Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-05-24

every dssurc Of which grows cluster
Of dwarf form of Spanish dagger
These aru an exceedingly cruel, painful
thing for horses 10 travel over, aud the
trail has not bVtn used enough TO destroy
diem. Al the foot NJ this mll there ia u
large, extinct gcysrr, which has formed
"a cone about forty feet IN diameter,
about six fcrt high, with a distinct crater
about ten feet IN diameter This cone
l. made Of broken rock, made by the
action Of hot weather and steam, or gas,
Some Of the rock is Limestone, which Is
the country rock There are also fuar.
mcuts OF quartz, sandstone, Nrnite aud
granite which have come irum great
depths, showing that an immense force
has been cxprted Va throwing them w.
There Is no uulcropplng OF granite within
bnO miles of This place. Snuc of lhpsu
fragments of rock have hcon hurned
and some meltcl, assuming the forms
of lava md scnrlA. IN the rrntrr 1T the
crater IL a deposit of chnrrvd earth, or
other mineral matter, lett there when
the geysor subsidized Theirs ARE many
of thcre extinct gOyscrs In The Pecos
country, mud some of them hear evil
dpnccS of comparatively modetn life
Biologists who have ennmimed them
say that they have been active not more
than 100 years agn, and possibly more
recently than ths
Just as / started M tlR side Of the
mountain seven ninlu deer CROSSED the
trail only short distance ahead They
appeared not 10 be much frightened.
They waikiki hriskly for a considerable
distance aud tltrn Increased their speed
tn an easy trnt, finally passing over the
ridge ont Of sight Il was not the
proper sNason vi the year for hunting
deer. aud. besides. | did not have q gun.
The opening OF the cave u high up
on tle side Of the mountaln, probably
1000 feel above Eddy, which i 326U
feet nhoye the sen level Tho entrance
Is somewhat difficult II II through a
wide perpendicular hssutc w limestone,
through which II ia dlilirult TO climb
These walls are overgr0Nyu for some dis
tAnco below the surface with Gigantic
niggers ear cactus, which hristlcs with
many thuns and which may be care
fully ay0ilgl After climbing down a
steep deeliviig 10 perhaps ten feet q
ladder about SIX feet long IA reached,
which lands the explorer ut the fnol of
the nok wall aud az the mouth of tho
cave proper. From the foot 0f the lad
dor there u another hsanrc IN the rack
leading to the west, at a dip Of about
twenty degrees. Here II Is necessary
10 lie down md crawl distance Of
about thirty feet. when the explorer is
fairly Ia the cave. and nny stand ercrt
About 100 yards 10 the southeast Of
the msin entrance u another entrance,
which l. more dinicut. however, Than
the one described. About both % thcse
openings tLpre are clusters Of blackberry
aud laurel trees Of considerable Fizr.
the only ones that grow anywhere with
~ several milea of this point, The OK
PLANTATION Of this growth IN this locality
y that there Is a draft Of air coming out
Of toe cave at an times. which carries
With II moiV or leEs uuisturr,while The
outside air q extremely dry This mois.
ture has given litr to The trees here aud
nonrishrd them from year to year
From the FIRST chauiher which ),
renched after cnterinp tho cave. there y
a long passage Witch runs TO the norih
whilc The main passage bears almost
due west. This northern passage de-
srcnds fandly over q seTies Of great
nlabs VI limestone. the oerhanging fpek
hing about sey,'i TO TEN feet ahovc ihs
lagcmcut Small chambers open %
FINN this passage 80 the left hut com
tln 70 obicrn Of special mlcns.. Ths
l'nHsnrr grows rHrroNcr Anh thc nnpci
0pd lower walls closer fcgcther M uus
n,lsasccs until the end % this pass,ir,
itrfitlNl which i ahSri no feet fror
tAe aaiu e.ltrmce. TAele neeus TO have