The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-01-20
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THE WONDERS OF MONTANA.
Natures Workings of a Prom.
Using Mine.
A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT

The Great Surprise Of . Miner in tn,
Old Bannack Mins-Ths
Explorations
Mention has heretofore been made OF tn,
series Of caves which have been encountered
in Phil She1on's Golden Leaf mine, formerly
known as the Bannack, and annexed is o
sketch Of the discovery and partial explor
alton of the same. Mr.. Shenon has fo1
years worked the mine in which he cut the
first and largest ave An almost perpen.
dicuIar incline had been sunk to a depth o.
nearly 100 feet, following the course of the
ledge, and one day the owner was down in
the bottom goaging around in the ledge
with a prospecting pick. When he struck
one side Of the shaft he was surprised to
hear q hollow echo follow the blow. Again
and again was the blow repeated giving the
sam reverberations. He climbed to the
surface and procured a CAD and sledge, with
which he attacked the thin shell between
him and the cavity. Opening a crack fol-
the CAD with a pick he commenced driving
it with the hammer. Only a few blows had
been struck when the side of the shaft gave
way, the hammer and CAD following The
rock to the bottom and raising great clouds
of dust, while Mr.. Shenon narrowly escaped
going headforemost into the vast pit.
EXPLORING THE CAVE.
Both Mr.. Shenon and the workman in
the incline stood awestruck, gazing into the
luminous darkness, out of which the suffo-
eating and moldy fumes and dust arose
Carefully approaching the edge of the open
ing. as soon as the atmosphere cleared
away, q candle was held inside the cavern
and the two men beheld one of the grandest
sights imaginable. There, in front of them,
was al immense chamber, all around which
hung millions upon millions of crystals,
white as chalk. which reflected the rays oil
the dim light like as many little diamonds,
massive stalactites covering portions Of
the roof and standing out in bold RELIEF
among the smaller and more delicate lime
crystals. Ropes were procured and the
men went to the bottom Of the gorgeous
room, which proved to be about eighty feet
square and fully 100 feet in height. The
bottom was covered with a brown and pow
der-like dust. as dry as finder, while many
nimble footed rats scampered away
through the small opening which led out OF
the southwest r of the wonderful
opening. Having a solid footing the two
men stopped and surveyed the enchanting
surroundings, while the dull and solemn
echo of their voices was almost startling.
From the bottom the effect was even more
surprising, and the grandeur of the sight
was so peculiar that they stood for many
minutes, silently gazing at those handsome
walls, crystals and pendant stalactites,
upon which the eye of a had never be-
fore rested. As the strangeness OF the
situation wore off the explorers began ex-
aiming
THE ARROW PASSAGE WAY
Leading out of the cavern, which was found
to gradually draw in until their bodies
would barely pass through it, but they
kept on going down, down, sometimes in
wide and high passages, and again in small
and cramped holes through which natures
chemicals, aided by water, had, in ages
past, as slowly as the dripping OF the water
wear away the rock. eaten through the
mass of limestone which once occupied the
space now left blank. Occasionally they
encountered what appeared to have been
the chimneys through which the escaping
gas and heat had passed upward, %oxidizing
even the crystals which formed it's sides,
and greatly resembling the inside of a
smelter stack, which has been used in a
long and steady rum. The continuous pas
sages resembled the first opening discovered
in every respect, ever as to the dusty bot
tom, while here and there were evidences
OF the presence of metals, which had sue
cumbed to the great heat to which they had
been subjected and which had either gone
on down or passed upwards in fumes. The
sight was appalling and grand beyond de-
scription, and after following these tortu-
GUS openings for several hundred feet in
depth, they came abruptly upon a jump
unknown depth.
LINGERING AND RUMBLING SOUNDS
Being only suggestive of the great distance
to which the missives were falling. Imme-
diately over this chasm was the largest of
the chimneys yet seen, but possessing all of
the characteristics of the others, Timbers
were placed over the opening, ropes were
made fast and the two men lowered a
third down to the end oil the longest rope
obtainable-115 feet-without apparently
being near the bottom. Great cavities and
chambers opened out from the chimney,
and into one of these the man went. As
Don as his weight was taken of, the ropes,
those on top became alarmed and called to
him, and receiving no answer to their re-
peated calls, they began hauling away,
succeeding, after much hard work, in bring
ing him and his light agaiu into view,
Pulling steadily, he was soon near the top
almost frantic with anger, and uttering
deep and loud maledictions upon them, the
first audible sentence being, 'The curse
of Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles
rest upon your ugly black head
up there on top" evidently being applied
to Mr.. Shenon. As soon as the man had
sufficiently recovered to explain matters,
he stated that he had crawled through a
small round hole into a large chamber, and
had just risen to his feet, his back being to-
ward the little passage, when those on
top commenced pulling on the rope, which
was fastened around his waist, doubling
him up like a jack-knife, and in this posi-
ton drawing him olt into the vertical pas
sage. He was badly scared, but little in
jured, other than being somewhat burned
by the rope. Since then n odeeper explora-
tions have been made upon this series of
caves, buta tunnel has been run 726 feet
toward the spot to which the man was
lowered, and may ere this have cut the
same.
THE FORMATION.
These caves are all that remain of the
once immense limestone belt which Law i'm
mediately on top of the foot wall OF the
Golden Leaf vein, the country rock below
it being blue syenite, which is almost as
hard as cast iron. and very short" blast.
ing ground. Between the caves and the
hanging wall, so far as the
limited development has shown, there is a
body of ore of greater or less Importance
at all points, while above the hanging wall
the country rock is quartzite. The whole
is as solid as adamantine, and
as soon as the tunnel referred to is com
the work of exploration will be con-
tinued, and the full extent of the wonderful
openings will be made known. These re-
searches have been deferred until this time,
owing to the fact Of the difficulty of taking
anything down through the narrow, wind
ing and precipitous passages.
Human agencies never could build or
plan anything equal to this wonderful
series of caves, and to the eyes of The
MINER representative who was recently
shown through them they took the form of
vast vagaries, founded upon the great un
known, beyond the contemplation and the
appreciation OF any person who has not
seen and traVersed the intricacies IF their