The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-11
MEAGHER COUNTYS TRAP
Another Wonderful Cave Added to
Those Already Discovered Near
White Sulphur.
Instead OF Being Adorned With
Crystals II II d Beasts
Charnel House.
"A Yawning Mouth on nm Incline, That
Has Seen ths I1eutI, Of Buffalo.
WOLF and Bear.

IL will be ganembered that during tho
past sumne agents Of tho Smithsonian In
collected in MeaRher county some
we'll preserved bones Of the frames Of
animals belonging to ages long passed.
There also have been discoveries in tho
county..of caves. beautitied with stalac-
tite and stalagmite. Bnt December End, last
George w. Van Horne ID reported TO have
made the most wonderful discovery yet
recorded. II is in a cave, on the Dry range
of mountains, twenty-five miles northwest
Of White Sulphur Springs, December 18th
q party Of explorers, consisting Of the dis
coverer, Seth Butterield, and Rev. j. G.
Lenhart, visited the cave. They were
equipped with lights and tape lines, and Of
the visit and its results Mr.. Lenhart thus
writes to tho Husbandman:
ssIhe mouth Of the cave Is from two to
three feet wide and six feet long, located
on the southeast side, near the top, Of q
pocket in the mountain. The cave is oil
most the shape of a flask thirty-four feet
deep, and the bottom being sixty-two feet
long and Thirty feet wide. We speak of the
bottom Of the cave but mean the top Of the
debris and vast amount Of bones of ami
mails which fill the space Of what may be
called the bottom.
BE it known that the cave, instead Of
being adorned with crystals and stalac-
tite and s%talagmite, is a regular charnal-
house. and evidently has been a death
trap for ages to the unsuspecting beasts
of plain and forest. The opening of the
cave is peculiarly constructed for the
purpose Of relentlessly swallowing any
living thing that yentured near it's BRINK.
The mouth of this destroyer of the living is
composed of limestone rock somewhat IN
an incline. the depression being at its wild
est part. Along the upper side is an old
animal trail. It is easy to sec how the buff
falo or elk passing this way when the trail
was slippery with ice or o. Woul easily
lose their foothold and be precipitated into
the cave. 1t is also a plausible theory to
believe that at times during the winter the
mouth Of the cave is entirely covered with
snow, so that the ~unsuspecting animal
passing over the familiar trail would al
this point, if diverging a few inches to tho
south, slide through the snow and be swal-
lowed alive.
MANY animals, doubtless, we're killed
by being suspended by the head and fore
part of the body. as the buffalo, or by the
antlers as the elk. while many were evil
IDENTIFY directly mangled and killed by the
fall. But. there are also evidences that
some landed at the bottom of the pit with
sufficient powers remaining to drag their
bodies to remote corners of the cave and
their perish from wounds and starvation.
Some of the largest skulls and skeletons OF
buffalo were thus found.
I'VE could not determine the depth OF
the bones IN the bottom of the cave, as we
did not have the necessary tools for maxi
ing such exploration. but we counted in
sight twenty-nine buffalo skulls, several elk
bear, wolf, etc. / have brought with me q
specimen skull of the buffalo, bear and
wolf, which is on exhibition al
the office of the Husbandman.
1t is probable that for cen
turtles this wonderful cave has be en- per-
forming the CHASTITY office of swallowing
these living creatures. OLD hunters who
have gathered their information from the
Indians. say that it is at least half a cen
fury since the buffalo was last seen upon
the Dry tango. 1t would not be surprising
that when further explorations are made
human bones should bo found. For should
the lonely hunter, prospector or Indian
chance to break through when the cave was
covered with snow he wouid be doomed to
certain death, for there are no visible means
at present whereby u mar could extricate
himself from that horrible pit. Mr.. Van
Horne has securely constructed a ladder
into the cave whereby ladies and gentlemen
can enter with safety. The cave is open to
yisitOrs.s