San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-12
VAN RAUB'S CAVE
WHAT Is SEEN IN THE DEEP
BOWELS OF THE EARTH.
A Visit 20 Braden's Quarry and
Notes OF How The Rock is cut
And Worked.

VAN RAUB, Texas, Sept. 8, 1891.
To the San Antonio LIGHT.
In a recent issue the LIGHT present
ell q graphic sndinteresting account of
the Boerne cave. / have now to tell
the LIGHT readers of another cave
that 1 recently visited in company
with Mr.. William BradeD and Mr..
Bernun of Van Raub. This cave is
situated in q picturesque spot about
one hundred yards from the San An
tonic and Arkansas Pass railroad rack
three and q half miles above Van
Raub and about four miles this side
of Boerne. ~Thejourney, from Braden's
quarry is rather a rough n
Tor the way is billy and
rocky and you have to use
Shank's pony, in other words, your
legs in order to get there. The mouth
of the cave is concealed by thick
growth of brush and is considerably
below the adjacent level, but when
you get there it Is quite clear and
spacious. Entering the mouth one is
surprised to find that he Is always de-
scending owe Irregular rocks, but the
descent, except in a few cases, is COM
paralively easy. After getting into
the cave about fifty yards you can
look up y large hole bout 100 feet
high and see the sky overhead. The
passage is very easy except near the
lake Here you have t. go on your
hands and knees through small
apertures, and then you come to sew
eral high vauited chambers OF lime
stone. All passages and chambers
show traces of their having been at
one time q water wav for the rocks
water worn. Soon your passage 1s
stopped by huge lake of wafer or
river that is almost ice cold and as
clear as crystal and above is a lime
stone s~talactlte roof hal Illuminated
the fitiul CLEANS of a candle present
a very weird and grand appearance.
You a wade in this lake a consider
able distance, then you get out Of
your depth and must have a boat or
raft. AS we have neither of these
we were unable to 60 farther. AS far
rs I could learn, no one has yet eX-
plored the ave to its full extent, or
know more of it, but | understand
that Messrs. Joe Ball, Barnum,
Braden, Dietrich, Van Raub and
others propose taking lumber there,
building a raft and exploring the lake
or river as far as possible, then we
shall learn more of this wonderful
cave. AZ far as we wen our candles
burned brightly and the air was by
no means oppressive. Blind fish are
in the lake and bats were frequently
seen. The cave well repays a visit,
the only thing we regretted was not
having Instruments to measure and
guage things more accurately and a
raft to pursue our exploration 10 a
greater and more satisfactory length.
1t should be noted that this ave is
not far from the source of the
CibOlo and may have connection with
it.
Whilst in Van Raub I visited the
Braden quarry. which is located about
one mile from the town and consists
OF about 200 acres, bat of course only
a small part has been quarried. The
production of this quarry is a fine
white limestone, as white a. that o.
San Geronimo, but denser and capa,
Tile of greater tension: Such as is
used in the City hall, the Mackey
building and other places. This rock
Is not blasted, but cut out by q Ward.
well channeler that cuts any depth &c
seven feet and to a width of four feet,
then it is drilled and cut out in what
is called block and feat her
work. The rock, thus secured,
is hOisted by steam derricks
on to a wagon, carried to the mills
where it is cut to size not sawed, by
the Merriman screw gangs, worked on
the friction system; sand and water
supplying the friction. The gangs
which are operated by a 25 horse
power, Nagel engine, give a cleaI
loaded on trucks and put on the
switch ready for railroad transfer to
destination.
The quarry Is filled we'll with all re
quisltes and has a fine unlimited
supply of arteslan water which is car
ried all over and to the several house.
for the accommodation OF the lessee ant
manager. Mr.. William Braden, ant
his employees. 1t is very pleasant,
situated and commands a view of
WIDE range of picturesque mountain
scenery hat makes it all the NOR
acceptable to visitors.
L am indebted to MIR. WillIar
Braden, Mr.. Barnum and Mr.. 10
Ball, a worthy relative of his San Al
tonic namesake, for many courtesie
during my visit to Van Raub, an
these L most gratefully acknowledge,
II. RI.
ROUGH ON TOOTHACHE Insts,