Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-06
AN INDIANA CAVERN.
Discovery OF an Extensive Cave Near
Marom

Merom.
One Of the loyeliest spots in Indiana,
says a Yineennes special to the Cincin-
natl Commercial Gazette, is occupied by
MerOm, a college town in Sullivan county.
about 40 miles above this city, on the
Wabash river, which, at that point at
least, is pretty stream, that is not with
out its romantic. not TO say tragic, asso-
Citations. The town of Merom stands
high and fair upon bluffs that are impos-
ing in size and beautiful in form. and
from the college tower that overlooxs the
village a prospect of hill and valley and
winding stream is disclosed that CAPT.
Yates the eye and inspires the heart with
something Of the rapture that
poets feel in the presence Of the sub
lime. Merom has enjoyed some celebrity
as a point Of interest to biologists and
students of paleontOlogy, its cliffs and
hollows Astounding in excellent mineral
specimens as well as relics Of an antigua
rian character. The hills have often been
explored by pleasure parties. as well as
by scientists, the one finding qualification
in their glorious scenery and the other
profitable employment in searching out
their varied secrets Of rock and burial
mound; but it remained for two young
hunters, John Creager and Harry Blue,
to make a discovery that eclipses any
thing previously known in this section Of
the country. On the farm of VIM. Cooper,
Just north of the village Of Merom, are
situated some of the most imposing Of the
bluffs that have contributed to the
fame Of the locality, and it was
about midway between the base and sum-
NIT of the most precipitOus Of these that
the famous Lindsay rock was situated
until recently. This rock received its
name from Lindsay, the noted outlaw,
who fiOurished in that section years ago,
robbing and numbering and making him.
self a terror to the country generally.
Some years ago he met his death near the
rock mentioned, and his name has since
been attached to it by local historians.
The fall of a mighty sycamore which
stood at the base of the cliff ana the re-
cent heavy rains loOsened and carried
away the soil beneath Lindsay rock,
and shortly after it broke loose and
rolled with a tremendous splash into
the lovely waters below, carrying
with it large quantity of soil, rocks and
underground, thus boring a hole in the
face Of the cliff that was first seen by the
hunters on the 18th inst, as stated above.
This hole was very small, so small, in
deed, that the adventurous young men,
who provided themselves with bark
torches, and armed themselves with a de-
termination to distinguish themselves if
they could, had trouble in crawling in,
but after crawling for perhaps fifteen
feet the passage opened into a large
chamber, fully fifteen feet high and stretch
ing back in the darkness an unknown
distance. The young men soon found
they could not do much without better
lights, and so they returned to MerOm,
told their story to the college people, and
in a short time returned to the cliff,
accompanied by Prof. Woodwork and a
couple of students.
The party were well equipped for the
explOratiOn-candles, lanterns, axes,
poles, ETC., being carried with them into
the mysterious cavern. No sooner had
the lights which they carried fairly pene-
trated the gloom of the first chamber
than the CHASTITY outlines of two skele-
tons, lying in a slight depression in the
floor, were seen. An examination proved
one of these skeletons to be that of
that of a dog. Near the skeletons
were found flint arrows and
spear heads and a stone Ratchet, these
articles indicating the skeleton to be that
of an Indian. Penetrating further into
the spacious chamber, a clear and cold
stream Of water was encountered. 1t is
small and pure, entering at the north side
and passing across, disappears IN the
south wall. 1t is supposed to supply the
spring at the base of the bluff, where so
many hot and thirsty picnickers have re-
freshed themselves from the bubbling
waters, little dreaming that it was fresh
from the mystery of an Indian sarcoph-
agus. Pushing on, the explorers came
to a point where the cave divided into
two galleries, one bearing of south
easterly, the other directly north. At
the point of bifurcation, deep grooves of a
reddish color were observed in the ceiling,
the torches lighting them up and produce
ING an effect of color that was described
as delightful. Pursuing their way along
the southern gallery, the party soon came
to a huge heap of fallen rocks that OBJ
structed the way completely, so that fur
Their explorations in that direction were
gwen over for that time. Returning to
the north gallery, near the entrance of
which an Indian pipe was picked up, the
party proceeded to explore it, but they
! were soon driven back by carbOnic
diOXide that filled the ghOstly place and
made breathing uncomfortable. That
portion still remains uneXplored, though
several parties have since attempted
to brave its foul air, and its size and
secrets are still unknown. Prof. b. f..
McHenry, who has visited the cave which
has been called the "Blue Creager," in
honor of its discoveries, described its
| beauties as equaling some of those to be
seen in the famous Mammoth cave, and
he expresses the belief that when fully
explored, it will prove one of the most in
teresting natural wonders in the West.
The southeastern gallery contained rock
that held large quantities of copper, and
Prof. McHenry ventures the opinion that
the ''Blue Creager'' has higher value
than its mere beauty and mystery give it..
1t is being visited by scores eff curious
people, and it is expected that the official
geological survey Of the interior will be
made very soon.