Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-02-11
The OLD DEVILS CAVE.
An Object of Curiosity Which ls Neglect
ed by the Residents of Newton, MI.

Gu uy tue hrstututs Ut NeNIouT Ne Ne
A Newton, n. j., correspondent
writes as follows to the New York
tar: 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 gaped 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, but for tho small boys in question,
one of the most interesting caves in
the land might have been forgotten for
generation or so, and then been dis
covered and offered as o new wonder.
The boys had never heard of the cave,
and when they explored q few feet of
it recently they were astonished and
supposed they had struck something
entirely new. Their parents soon sat-
istied them to the contrary, however,
and cautioned them against penetrat-
ing too far into tho mysteries of the
place.
The DEVILS cave is really q wonder,
and were it near some famous resort it
would be down in the books as 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 it were near resort,
however, the mouth of the cave would
bo considerably enlarged. for at pres
ent it 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
| for 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
cd. 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 0 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-
edly mysterious, and has terrified many
a visitor and prevented any further in
vestigation. 1t is entered in queer
manner. You step over rock lying
at 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 q
stream rushes through the apartment
at a terrific rate. The appearance, as
revealed by the rays of lantern, re-
sembles 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, and disappears
l under the 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.
He crosses what sounds like young
maelstrom.r .aq.
/ The fourth room is more like 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 .crevice, for the floor seems to be
perfectly dry and hard. In this room
begin traces of gas that becomes
more and more perceptible as one ad-
vances, 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 it shoot off passageways, one of
which is believed to lead into the adj
jacent slate quarry. At any rate,
miners in the quarry some weeks age
struck an opening that is supposed to
be the end of this passageway. There
are SO many holes in the place, how.
ever, that no one has ventured far into
it. There is another dark passageway
from the fifth room that is said to have
contained an animal of some sort al
one time. At any rate, stories to thai
effect are current. 1t is said that Q
party exploring the room one day were
horrified at growl issuing from thi:
passage. One of the party is positive
he saw white, glaring eyes. But al
the explorers made such hasty ext
that it is doubtful whether much reli
ance can be placed on their state.
ments.
The sixth room is really a mystery
1t has never been explored to any ex
tent. Tne entrance 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 ye
entered more than few feet. The
odor is very penetrating, and induces
almost instant dizziness. Candles are
. extinguished at once, and it is claimeC
that even the light in tight Lantern
; soon flickers and dies out. At least
/ venturesome explorer. being almos
/ overco4Ie with the gas, left his lanterl
in the room. A companion went aftc
it minute or so later and found th
!. light extinguished. 1t is supposed tina
, this sixth apartment is the last becaus,
, the gases are so confined. There i
some talk of forming regular explor
! ing party, thoroughly equipped, ant
> investigating every part of the cavern