The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-03-24
AN ARIZONA WONDER.
Remarkable Gave in The Santa Rita
Noun aina-Ihe Bvitomleas Pit.

Tucson CTtizen.i
For several years the existence of a
curious cave near Greateryllle has been
known to the miners of the vicinity, but
the difficulty of thorough exploration has
deferred many from visiting it, and half
its wonderful extent IS yet unknown.
The cave, which is known by the miners
as the Aztec, is located about four miles
south of the Greaterville placers, in
limestone ridge Quite recently party
of miners, numbering eight or ten de-
termincd to discover. if possible, the ex-
tent and resources of the cave, and pro-
vided themselves with ropes, candles and
other necessities. They explored seven
teen rooms in all, the corridors and ap-
proaches to which extend for nearly a
mile from the entrance. They exper-
fenced great difficulty, as their progress
was frequently interrupted by abrupt
breaks in the plane of the cave, at which
breaks they rapidly used up their avail
able supply of ropes. The cave has two
entrances, which lead into an oval cav
ity, thence corridor leads into large
room and thence into a still larger. In
front the latter are two smaller cavities,
and these comprise the extent of former
explorations In them have been found
at various times in the past relics of In
dian occupation, including arrows and
skeletons. In one place several Indian
skeletons were found in q depression in
the floor of the cave. evidently fashioned
by human hands. This latter room is de-
scribed as being of marvellous beauty. It
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
rooms is o group of almost perfect
statuary. 1t consists of Large block of
limestone in the shape of man, woman
and child, the man being in the center,
and also having the closest resemblance
to humanity. The head is especially like
that of o man, having the features al
most distinct, and surmounted by hat.
A short distance away from the group,
in the fickering candle-ight, the lllu-
sion is said to be absolutely perfect. At
this point the cave discloses the strange
feature of being two-storied, to reach the
lowerrooms of which it is necessary to de-
scend by means of ropes. Here the ex-
tent of the old explorations ceases, and
the adventurers had to be careful lest
some new and strange feature of the cave
cause them trouble. In one of a group
of three lower rooms was found huge
stalagmite, which was insinctively called
Pompey's Pillar. 1t is three feet in
diameter at the base, and lessons grace
fully in size to the roofof the cave, thirty
feet high. This is probably six hundred
feet below the surface. From the rooms
last mentioned a corridor leads to a very
large and irregular cavity, and from this
small corridors lead to very beautiful
rooms, which were given the names OF
different members of the exploring party.
The party followed steeply-inclined
tunnel, seventy-five or eighty feet long,
which terminated in large abyss sixty
or seventy feet in diameter. After low.
ering one of the party down the per
pendicular sides from the mouth of the
tunnel as far as the remaining rope
would permit (about seventy feet). ant
failing to find bottom, the explorers
named it the "Bottomless Pit" and re
| turned.