St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-07-23

3
darkness and seeming destruction to
marvellous. light and beauty. How
heaven smiles through. her last few
tears which hang glistening from the
'ttrees and blades of grass as we often
see them on the cheek of little child
The shower over and all nature fresh
aud smiling, seeming like huge baby
just out from its bath, we enter ''lce
! Cave" The opening hardly admits
one person. After going down ten
feet we come to a drift of snow about
six feet deep, and farther on to ice
solid and thick. Clambering along the
shelving rock we lind narrow open
] ing leading on about fifty feet, The
air is as damp and cold as if it were
winter time and as we have no over
coats with us, we next try the upper
cave, but soon pass to the central one,
which has been thoroughly explored
but by a very few persons. Looking
to- our rope, Irvine, lantern, candle,
! watches, revolver, etc, we face the up-
known darkness. First we lower the
candle, through a narrow crevice in
the rocks, to test the air below,
Straight down it goes for some fifty
feet but still burns brightly. Entering
the cave by side entrance we pass
along little way and find ourselves
about fifteen feet below the opening
| through which our candle came. We
now have u climb along down the
rocks, having sent our light on ahead
of us. As we cling to little jnttiDg
corners and lower ourselves carefully
a little ways at time, we see the light
thirty or forty feet below US. When
we touch the bottom we breathe east
Ell again. As we look far up toward
the glimmer of daylight we almost
wonder at our own recklessness. Still,
adventure, the dark mystery ahead, all
seem to stimulate and give us Zest for
the work. We next make our way
along passage about three feet wide
quite comfortably, and after going fifty
or seventy five feet come to a gallery
with branches, one leading to the right,
the other to the left. Passing along
about twenty five feet, we suddenly
come to Il pond of water. How differ
ent it looks from those seen in the
open air! The lantern flashes out up
nj nf M
earthly depth, only little way. 1t
lies there cold and silent like Il huge
monster, waiting as does the devil-fish
in ocean caves, to seize its victim. But
we advance, though the reflected light
seems the great wicked eye of the hid
eous horror. But after all we find it
appears to be only little pond. How
shall we get by it What lies beyond ?
IL this the beginning OF an under
ground stream2 Does it go winding
down between the granite ribs of the
mountain and finally help fill the lake
beyond? How deep is it9 Our guide
(whO keeps at the rear, probably to
guard against flank mOvement) says
he doesn't know he has never been
into the cave so far before. | drop a
rock and soon see it cleaning only
three feet below. Just then l see
something white floating on the sur
face. What can it be-a body 2 |
stOop to lift it and the water is so cold
it sends chill all through me. Yes,
it is a body,-Of ice! But we are not
content. We must get beyond this
water, if it is a pond, and yet how i
feel along the damp walls until | find IA
niche just large enough for my right
foot. Bracing overhead, | find other
crevices, until a narrow ledge little
way along gives footing. Then the
Professor passes rocks to me; these |
throw into what seems a shallow spot
beyond, until l have pier above
water; stepping on this and reaching
out my lantern, | can see shore some
four feet away. Swinging my light by
the cord, it lodges safely beyond me on
the rock, and braciug my feet, | jump
aud land safely on the farther shore.
The Professor initiates my example,
except that he feels of the water with
his feet instead of his hands. Although
we have succeeded we can go on only
a few feet, for all at once the passage
ends abruptly at "a little hole too small
for us to squeeze through.
Retracing our steps we enter the left
passage. After a scramble for fifteen
feet or so. we come to a magnificent
gallery. 1t is eight feet wide, fifteen
high, and one hundred in length, run
ming into the solid granite. What
mighty tone-cutter has done this
work ? Who was the architect How
long has this room been here 2 What
human feet have trOd this walk What
sights and sounds have there been in
this hidden caveP
Darkness always acts upon most
minds as sort of interrogation point
and raises all kinds of queries. | cOnld |
not find IA scientific man to explain this |
phenomenon. These are not properly |
caverns. They look as if some wedge
had been driven in, the granite split
and forced apart eight feet or 50, IA
huge boulder of the same laid over
head, and then left as a sepulchre fit
for some tremendous giant. Probably |
a mountain stream has ding through |
a.. e Al. ~.
working i'll conjunction with Jack Frost