Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-07

ing VINO and crz.S11ng lmo<rs- coU3<
Hken if 70 short. quick stunning blow
Arthar FOx, who saS It ~ Is was ap
proaehin9. said: . sac MACS Of dart
charming clonos, preceded by grsyisE
cioud, whieh seemed 30 be farming Ia the
air like al a1ser.
eAyERS % esgsessTsEs.
One of the most remarkable caves OF
the continent ~ 10 he found seven HAiie.
southeast Of Equality, Ill. III Gailst'n
county. Is has Iong eujoyed iocsl
fame, bat. strange 20 SAY, its iptsrlo,
wonders have never been described 10
print. The road leading TO IL terminates
AZ the foot OF miniature mo1ntain-
whose crest IL 80 feet above the level Of
the valley below, and which overiookf
Shaxneetoxn- Harrisburg, Ii Dorado
Equality and the Ohio river for twenty
miles up and down. At tbs bs-e of the
hill there are some 1--WE suiphur springs
where people camp 10 the Summer tinne.
There il SMALL grocery there and a
rural restaurant and 81 farm boass. The
mouth Of the cave IL situated about hall
way up the side of the hill The way
leading up il fearfuiiy rocky. and IN
plac . il IL too bfskeD and steep for q
horse TO ascend On the north side,
among q grove Of ccdars. the opening,
about the sizs of an ordinary doorway.
was found. and in sort of weather box
near BY there was an attendant vno
charges small fee for condust,ng casual
visitors through the cavern and point
ing out It's curiosisies- The entr .pce L
fully high enough for the tsllest man To
uaIk erect. The guide called attention
90 the fac: that the air At that point was
Aimost freezing cold, bat that the tenn
perature would be quite warm and com
Portable when tbs inside Was fairly en-
tered. He mentioned this diversity az
a phenomenon that n observable botn
winter and sumner, which mad often
excited the wonder of travellers, bat had
never been explained. Absolute dark
ness rei0ns within, and explorers are
provided With lighted candies, lamps
going oot too easily. From the opening
shere ID q passage-way forty feet long
aud nix let wide. The walls are of
sandstone and appear 70 have been sub
joufsd 20 intense heat. Inc ceiling u
nos over eight feet overhead, but in tie
second pan1Age-way, RAINING at night
angles 20 the firsf, IT is fully % feet 10
tho top. Here IL serioB of corridors,
laid Of With the Regularity Of city thor
ouGhfarss, and IexSsng 10 ali points Of
the compass. The Aoor 10 of dirt main
", but hseo and there long slabs of burnt
sandst0ne make secare and easy psth.
A distanoe Of so feet is traversed be-
fore the frst capacious apartment is
reached. Here a natural grotto about
10 foos in length and breadth presents a
wsld and weird appearance. The cell
ing. forty feet above, is studded with
ssalactites. many Of them pendent like
icicles and rejecting brilliant hgh;
light where the rays from the candles
fall. The walls are of light yellow
sandstone, and many curious inscrip-
tions, With names notable aud names
unknown. are cut deep in the rock.
through this apartment stream of
water three or four feet wide trickiss to
the south. where II 10 lost in the earth.
Il ID about two feet deep, and it is said
that eyelsss fsh have been caught in il,
ns well AZ an au,phibious lizard, coal
black IN color aud without eyes.
Further on. in an apartment nearly as
large As the former, attention il directed
70 q large inscription on the wall, cat
deep in the rock. which read, Sepul-
chrs Of Shawnee Braves" The guide,
In explaining this inscription, said that
the Shawnee Indians once inhabited the
region surrounding the cave, and ID was
q legend that this particular cavern Was
used ~ burial place for the great chiefs
Of the tribe. No mounds are visible on
~ 49, IS txsx -. 81
that an early settler once brought a
spade. and, on DIGGING foot below.
found q regular charnel house. and the
guide said there could be no doubt that
this particular part Of the cayo Was full
Of human homes
From the mouth Of the cave on the
North 70 its extreme southern limit the
distance is two and half miles, tie
route being easily passable all the way.
There are innumefable passages leading
70 the right and left. and only few Of
these have bsen explored. From a &C.
ries Of yawninR holes in the west wall of
one compartments dozen separate tor
rents leap down ON the rocks below and
rush into subterranean channel that
opens In the center Of the rocky floor.
The Wild roar and still wilder echoes
from the cataract can be heard hundreds
Of wards AWAY, and On nearer approach
become somewhat deafening. The wa
ter il N clear ~ crystal. rejecting a
million diamonds in the light of the
taliow candles. The underground chan
mel here Is over thirty feet deep, as vas
proved By letting down line and heavy
lead. The current il 50 strong that il
vas difficult 70 get a perpendicular mea-
surement, though the lead weighed a
p ,und.
One OF the ssrangest features TO be
encountered was pointed out by the
guide as be conducted the party to a
small chamber on the east Of what APP
pears 20 be the main thoroughfare OF
this great hollow III the earth. In the
vail, within foot Of the surface of the
door, there Is an aperture three or four
fest in diameter. with torn and jagged
edges ~ IL the rpck had been rent asun.
der with giant powder. Candies held 10
the hole show rough inclined plane,
extending downward for ten feet, an
than an abrupt termination ON the verge
Of what appears b be an illimitable cav
Of darkness. The echo Of the human
voice from this inner cavern is some.
thing fearful. A rock rolled down I
incline plane aad into the chasm is moi
heard from for fully thirty seconds
when there comes sound as il a Gun
had gone Oh, succeeded by q terrible dis
charge Of musketry, yoliey following
vulley until the sound dies away, LIKE
. faint moan, In the bowels OF the
earth.
-
We borrow,
In our sorrow,
From the sun that shines tomorrow
Half the light thai gilds to-day.
And the spleudor
Flashes tender
Ger hopes footsteps 90 defend her