aud the head OF the
femur are unmistakable so also portion OF pro-
truding Jaw-bone aud two or three teeth
THE STORY OF AN "INDrAN MAIDEN"
until solid reference is given, Is ronhantic nom
sense. for the reason that an "Indian maiden" or
any other maiden, would not be likely TO get into
such place. It is too far from the entrance and
there Is too much long.wnded and Shiny climb.
ing. Whether they are male or female can, how
ever, be told ON examination. The victim may
have been q wounded hunter trying to escape
the fury Of the monster bear whose scratches on
the rock still mark his struggles to get up the in
clined side Of the formations lying about midway
from the skeleton and the only known entrance.
He may have tracked the beast to his den and
like many another hunter, entered, and been the
Victim instead of the victor. The bones may
BELONG TO AN INDIAN WARRIOR
who sought TO bury disgrace In grave that In his
estimation could never be found They may
belong to slave who sought shelter from the
painting rage OF bloodhounds and baffied them
only to meet death In more terrible form-to wit
Falling from precipice in the darkness and dying
by inches, with nothing but rocks and dripping
slime for his companions. They may belong to
one of prehistoric race, such as have been un-
earthed in the far interiors of caves in Southern
France and the deepest recesses Of abandoned
quicksilver mines In Mexico, and the contempla-
tion of which now lll the lover Of archaeological
pursuits with such delight. They may belong TO
the race
WHOSE IMPLEMENTS WERE OF FLINT,
or still further back to the who used coarser
stone and lived and reveled in the sunny fields OF
the Western Hemisphere before the glacial period
The discovery of the remains of prehistoric man
would greatly enhance the interest Of tho caves
and the future visitor would look with awe and
admiration upon the last remnant of Its aboriginal
explorer. One theory is rs good sanother so long
as we are obliged merely to look at the fragments
imbedded In the crust. As yet
THE SKULL CANNOT DE DETERMINED.
II Is too deeply buried TO afford any information
II lisa pity that mystery should still be forced Ia
remain wrapped around these relies. Not the
slghtest investigation has yet been had, except
what is afforded by the dim examination allowed
by candles and an inconvenient posture. plan
has suggested itself to me- and 1t seems worthy the
trying The company who own the cavern will
lose nothing by 1t; on the contrary, will be greatly
benefited by any Investigation that may or can bC
made / would propose that the upper surfac,
OF the formation in which the remains Of lost lif
are now embedded be carefully dried by first swab
bling with sponges and plotting paper then takinl
plaster cast. After this has been successfully
accomplished, cut with narrow chisel around thu
edges of tho formation
DOWN THE SIDES OF THE ROCKS
end:li out the entire piece containing the bones
The upper cake still BIO preserved entire and Il
its present condition, and easily returned to IL
original position If needed while the part nov
hidden can be examined by scientists, preferably
the Smithsonian, for then 1t would become mat
ter ofnationa care. Such procedure would be
the means possibly Of adding vast wealth to arch
biological research. tits evident that in the forma.
tion underneath the
PRESENT EXPOSED PORTION
there Is something either OF stone, flint horn
or beads, or metal or clothing, that will tell who
the victim was and TO what age he belonged. Tn,
character of the formation Is such that they would
not wholly perish and be oblterated. There may
be portions Of skin clinging to some of the frag.
ncnts OF bone and they will determine whether
the man was black, or white, or red when th,
bones themselves would not afford the slightes
aid. Ifthese remains now buried In q miscelan
eous mixture of dirt and carbonate of lime, d,
prove Of scientific value, 1t would be eminentl,
proper to cause their deposit in the
NATIONAL MUSEUM.
The plaster cast referred to will fulfill every re-
quirement of sight. seeing. Right here, however
q very natural objection arises In the minds of tn,
proprietors. II was tersely stated by one OF then
the other day: "The moment we show a plaste
cast tourists and visitors will say: The who'll
thing Is put up for a sensation" The answe
to that Is: Z" The Smithsonian has charge OF tn,
original in the interest OF science. and the whole
of the relies can be examined, while the surface Il
all that could be In the case, and that is &c
curately reproduced" CARLMETH.
The Flipper Court Martial.
~ M