The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1883-11-17
MtREvGo CAyERNs.
lsclentlEe American !

ioS.eheiAAe nh'cA.NaH
Daring u geological excursion through
Southern Indiana. undertaken about 30
years ago. my attention was called to the
remarkable springs flowing out Of cavern
Gus openings in the village OF Spring.
,osH, now known as Marengo. We ex.
plared the largest OF those grottoes for
perhaps three-quarters OF a mile, follow
ing the margin oi the underground
stream. The entrance was wide and
symmetrical. and the walls were gradu.
ally contracted so as to make a tubular
passage way, by means OF which power.
iul sonorOus effects were produced, re-
sembling those for which Echo River in
Mammoth Cave is famous. There were
good many fish in the stream, but all OF
them seemed to be visitors from surface
waters. This cave contained many in.
teresting objects. especially several large
s.slagmitic columns. The temperature
was uniformly 50 deg. F.; and the at
nosphere, like that of many other Indiana
caves, possesses antiseptic properties, of
which the villagers take advantage, using
the place as general storehouss for veg.
etab!es, fruit, and other provisions liable
TO decay.
The geological formation of the region
is favorable to caves, heavy beds Of st.
Louis limestone being overlaid by Ches-
ter sandstone. Here and there the sur
face rocks have broken down, forming
sinkholes varying in size, and supposed
to communicate with subterranean pas
sages. Plankey Cave and several other
smaller excavations have long been known
in the vicinity, and along the banks of a
little stream known as Whiskey Run, a
tributary of the Great Blue river Wy
andot Cave, frequently described, and
probably next in size to Mammoth Cave,
is located about eleven miles south of
Marengo. and in the same geological
formation. Both are in Crawford county,
celebrated for its cavernous rocks.
On the 9th of September, 1883, five
young men, while rambling over the
grounds of Mr.. Samuel Stewart, near
Merango, discovered creyice at the bot
tom of large sinkhole, and resolved to
explore. The first to enter the orifice
opened were Messrs. Charles Jones and
Sherman Stewart. Finding that the
passage widened into a vast subteiranear
chamber, they returned for their com
rades. and, having provided Themselves
with lights, renewed their explorations
The reports of their discovery were 81
strange as to be almost incredible Or
the 10Th of September Mr.. Applegate, o
New Albany, from which Merango il
about thirty miles distant, made care
full examination of the newly-found cave
and published an account in the Dali,
Ledger of that city. DIR. E. s. Crosier
of the U. S. Surveyors Office, Louisville
KY, writes to me that Merango Cave j
magnificent, and no Manhattan affair,
alluding to several notorious hoaxes TO
which a person of that name is held re
sponsible. The description thus far fur
nished shows the cave to resemble closel
other great caves of this region. Their
are large halls embellished by stalactites
frost work, drapery, and various forma
tions, fantastic or grotesque. There or
lateral branches from the main cave
leading to pits and domes. There al
gypsum rosettes, alabaster columns, lin
pid pools, sparkling incrustations. rest
nant pendants, and other subterranea
wonders.
No map has yet been made, but IL
trend Of the excavation is said to |
southwark, showing an axis of erosie
parallel with Wyandot Cave. The DO
ton explored is estimated to exceed tu
miles in length. The more interestir
localities have been named Arthur Av
nue., Ledger Hall, Statue Hall, Stewart
Grotto, Diamond Dome, Organ Hall, ct
The suggestion may not be out Of plas
that these appellations should be r
garded as provisional until the enti
cavern shall have been explored; ths
let some individual Of good taste an
Judgment, like DR.. Crosier. for instanc
be authorized to revise the list and SUI
stitute an agreeable and sensible nomel
clature for the meaningless medley
frequently fastened upon some Of N
lures most marvellous works.