Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-19
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A BREATHING GAVE.
Peculiar Features of a Cave In lockwood
Colorado.

IL
| Colorado.
There is cave near Rockford station,
on the Denver & Rio Grande railroa d,
which has been visited by many persons
living near as well as by parties from Du.
range. No particular mention of the
cave has been made, as it seemed to be
little worthy of notice-nothing unique or
striking.
On a recent Sundav number of pleas
ure seekers left this city. says the Denver
Sun, to join party at Redwood who
had planned to visit the cave. About 4
O'Clock in the afternoon the members of
the party, having disposed of their dinner
began to climb the hill near the top of
which the mouth of the cave is located.
After much exertion the foremost of the
party reached the mouth Of the cave and,
being in advance Of his companions, they
were much startled to see him fall back
ward into the low oak brush as if ne had
been thrown from a catapult. His COM
| panions, pushing forward more vigorously,
soon came to his rescue and found aim re-
| covering from his tumble, not much hurt,
but slightly scratched and some what daz-
ed. He could give no explanation of his
sudden removal from the opening to the
cavern.
Curious to know what the cause was.
the entire company in a body pushed up
the hill, which has a particularly steep
descent near the mouth OF the cave. To
| the astonishment Of the whole number
| they found themselves all piled together
In spot near where the first had landed
It took but a little while to recover from
q c,nta ont WI To
quire the cause of this sudden excitement
They all agreed that they had seen nothing
to cause such thing, ard they were curl
| Gus to know the reason for tie phenome-
non. But how to find out what they
wished was the thing to decide.
| At last it was determined that the
strongest gentleman of the party should
gain position at the side of the entrance
and thus protected, get an opportunity to
reconnoiter. So taking q circuitous route
and avoiding position directly in front
Of the opening, they soon found them
selves close beside the entrance. Cautious
! ly putting his head out beyond the pro
| tectin9 wall. the foremost peeped in. His
| hat Immediately took fight down the de-
| ciIyity, but he was thus made aware of
! the exact state OF things.
| The philosophy Ct the current Of air In
| caves suddenly dawned upon him. As Is
well known, the -lr on q warm day In
summer is much lighter on the outside OF
a cave or cellar than it is inside Conse-
quently the cold, heavy air rushes out
with great vioence-enough In this case
| 10 cause the trouble spoken of and throw
| the party down the hill.
| Later, relating this tale, an old timer
told your correspondent OF d former adven-
ture Ct his at the same place. On cold
day in the early winter he was tracking a
deer along this hillside, when be was as
| tonished to see the cave open up before
| him and he noticed that the snow seemed
| to have been disturbed very recently, as
though body had been dragged into the
entrance.
Without thinking he stepped forward to
examine into the cause of the disturbed
condition of the snow when he felt him
self violently pulled into the cave, the
| force pulling him from his feet. He Felt q
! shock and for while was oblivious to all
around him. When his senses returned
| he found he was lying by and partiallr
| upon the body of deer Upon examina
tion he found the body of the deer yet
warm
This led to closer examination still.
He at last determined that the force of the
current of air blown into the cave had
drawn the deer In, killing it, but that
when ne was drawn In the shock was
somewhat deviated by his striking the
deer, thus saving him from death.