Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-27
Underground Exploration in Austria.
From the London Times

From the London Times.
The extraordinary underground phenomena
found in certain portions OF the southern and
Adriatic provinces of Austria. including miles
of underground caverns, lakes that disappear
and reappear at regular seasons, and rivers that
are swallowed up by the earth and come to the
surface again at many miles distance, have re-
Gently been the subject OF much attention on
the part of the Austro-German Alpine club and
or the Club degli Aipinisti of Trieste. section
Of the members Of the former body determined
some time ago to institute systematic explor-
alton OF the subterranean course of the River
Reka. Rising in the Schneeberg, in Carniola
this mysterious stream suddenly disappears in
the so-called karst caverns. At San Giovanni
di Dunno. 20 miles distant from the spot where
the Reka is lost, a river OF corresponding mag
nitude is found issuing from the foot OF a hill
This stream is known as the Timavo. which
takes 3 westward course, and discharges
its waters into the BAY OF Montfalcone
As TO the identity of the Timavo
with the Reka there cannot be doubt. although
until the present year no attempt had ever been
made practically to demonstrate the TACT. The
members of the AuStro-German Alpine club.
who had resolved to explore the underground
meandcrings of the river. madetheir preliminary
reconnaissance on March 50 last. Starting from
the celebrated cavern of st. CaZian. into which
the Reka pours its waters soon after its diSaD-
pearance from the surface. the exploring party
succeeded in following the course of the stream
for a short distance. Owing to the unusual dry
ness OF the summer. however. it was impossible
to proceed with the work OF exploration until
the month OF September. when second eXpe-
diton started. The third attempt was made on
the 9th of the present month A boat and raft
which had with great difficulty been got down
to the stream in the cavern in March had been
carried away by sudden rush of water before
September. Fresh boats were accordingly pro-
yided for the second attempt.
Starting from the first great cavern. called the
RudoIphs Dome, the expedition. consisting OF
four persons in two boats. proceeded on their
eventful voyage. From the cavern lust men,
toned the river flows for 300 feet through Har-
row channel between two perpendicular walls
of rock, estimated to be upwards of l00 yards
in height. At the end of this channel the eX-
plorers, whose course throughout was illumina-
ted by the magnesium light. found themselves
in vast cavern, where they We're able to land.
Fastening up their boats. they proceeded Tor
some distance on foot past several cascades and
rapids. They followed the course OF the stream
without much difficulty tor a considerable dis
lance after leaving the ncwly-discoyered cavern
keeping to the left bank at first At length
they reached a spot where the river contracts
to a width OF barely twelve feet. Here they
4, We're compelled to cross TO the right bank which
they did by help OF wooden ladder they had
with them. The advance now became more
difficult. the explorers being only able to get
forward by creeping and climbing. At length
they came TO the sixth waterfall. which the
party was unable to pass The river here runs
between two perpendicular walls OF rocks. and
suddenly takes downward leap of over twenty
feet. From the Rudolph's Dome, where
the start was made, to the sixth waterfall
the distance is rather over furlong. and re-
qures half day to accomplish At the third
attempt the four gentlemen forming the eXpedi-
ton succeeded 10y help of suitable ladders and
other apparatus in getting over this cataract
and advancing some distance beyond it, They
soon. however came to a seventh waterfall
where they were compelled to turn back. They
found that to make any further progress il
would be necessary to get boat past the last
waterfalls, there is no standing room on
either side of the stream. but sheer perpendicu-
lar walls OF rock. The further exploration of
the underground river will be resumed as soon
| as the requisite apparatus can be got ready.
In the meantime the Alpine Club has decided
to make the approaches to the Rudolph's Dome
cavern more easy of access to the general
public. The second cavern. which was discoY-
cred in September. is of far greater dimensions
than the RuGophs Dome or any of the other
! caves of this district. Its height is upward of
40 feet so that it could easily contain the ca
thedral of st. Peters at Rome
With regard to the Italian Alpine Club its
committee has during the past summer done
some good service by rendering the splendid
cavern of Trebitsh, discovered by Herr Lindner
forty years ago. accessible to the ordinary holi-
day tourist. The cavern can only be approached
by descending deep shaft down which visitors
have hitherto had to Chamber on the bare rocks
The Club degli Aipinisti have now caused a
series Of ladders. seventy-four in number to be
fixed. The Trebtsh cavern is 800 feet high. 400
feet in width and 600 feet in length. Through
it flows river which several authorities believe
to be Identical with the Reka aud Timayo but
the hypothesis is repudiated by many other
observers The question can only be settled
when the Austro-German Alpine Club shall have
accomplished the interesting task it has taken
in hand-that of following the subterranean
course Of the river Reka from its beginning to
its termination.