Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-12-03
THE OLD DEVILS CAVE.
An Object of Curiosity Which is Neglect
ed by the Il 'sidents of Newton, vi,

| HE OLD DEVILS GAVE.
An Object of Curiosity which is Neglect
ed by the asidents of Newton, Nj.
| A Newton. N. j., correspondent
writes as follows to the New York
star: A few small boys have revived
interest in the old Devils cave. near
this town. The queer old cavern had
faded out of the public mind pretty
much OF late years. The mouth of the
cave had been covered with UNDER
brush. and no longer CAPPED at the Pc
| destrIan who occasionally cut across
! lots and encountered it. The working
OF slate-quarry just beyond seems to
have buried the whole business. There
fore, bnt for the small boys in question,
| one OF the most interesting caves in
The land might have been forgotten for
a generation or so. and then been dis
covered aud offered as new wonder.
| The boys had never heard of the cave.
and when they explored few feet of
It recently they were astonished and
| supposed they had struck something
entirely new. Their parents soon sat-
lsiled them to the contrary, however,
and cautioned them against penetrate
ing too far into the mysteries of the
| place.
The Devils cave is really wonder.
and were it near some famous resort it
would be down in the books as 4 great
| feature. Red arrows would mark the
path to it from the hotels, and admis-
sion would be charged the pilgrim dar-
ing to enter If ii were near a resort,
however, the mouth of the cave would
be considerably enlarged, for at pres
ent 1t is barely large enough to admit
the body of man entering by lying on
his back and sliding in feet first. For
that reason those who have entered are
not numerous, and this may account
| Tor the statement that the cavern has
never been thoroughly explored. The
| darkness, just as soon as the little
light at the mouth vanishes, is Egyp-
tian, and candles or lanterns are need
ed. Alter the entrance is made, the
explorer finds himself in a good-sized
apartment. The sides are Slate and
moist. The bottom of the cavern is
even and also of slate.
The few who have explored it have
| divided the cave into rooms. SO far as
explored there are six of these rooms.
The first, as already described, simply
consists of big slate-lined apartment.
The second room is directly off the
first, and is entered by well-defined
doorway. This doorway is most COM
plete. 1t simply needs door and
hinges TO perfect it. The second room
is much the same as the first, but rath-
er smaller. The third room is decid-
eddy mysterious, and has terrified many
a visitor and prevented any further in
yestigation. 1t is entered in queer
manner. You step over rock lying
ut the entrance, and then lower your
self three or four feet. In other words,
the third room is below the other two.
1t is hard to find firm foothold, as
stream rushes through the apartment
at q terrific rate. The appearance, as
revealed by the rays of lantern, re-
semblcs that in some of the recesses of
The Mammoth cave in kentucky. There
Is ledge along this stream to the end
OF the room. The apartment is very
large-three times the size of the other
two rooms combined. The stream is
three or four feet deep, aud disappears
under tho corner OF the apartment.
just where it disappears it is very mar
row. and the explorer steps across it
in order TO enter the next apartment.
lie crosses what sounds like a Young
maclstrom.
The fourth room is more ike hall.
1t is long and quite narrow. Two peo-
pie can not pass without difficulty, and
the walls on either side are damp. Wa
ter can be heard dripping down the
walls, but it must disappear through
some crcyice, for the floor seems to be
perfectly dry and hard. La this room
Ucgin traces OF Il gas that becomes
more and more perceptble rs one adj
vanccs, and finally is uncomfortable.
Otherwise there is nothing noteworthy
in this room. The fifth room is the
largest of all SO far accounted for, and
from II shoot oil passageways, one of
which is believed 10 lead into tue adj
jacent slate quarry. At any rate,
miners in tho quarry some weeks aco
struck an opening that is supposed to
be the end or this passageway. There
are so many holes in the place, how
ever, That no one has ventured far into
It, There is another dark passaocway
from the fifth room that is said to have
contained an animal of some sort at
one time. At any rate, stories to that
effect are current. 1t is said that
party exploring the room one day were
Mortified ut growl issuing from this
passage. One of the party is positive
he saw white, glaring eyes. But all
the explorers made such hasty exit
that it is doubtful whether much reli-
ance can be placed on their state
ments.
The sixth room is really a mystery.
IL has never been explored 10 any ex-
tent. The entrances to it from the fifth
room is down and over two or three
stones. The rush of gas is so strong
and overpowering that no one has vet
entered more than a few feet. The
odor Is very penetrating. and induces
almost instant dizziness. Candles are
eXtlnguished at once, and it is claimed
that even the light in a tight lantern
soon flickers and dies out. At least a
venturcsome explorer, being almost
overco with the gas, left his lantern
in the room. A companion went after
1t minute or so later and found the
llght exlinguished It's supposed that
this sixth apartment is the last because
the gases are SO confined There is
some talk OF forming regular explor-
ing party, thoroughly equipped, and
investigating every part Of the cavern.
The people round here do not take
much interest in the matter, however,
and it will doubtless be left for out
siders to undertake the explorations.
Texas Bear Story.
MIR. Meyer, of Meyers Garden. has