Telegram-herald., 1890-06-04

AZ LsserssSlss aeas II sac Grs@ad Ss4x
tas EsSs - MsGnt E4gs-


AZ Lssers.xisr aole - the GnSzad Ssas
tas FsSs u WsGnE Elsa-
Nsar IL -,ss-ra b,g11sdzFy u Datche~s
eoa11y. z-1aosE IL lAe sas19w q Ao11E
Riga. 4 oas 4 to greatest narural woA-
2aEs II - srase. lisa cave " passzEe-
way ius0 the a2o1uEs-1, ~hlc2 l. called
Cave Hl1. za3 rs oepth Aas never bsen
knoHn. lis ope1lng rese-ab-es F0Dghly
cag doorway into = great rock. a IL
E1ugive ssIsszn & ~sEss tTlck-es gown
tie mountain and ,nto TINS cpSnlns.
y 4lch would seem the oL-ly agency b.
which such : tau2A could have teen
Norp INTO tie rock. bat Tie aze q ths
cave some distance within precludes the
ids@ 0f iJs L4ylng 5eeG made - - s-nsu
q stream.
The opening Is lust large enough for
0De person ~ eageE, and the way Is =
rO1sh aud dangerous one. The Tocks
zIe covered With q slinly substance that
makes every fooE u lie way slippery and
treacherous After much cautious NOV
ing and squeez.ag through ths narrow
opening the party came 70 large dome
shaped place. which, II the gls2m of the
torches. reseIatlsd a small ioe palace.
while drops OF water constantly Eel from
some unseen placs. The va leading
into the cave l. On sharp downward
incline. and some Of the spaces are very
large, many Of them beiag about i've
feet wide and fifty feet high, and, look
ing up through the dim hgh: Of the
torches. dozens Of ugly looking rocks
seem suspended from the glit,ering
arches by very slender hangingS, ana the
sight Il not calculated 70 produce home
Ike feeling. The party followed this
dark hole n TIE mountain FOR nearly
Ealf mile, occasionally stopping 10 ex-
plore inches and apartments on either
side that suggested the ssory OF the cata-
combs
Finally the amateur explorers came to
precipico from which nothing but dark
ness could 10 distinguished. One Of the
party dropped a stone into the darkness,
and the time that expired before IL struck
anything seemed almost as long as II
takes II stone to reach the river when
dropped fron tho Poughkeepsie bridge,
and when il did strike there was pecu-
| liar rattle and a sound like much larger
stone falling into pond Almost or the
edge Of this pgecipice are two names cut
into the rock. They are J. c. Dayton and
| d. c. Dalln, both dated lS40 Other
| names are cut in tho rock nearer the
| opening OF the cave, one as lately as 1875.
The cave is without doubt perfectly ma
tural. Looking mp from Its deepest re-
cess it looks rs though there had cnce
been narrow chasm like that through
which parts Of the Ausable river winds
through the AdirOndacks, and that the
rocks had met ut the top, thus closing the
chasm and sending huge rocEs down,
partially filing the opening and leaving
treacherous footpath through it all.
There are stories and legends con-
nected with this cave which have never
appeared in print, although some of the
people that live IN the mountain are
thoroughly familiar with them. Some
| New York explorers once visited the
cave, and one Of tho party, a young
woman. became frightened after enter
ing aad nearly lost her life before she
could be rescued. About twenty years
ago a stranger inquired from the wood
men where the cave WAS. When shown
the opening he exclaimed, "Ah, It's
mine! It's minew and at once prepared
TO enter it in search Of hidden treasure,
which he said was there. The poor man
was insane, and in his wanderings had
heard Of this strange place, and at once
associated il in his mind with untold
fortunes, just as insane men nearly
always do. He built a hut on the hill
side near the cave and went every day
into its gloomy depths and crawled
about, often without light. even in the
winter In this weary way he wore hit
life away, and was found by some hunt
ers one day dying in his cabin and still
raving for his gold in the cave.
The mountain into which the strange
channel extends is one Of the widest il
Dutchess county. Il is covered Will
white birch trees so thickly set that ont
can hardly pass through. Many Of TIT
trees are dead. and the reporter. not par
ticularly muscular, easily broke of sew
eral Of them with an ordinary push
PoughlEeepsie News Press.