San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-08-17
THAT BOERNE CAVE. .
Theory Versus a Few Bard Facts
No Cave But a Regular Riv-
er StyX-How San An
tonic GOT Hold of

er StyX-HOw San An
tonic got Hold of
the Secrets
Some few weeks since there appear
in the morning paper of this city q
glowing description Of the "Boerne
Cave" which rivaled in its gorgeous
ness all the coloring that Aladdin's
lamp would have thrown upon the
scene. The words "stalactiten and
"stalagmite, used with as much
recklessness as a woodman's daugh-
ter would use chips and the luna.
bridged" was denuded of ad ectives
to family adumbrate the glowing COL
ors and fantastic formations that
grew into being under the illumIna.
tions of the explorers lamp. Moved
by these and sundry other considera-
lions certain gentlemen of this city
and Boerne determined to put these
descriptions to the test of rigid exam
ination, and then give the public the
cold facts. Arrangements were per-
fected last week and on Sal urday the
party left this city. AS that party
mustered at the Cave" with boat
and all the necessary apparatus and
instruments for sounding, taking
measurements, catching glimpses
by flash light photography, as
certsining temperature, etc, there
were eight persons present:
Ferdinand Herff, l.. w. Madarasz,
Jacobson, the photographer, Will
Herff, Gus Duerler and son, the
LIGHT, DR.. BarnitZ, of Boerne.
the drive 10 the cave in the early
morning was delightful, at least for
the first seven or eight miles, after
that the least said about it the better
The last two miles are very rough.
Arrived at the cave the boat was
transferred from the trucks to the
stream within the cave, about 200
left standing, nearer approach being
impossible. The entrance to the tun-
mel is large enough TO shelter q large
hotel bus and it's four horses, and IS
many humans as can stick onto its
roof. The external scenery lie beauti-
full, the mouth of the cave very pic
turesque, and to the lover of civilized
wildness no more delightful ride
could be taken within a hundred
miles of this city tnan the ride from
Boerne past the Malakof, and over
Cross Mountai to the fearful gorge
In which the caves. tor there are
more than one, open.
An immense street car headlight
was fas ten ed at the bow of the boat,
torches We're carried in hand to flash
their light IN every openi ng at side
or roof. The initial voyage was taken
by Ferd. Herff, Madaraz, the PhoJog-
rapher and the scribe. The water
was clear; temperature SOC; current
quite perceptible but not strong;
depth from one foot to twenty, be-
yond which our sOundings did not 60;
width from IL feet to forty, but sides
very irregular and the roof eroded by
water action; no staiagmites, and in
only one place any thing approaching
q stalactite formation; bottom varia-
BILE, sometimes muddy and sticky,
sometimes covered with shar D
rock and, occasionally, some shell,
For the first 800 or 600 yards there
were occasional bars where the water
was not more than two feet, or even
less. in depth, then quickly deepen
ing until beyond ones depth. There
were no branching chambers, no
ldER5 NduIlcu Gu oNoI .
good sized tunnel through which the
subterranean river flowed, making it's
turniDgs and t~istings as any open
air stream would. AS progress was
made in the in terror the stream deep
ened, the walls of the tunnel con-
tracted, the ROOF dropped lower and
lower until only by forcing the boat
down and lowering the lights to the
gunwale, dropping overheard and,
while holding ON to the sides of the
boat, pushing vigorously against the
roof, could we pass the lowered vault
of the cave untifit lifted and freedom
of motion was again possible. While
providing through one of these low
arches between two higher sections
of tunnel, our torches were eXtin-
guished and only the headlight"
remained. An examination of effects
discovered that all our matches were
at the mouth of the cave with the
photugraphing outfit. A halt was
called, and after consultation it was
decided to proceed cautiously. When
one hundred feet ahead the walls
seemed to fairly collapse and root and
water meet the vote to return was
unanimous. The mouth of the cave
was safely reached and second party
embarked. While they were absent
the photographer got in his work in
the mouth of the cave, there being no
possibility of "views" in the tunnel
after the water was taken. The sec
ond party found the wall marks of
the first, and, as anticipated, pro-
ceeding about 40 feet beyond found
all further progress barred by the
arch OF the cave dropping down to
water line.
The leave" is merely subterrsn-
can river bed and the tunnel which
its waters have worn. Could the
barrier be passed 1t may be that