Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-05
MAIiENGO GA We.
An astonishing Discovery in OraW-
ford County, Indiana a Rival TO-
fammOth ana Luray. 81

Mammoth and Luray.
Sunday morning, the 9th inst, FIVE
young men Charles Jones, Sherman
Stewart, John Jones, Mitchell Stewart,
and Morton Patterson strolling
around on the outskirts Of the village Of
Marengo, or springtown, in Crawford
county when it was proposed toexplore
hole discovered in the ground in the bot
tom Of what had been one Of the sink
holes common to that part ofthe country.
Lights were procured, and the first two,
being more venture some, started on an
exploring EXPEDITION, They had not
gone far until the fact dawned upon
them that they were in vast cavern
whose dimensions might prove greater
than they cared to explore. Some spec.
linens Of stalactites and other formations
were gathered up and taken out to their
companions az proof that they had
found cave. The whole party then
ventured in, and, gaining courage from
numbers, they went into the subteran-
can cavern to the distance of a half
! mile or more, finding many strange form
| atoms, and seeing some Of the beau
ties Of one OF the most beautiful eaverns
ever discovered. OF course when they
soon the villagers were in state of con-
! siderable excitement. Several parties
| ventured into the cave to confirm or de-
ny the reports of the young men. But
the more it was seen the more the won
der grew. The news spread, and when
it reached New Albany q representative
| of the Ledger was dispatched to inyes
tigate the matter. ~
| At Marengo, a little station on the
| Airline railway, thirty-three miles
from this city, it was learned that the
cave was reality. Several citizens had
explored it, and their reports agreed it
was we'll worth visit.
! The entrance is in the edge of a woods.
and is quite cozy little place. 1t is on
the farm of Samuel Stewart q veteran of
u years, and an old citizen of the neigh
borhood. Within the last few days he
has put board covering over the en-
trance and door which is kept locked,
and no one is admitted except by his
consent. Mr.. Stewart proposes to charge
about 80 cents for Abundance, land guides
| can be procured at reasonable rates
Plank steps lead about is feet downward:
then q gradual slope extends probably
twenty feet further into a large hall, the
bottom Of which is in places sandy and
in other place hard crust of clay and
sand. On each side and overhead may
| b. seen at short intervals beautiful spec
linens of stalactites and stalagmites in
| every shape and. form, from the delicate
| pendant with frost.work rivaling the
feathery tracery Of the pencil Of the
frost king upon the pane Of glass, or i'm
itatlons of drapery such as fill the
dreams Of the wanderer in the vale of
Cashmere. to pillars as MASSIVE IS those
which support the dome of the capitol
at Washington. The eye is filed With
wonder and the mind with awe in view
| ing this work of nature, which has been
| quietly building up these formations
drop by drop for countless ages. One
can come to realize some of the unseen
! forces of nature, the results of which are
spread out before|him in these vast halls:
but the eye cannot seq nor the mind
| conceive all the beauties of natures
| work.
One Of the largest halls has, by per-
mission of Mr.. Stewart, been named
IledgeraHall. It stretches across one Of
the long halls, in, some sixty feet long
and about forty feet high, and in the
| grandeur is almost if not quite equal to
the large hall in Mammoth cave.
Near this lie some stones, evidently
| fallen from the roof, which would prove
valuable in the market. One of them is
thirty. feet long. eight feet wide, and
and nine inches thick, and is of blue
! limestone. How long they have lam
there cannot be told, bt1t as large stalag-
| mites have formed onssome of them, It
is probable that many years have passed
since their fall.
! Further along may be found Arthur
avenue filed with fine gypsum FORM
atoms, and President island, an immense
J mass Of earth gtrongly impregnated with
saltpeter.
| In one of the walls beyond Presidents
| island can be seen fantastic pictures of
birds, beasts and reptiles which strongly
resemble some dilapidated show bills
remaining on dead walls after the show
has come and gone. They are, perhaps,
! relics OF some prehistor ic Barnum. Pill
Jared palace lies beyond the island and
is enc of the grandest sights in the cav
ern. Huge stalagmites have grown up
formed pillars of granite dimensions.
The Jersey Lily is pointed out near this
point, a formation representing wo-
man. Being beautiful specimen it is
very naturally named after the mos
beautiful woman III the world.
! STATUE nall is another scene OF mingled
beauty and grandeur. Seen we'll lighted,
1t strongly resembles large hall filed
with marble images from the sculptor's
hands. rs the light penetrates the
olackness Of darkness which envelopes
them, "sbadowing forth the forms Of
things unknown" a scene is formed
upon the mind never to be forgotten.
After travelling from one and half to
two miles through what is now called
the main cave, without finding an end
to it, the party: retraced their steps,
| finding new wonders on the return, and
entered a lateral branch called Stewards
grotto. This is, SO far, considered the
handsomest part Of the cave, and may
we'll be 50 pronounced, as it is literally
filed with wonders At its entrance
stands what has been christened dia-
mond dome, from the {: ct that it is coy
cred with small particles of gypsum, so
bright that they reflect the rays Of light
and give the dome the appearance
of being covered with minute diamonds.
| A short distance further is seena 70 rm-
| alton bearing striking resemblance
to the great American ant-eater, an an
imal very rare, to say the least of it, in
this country. But the likeness is really
remarkable.
Jumbos pillar is another of the curl
osities to be seen close by those last
mentioned, and is the largest pillar vet
discovered in the cave, and is named
after the largest known animal.
| Organ hall had been so named for the
reason that at one end of the same there
is perfect representation of large Or
gan with the pipes and ornamented top
| piece. all complete. Large f1ued pend
ants drape the walls of the halls, which
being struck give forth sounds ranging
| from soft, hute-like notes to the deep
toned chords of tie grandest pipe organ.
| The organ looks down on what might be
called a hillside graveyard, as on gen.
tie slope stand numerous stalagmites