The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-02-10
A Remarkable Cave i'm the Santa Rita
Mountains.

For several years, says the Tucson
(Arizona) Citizen, the existence of a
curious cave near Greaterville 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 as yet un-
known. From P. J. Coyne, a WELL
known and reliable prospector, who is
in the city, in company with Mr.. John
son, q Citizen. reporter this morning
gathered some interesting facts regard
ing the cave, the result of a partial ex-
ploration. The cave, which is known
by the miners as the Aztec, is located
about four miles south of the Greater
vile placers, in limestone rid ge. Quite
recently party of miners, numbering
eight or ten, including Mr.. Coyne, de-
termined to discover, if possible, the
extent and resources of the cave, and
provided themselves with ropes, can
dies and other necessities. They ex-
plored seventeen rooms in all, the corri-
doris and approaches to which extend
for nearly a mile from the entrance.
They experienced great difficulty, as
their progress was frequently interrupt
ed by abrupt breaks in the plane of the
cave, at which breaks they rapidly used
up their available supply of ropes. The
cave has two entrances, which lead into
an oval cavity, thence a corridor leads
into large room, and thence into a
still larger. In from 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 Indian occupation, inclnd-
ing arrows and skeletons. In one place
several Indian skeletons were found in
depression in the floor of the cave,
evidently fashioned by human hands.
The latter room is described as being of
marvellous beauty. 1t is irregular in
forms which the action of lime has the
power to create. In one of these rooms
is a group of almost perfect statuary
1t consists of a large block of lime
stone 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 is especially like
that of a man, having the features al
most distinct and surmounted by hat.
A short distance away from the group
in the llickering candle-light, the illusion
is said to be absolutely perfect. At this
point the cave discloses the strange feat
ure of being two-storied, to reach the
lower rooms of which it was necessary
to descend by means of ropes. Here
the extent Of the old explorations cease,
and the adyenturers had to be careful
lest some new and strange feature of
the cave might cause them trouble. In
one of a group of three lower rooms was
found huge stalagmite, which was in
stinctively called Pompey's Pillar. 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 600 feet below. the surface.
From the rooms last mentioned corri-
dor leads to avery large and irregular
cavity, and from this small corridors
lead to very beautiful rooms, which
were given the names of different mem
bers of the exploring party. The one
named for Mr.. Coyne is the largest in
the cave. From what was named
g 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 di-
ameter. After lowering one of the
party down the perpendicular sides from
the mouth of the tunnel as far as the
remaining rope would permit (about
seventyfeet), and failing to find bottom
the explorers named it the g Bottomless
PITT and retraced their steps to the
surface, resolving to return at a future
time and see 8. what there was in it.''
The exploration of the I" PITT will re-
veal some strange features, as there
must be some outlet to the open air at
the bottom, Mr.. Coyne stating that
while the air was oppressive and stale
at number of the remoter recesses of
the cave, the atmosphere in the I" PITT
xvas frosb apd GOOD - +-..,t .. .f-...,.t o. &.