The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-05
$50 MILES UNDER GROUND.

OSAiA Al a hAOAAbhlQ
Rider Haggard Episode.
One Of the most remarkable subter-
ranean waterways in the world vas recent
" discovered in the northern ranges of the
Rocky mountains in Montana. An accident,
which proved fatal to a human life, was the
agency by which the discovery was made.
Two prospectors. named respectively Phil
| Barnes and Pierre Leger, a Flathead Indian
guide named klikat and myself left Bon
ner's ferry on Aug. z, and struck out in a
northeasterly direction, headed for the
peaks and canyons In the extreme northern
range OF the main divide Of the Rockies
| The purpose of my two white companions
was TO prospect for valuable minerals In q
section of country which few, If any, white
| men have ever entered before. Ny own
object was TO seek diversion.
After whipping, pulling and pushing our
pack mules through the almost boundess
wilderness Of underground, timber, gloomy
canyons, dragged peaks, and drifts Of snow,
we found ourselves Aug. 2S-according to
the observations taken by me-within
twenty-five or thirty miles of the Canadian
line and at an altitude of 500 feet. The
nights were extremely cold, and the peaks
| that lowered above our heads to the east
ward were covered with snow, while the
days were unpleasantly, almost scorchingly
| lOb DSJWeeu ~ O'CLOCK IN the forenoon and
3 o'clock in the afternoon.
1t was noon OF the day mentioned above.
We had come to a sIandstin, unable TO adj
vance, owing 10 great perpendicular cliffs
| in front of US and TO the right. On our left
was craggy precipice about eighty feet
| high, overhanging a roaril & mountain
stream and extending fully two miles TO the
| south. Beyond the torrent and its rocky
| bed was a still higher precipice. We could
baar fha OF In
down the steps from the melting snow on
| the distant peaks But we heard still more
than the swash Of the running stream. AS
we stood there looking vsinly around for
some opening by which we might advance,
there came to cur ears deep, roaring
sound, alternating in force, stronger ana
weaker at intervals Of a few seconds. 1t
| came in Earring sounds, with a volume like
! thunder. For some minutes we listened ia
silence. Then suddenly Klikat spoke:
"Me know what him is, he said, with
pleased cir of comprehension. Him is
| Big Hole-in-the- W ater' Him heap water
run TO hell aud put out devils camp fire"
big hole i'll the water, echoed. What
| do you mean by that Klikatf"
"You como look, he said, advancing to
| the edge of the precpice and throwing him
self fiat on the rock with his head and
shoulders hanging over. "Ughm he ex-
| claimed. big Hole-in- the w alter heap mad
to-day. Him funny. Water go ia ground !;
never come out"
Following Klikat's example, cautiously
approached the edge Of the projecting rock
threw myself on the ground, face down
| ward, and peered down from the dizzy
hight. Barnes sad Leger did likewise
1t was q curious and awe-inspiring sight
that we beheld. Straight down below us
there was a deep pool or lake, about a
quarter Of an acre in el end closed on
three sides by high wans of eternal rock
| thus forming perpetual and insurmounta-
BILE barrier to the passage of the water be-
| Yond this spot. The noisy mountain stream
| poured great volumes of sparkling water
| into this natural basin, and then Loaf itself
The water in the pool swung rapidly around
| as on pivot, and constahsAy drlfted 10 a
steadily accelerated tidal current toward
| the center. And here was the most start
hing feature Of this wonderful stream.
In the very center of tho deep water was
a large circular cavity, or depression, fun
mel shaped great suck holen in fact
| fully eight feet across at the surface the
water spinning round and round, rushing
downward with lightning speed. A tremen-
| dous force of gravity was at work In that
awful funnel Of darkness. In the center of
| this funnel was great mass Of snow-white
foam, dancing and whirling and scattering
| flakes Of itself around the dark blue rim Of
the vortex. At intervals Of fifteen or
| twenty seconds there would be a greater
| downward rush of water, the pillar Of foam
| would disappear with the increased speed OF
the current; then the roar would increase
III volume, another pillar Of foam would
| form, only 20 disappear few moments ter
| as tho previous one had done. IL was a
| grand, a terrible sight
l glanced at my two friends, who, like
myself, we're electrified by this freak OF
| nature
''If could find a ledge of quartz with
| color in 10 anywhere near by !" observed
Mr.. Barnes, 81 would erect a stamp mill
right here and drop a horizontal wheel into
that boiling suckhols. Great Scott but
| wouldn't it spin, thought
rather thought it would, but at that
moment my attention was suddenly and
shocklngly attracted to Klkat, who had
been lying about eight feet away on my
| left. There was low. crumbing sound,
and then a mass of shelving rock right un-
der Klikat broke loose and fell with fear
full crash into the edge of the whirling pool
| started TO my feet just as saw the Indian
making frantic efforts to cling to the edge
| of the cliff. But his hold was too slight,
and the rock crum bled under his grasp.
! Without uttering word or sound of any
| kind Klikgt fell headlong into the mad
| water.
| After few seconds be came to the sur
face. Barnes rushed to one Of the pack
mules for rope, but 1t was TOO late. Three,
four, five times did Klikat swing around In
a spiral course that gradually drew nearer
the center Of the great funnel, at the same
| time making frantic efforts to swim out of
tit. But it was labor lost. With move
ment that looked like a sudden twist he
shot into the very center Of the vortex. For
one brief moment he spun around like a
top, and then-dowu he went with the
pillar Of foam, out of sight into the bowels
of the earth and the darkness Of death.
| For some seconds it seemed as IL the