The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-01-20
AN ARIZONA WONDER.
A Remarkable Cave In the santa Rita
Mountains.
Tucson Citizen.

For several years the existence OF a
curious cave near Greateryille has been
known to the miners of the vicinity,
but the difficulty of thorough ex-
ploration has deferred many from visit
| ing it, and half its wonderful extent is
as vet unknown. From P. J. COyne,
a wellknoNn and reliable prospector,
who is in the city, in company with
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 Astee, is located
about four miles south Of the Greater
vile placcrs, in a limestone ridge.
| Quite recently a party of miners num-
boring eight or ten, including Mr..
Coyne, determined to discover, if pos
sible, the extent and resources Of the
cave, and provided themselves 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 cave has two en-
frances, which lead into an oval cavity,
thence a corridor leads into a large
room, and thence into a still larger.
In from the latter are two smaller cay
tiles, and these comprise the extent Of
former explorations. In them have
been found at various tim es in the past
relics of Indian occupation, including
several Indian skeletons were found in
a depression in the floor Of the cave,
evidently fashioned by human hands.
This latter room is described 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 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, anC also
having the closest resemblance to hui
mainly. The head Is especially like
| that of u man, having the features al
mos distinct, and surmOuted by hat.
| =
in the Pickering candle-light, the illus
ion is said TO be absolutely perfect. At
this point the cave discloses the
strange fea ure Of being two-stOrled, to
reach the lower rooms Of which 1t was
necessary to descend by means of
ropes. Here the extent Of the old eN-
plorations cease, and the adventures
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 stalag-
mite, which was instinctly called POM
pegs Pillar 1t is three feet in di-
ameter at the base, and lessons grace
fully in size to the roof Of the cave,
thirty feet high. This is probably 600
feet below the surface. From the
rooms last mentioned a corridor leads
to very large and irregular cavity,
and from this small corridors lead to a
very beautiful room, which were given
the names Of different members Of the
exploring party The one named for
Mr.. Coyne is the largest in the cave.
From what is named .:Hale's room"
the party followed a steeply-inclined
tunnel seventy-lve or eighty feet long.
which terminated in large abyss 5ixtv
or seventy feet in diameter. After
lowering one Of the party down the
perpendicular sides from the mouth OF
the tunnel as far as the remaining rope
wonld permit (about seventy feet, and
failing to find bottom, the explorers
named it the 'BottOmless Pit" and re-
traced their steps to the surface, re,
resolving to return at q future time
and see what there was in it." The
exploration of the Pit" will reveal
some strange features, az there must
be some outlet to the open air at the
bottom, Mr.. Coyne stating that while
the air was oppressive and stale at a
number of the remoter recesses of the
cave, the atmosphere in the Pit was
| rrcs h md c-raI