Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-08-31
A SILVER CAVE.
Caverns Filled with Silver Ore..Tht
Roof Hung with Stalactites.
Territorial Enterprise

Territorial Enterprise
Chief of Police Bradley, who has just re-
turned from Downieville, Cal, furnishes us
with some interesting particulars in regard
to the recent big find in that camp. Chic
Bradley is interested in an extension of the
mine in which the strike was made, and
went out to Downieville to look after his
interests, he having two brothers residing
there. The cave was tapped by tunnel
at such depth that it extends to height OF
some 300 feet above the tunnel level How
far below it may go is matter of conjecture
as below the floor of the tunnel it is filled
with water.
The cave is not verticle opening II
stands at an angle of about forty degrees
From the floor to the roof it is from SO to
100 feet in height, being quite irregular, and
resembling series of chambers. Magnifi-
cent stalactites are suspended from the roof
many being ten to twelve feet in length, and
as white and clear as alabaster. These spar
kle in the light of candles like so many
huge icicles. Not only are these objects OF
great beauty, but there are also concretions
of the same beautiful material that mimic
animals and other things seen on the surface
of the earth. There are cOncretiOns that re-
semble owls, rabbits, the heads of goats, don
keys and many other things. At the mine
they have concretion that is perfect rep
resentation of the head and neck of swan,
bill and all being very distinct Chief Brad
lev found what was an excellent representa-
ton of the heel of goat, the horns being
perfect and natural, but he had the bad luck
to break off the horns in securing it.
By bringing the lights to bear upon the
water at the tunnel level the continuation OF
the cave can be very distinctly traced. The
water is very clear, and with the lights prop
erIy placed one may peer down into 1t to
depth of twenty-five or thirty feet. Down
in the water, pendant from the roof, are to
be seen the same clusters of stalactites and
cancretions as are found in the part that has
been drained.
Chief Bradley says that, standing at the
tunnel level and gazing upward along the
cave-when the lights have been arranged at
the top and at intermediate points-tne view
is magnificent The whole roof seems to be
hung with chandeliers and other beautiful
objects in alabaster and glass. The ore lies
on the floor and along the sides of the cave.
and is so soft that it is handled with shovels
AS the ore is scoOped up and shoveled into
the cars at the track floor it slides down from
above like so much ashes or loose gravel. 1t
is OF a deep red color and so stains the hands
and faces OF the miners thut it is difficult
matter to wash it of.
While much of the ore goes up into the
hundreds, it is considered safe to put the
average, as it is shoyeled up and wheeled
out, at S75 per ton. The red dust is so heavy
that a handful OF it feels like SO much shot
Mingled with this fine stuff are great blocks
of galena, that come rolling down as the
shoveling proceeds. Many of these are Sc
large that one man cannot lift them, and il
is necessary to break them up with sledge
No one knows the value of the find, and
it is considered safe to put it at $25O,OO
Two car loads of the ore were shipped tC
San Francisco few days ago to be operated
upOn at the works in that city