Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-07-14
WAS A CAVE OF DEATH.
STRANGE CAVERN FOUND IN
THE SIERRA NEVADA.
Two Prospectors Chance on the site Of
some Oid Tragedy which May Have
Been Prehistoric Figures ferfeShE
Proportional, Coated with stone.


F. G. Traver, a civil engineer and
miner has returned 70 san Francisco
from long trip IN the vicinity Of
Death Valley, and reports making a
remarkable discovery on Mount Dar-
win.
MIR Ttaver has been in the yicin-
ity OF Mount Darwin on several pre-
vious occasions, aud had been told OF
the existence Of the cave by Indians.
but was unable To induce any 81
them 10 30 with him to the spot
Mount Darwin is an isolated peak Of
the Sierra Nevada range, about ten
miles south Of Owens lake and thirty
4 miles west OF the hills that border
Death valley Between the two Is a
! plateau OF stones and desert The
sides of Mount Darwin are very
rugged and wild but the canyon,
are filed with stones that are quite
heavy ia wire gold II was while
hunting for these stones that MIR
Trayer and a companion namcsl Clark
made their remarkable discovery.
! They have named the place the
Cave OF Death
E.i. several days they had been
wowting in canyon on tho south
side Of the mountain and were fairly
successful; 50 much 80, in fact that
they kept working up until they
were long distance from spring.
One OF them, consequently, had 70
/ b. ON al o
carrying water, which was very nee
essary because the days were i'm
| tensely hot
As this was not desirable short
I trips were maze into the gulches
each evening in the hope that watcr
/ could be found nearer 70 their work
/ II was while SO ENGAGED that the
Cave Of Death was discovered
/ suddenly coming around the base
OF clin strange kissing sound
was heard Both men were Tighten
ed for moment. and then they
/ looked carefully about 10 see whence
the noise came. As they proceeded,
the sound Of rlppling water became
audible and = pcculiar odor dllcd
the air
1t was when nearly half milo
| from where they first heard the
/ sound that they saw column Of
steam rising in the air and boiling
4 water coming from cleft IN tho
/ rocks The steam came out with
/ great force and struck q point OF
rock. which made the sound thoy
had heard. Some Of the water was
/ cooled. but proved unfit 10 drink.
| Both men were Interested Ia the
discovery OF the not spring. aud the
next day made a careful examination
OF the locality more out Of curiosity
than anything else
The entrance to cave was soon
found and both crawlcd In eau
| tiously. II was quite dark, but they
could tell when they reached large
cavern and stood up. 4 match was
struck and both men nearly fell over
as result Of tho shock they re-.
ceiyed when they saw what was
| around them.
IL looked at first as il the cave was
filled with live people but a. the
match burned brighter they could
see that the objects were not com.
posed Of flesh and blood with
proper light II was found that there
were seven forms In tho cave One
was standing against the wall and
tho others were In sitting postures
around All were resting against
the walls OF the cave or bent over.
II was a most uucanny sight. and the
men mad been in the cave for some
dessicated some fluid heavy In solid
substance ran over them from the roof
time before they could make up
their minds to touch the figures.
They were not perfect in every par
ticular. but there could be no doubt
but that they were human beings
The lower eXtremities seemed to
spread out and become part Of tho
floor and the faces were indistinct.
They were composed of very hard,
white. calcarcOus substances that
could not be told from stone II
was possible 30 perfectly proper.
toned were the figures. TO tell which
were men and which women. A very
small one. undou btedly child, was
crowded down in q corner
Mr. Trayer and his COMPANION at
tcmped to move one Of the forms.
but could not bulge IL ans more
than the solid rock Even had thcy
been able to do So they could not
have taken II out on account OF the
smallness Of the opening.
Mr.. Trayer's opinion is that the
figures offer three explanations.
The first is that they we're carved
from the solid rock, hundreds Of
years ago. which Is very unlikely.
Tho second Is that they are petrifed.
but this is not good explanation.
because tho figures arc in such nat.
urai positions The third explana-
ton Is very likely right II Is that
the figures are the members OF one
family that were put in the cave for
burial, and when the flesh became
o. tho cave and covered them with
the white coating that looks like
stone.
\ Fond Mother.
''Dear me" cried the nurse. tho
DabV has 4wullntvod 49,, IT