The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-12
IN THE LAND OF NOD.
Asleep for Thirty Seven Years in
a CaVern.
a Soldier in the Florida War Who Lay I'm
the Arms of Morpheus Nearly
Half a Century.
From the NashrlIle Ds1nocrnt.


A few days ago appeared on the register of a
Nashville hotel the name Of gentleman from
Mariana, Fla. While in the city former
acquaintance, in the presence of Democrat
reporter, asked him concerning the famous
sleeping cavern" and the answer was so
strange that the Democrat reporter took down
the whole story. 1t is believed by everybody in
that section Of the state. land" said the mar
rator, Il ala not prepared to say it is not true,
as more than half the people in that town saw
4 the hero OF the story"
( Two miles from Mariana, a prosperous town
/ in jackson county, Fla. is a cavern, or rather
( number Of underground chambers and pas
sages known as the Rhinestone cave" Many
square miles Of territory adj acent is underlaid
with a crctacious stratum which has been
honey combed by subterranean streams. How
many miles underground the ramitications Of
Limestone cave" extend is not known, as be-
cause OF singular obstacle it has never been
explored mOte than half mile from the
opening.
On April ], 1874, party of explorers, con-
sisting Of two gentlemen and five ladies, visited
the cave. They followed the path that led to
point known as The Syringe where bold
stream of cold, clear water 2ushed forth from
the rock and flowed i'll rvulet for some fifty
fest and disappeared under a mass of detached
fragments Of limestone. When the party
reached the point where the rVulet was lost
and were admring the myriad reflections of
their torches from the crystal drops of water
upon the mica shales which gemmed the walls
and roof OF the passage, one OF the
cane detached jutting rock particularly bril-
liant with mica spangles from what seemed
the solid wall Of rock a large mass of loos-
ened rock followed the fragments with crash
VIII CHI revcrberated hundreds of times through
out 1.-The cavemous depths. Then it was
astonishing sight met the eyes Of the party,
which at first rendered them motionless with
horror and fright. a hitherto unknown
chamber was seen through the aperture, and
but lew Ieet away, apparently motionless as
the stone floor on which it lay, was the body
OF man, clad i'll the habiliments of soldier,
with his musket beside him.
One of the gentlemen recovered his presence
of mind and entered the chamber. Although
no outward sign of respiration could be noted
the body did not have tie appearance OF being
dead. The man undertook to lift the body,
when he noticed that the rigidity OF death was
lacking. On being moved all the clothing and
equipment fell from tho body. The gentleman
wrapped the body in his waterproof, dragged
it through the nowl y-made aperture and left it
III the passage beside the spring. The party
then hurriedly left the cave. The ladies were
sent to town by the vehicle which brought
them to the cave.
The two men then secured the services of
two stout negroes and re-entered the cavern.
They went directly to the spring. To their
aStonlshment they found that the man sup
posed to be dead was lying with half open
eyes, breathing stentoriousy While faint
color tinged his cheek. Examination disclosed
rapid but distinct pulsation. The Mortified
men carried the phenomenon to the open air
outside the cave as quickly as the burden
would allow. They poured brandy down his
throat and carried him to neighboring cabin.
Hero they left him and hurried to town.
Here The news of the discovery had preceded
them, and in little While every physician in
the village and half hundred curosity-seek-
els were on the way to the cabin. The doctors
on arriving administered stimulants. Under
their effect in q little while the man opened his
eyes and began moving. Directly he recovered
his strength sufficiently 10 talk, but the doctors
allowed no questions to be asked until the fol
lowing day, when he told his story. He said that
in 1851 he was sent from Pensacola to Fort
Dade with important military papers. When
near Mariana he was followed by o band of
ChoctaWs, who had gone on the Warpath in
sympathy with the Seminole brethren. Be-
ing hard pressed he abandoned his horse and
finding hole in the ground, he squeezed into
il, and, fearing the Indians would discover his
trail, won't some distance into the cave when
he Suddenly felt difficulty in respiration, a
feeling of drowsness overcame him, and he
remembered no further.
1t was hard to make the soldier believe that
thirty ven years had passed while he lay in
coma, and that the fields of rice, sugar-cane
and cotton which dotted the landscape were
in the same Wilderness through which he had
been chased by the Indians. He seemed to be
OF retiring disposition, and did not care to
pose as an object of curiosity; and when his
strength fully returned, disappeared and was
never afterward heard Of
Some of the good people of Mariana seemed
to be skeptical and dubious of their own senses
and suspected a big hoax. Their doubts were
soon diSpelled in an effective manner. One of
the ladies of the party which discovered the
sleeping soldier lost her pet dog, and three
weeks afterward remembered that he was with
the party in the cavern. Another party
visited the cavern, and in the same
chamber where the soldier was discovered
they found the dog, apparently dead. When
taken to the open air lie recovered, and. in a
few minutes as frisl1y as ever
That satisfied everybody. To this day the
chamber has never been revisited, and the
secret Of the cavern has remained a mystery.
The people of Mariana, ever jealous OF their
80. Z. E..l