Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-06-24
BLACK HOLE CAVERN.
MYSTERIOUS CHAMBER ON A CALL
 FORNlA MOUNTAIN.

Subject of Indian Romance-Ezpiored by
 Party-F1lled With Dazzling sta1ac-
 tites and Contains Peculiar Stream
 That Rises and Fails.
 Far up on the mountain ill remote place on Mill creek near Ukiah, Cal is a wooded knoll of peculiar and forbid ding shape, wherein is a cave known aa the Black Hole 1t is only the unsuper- stitious who can De prevailed upon to speak of the uninviting spot. Tradition says that long years ago when white settlers were unknown and the TokayO Indians were in full power a negro, in straying from ship then lying in the bay of San Francisco, was captured, and by joining the tribe saved his life. Gaining power from his knowledge ac- quired on board ship, he soon became chief and later one of the most power ful rulers the tribe had ever known, be- ing called the Great Medicine chief.
 Everything went smoothly until he fell in love with dusky maiden of an- other tribe, whom to marry was death, according to tribe law The negro was not without enemies, and this was ia vorable opportunity to put him out of the way The council of chiefs finally declared that he must die
 It was at his request that he was talk en to the top of this knoll to be exeeut- cd During the night he slipped his guard and entered this cave in the hope of finding some outlet. He never re- turned Some say that he was butcher ed during the night by one of the young braves and thrown into the depths. and that he gave despairing cry as he was being hurled down, the shrill echo of which can yet be heard on nearing the cave.
 To explore the unknown depths 3 party started on Q recent Sunday from Ukiah The entrance to the cavern is at the summit of the range is surround ed by oak and pepperwood and is reach ed by the Reeves Canyon road. Parties by careful driving may go up this way, the only accessible one, as the front Is a precipice. The opening to the cavern Is about , feet in diameter and is funnel shaped.
 Lamps, ropes, candles, kerosene. etc. were taken from the wagons, and prep arations were soon made for q descent. Mir. Mason agreed to go first. Rocks were thrown down to ascertain, if pos sible, the depth. They were never heard to strike bottom, but would go rumbling down, down. until they died away in in the distance \ bundle of paper was now saturated with kerosene and thrown in and watched with lively interest. Soon an explosion occurred, followed by a scattering If grass. sticks and stones Then myrtads of bats appeared.
 Mir Mason HOW determined 10 go be- low A rope WAS tied around his waist, ana with lantern in hand he began the descent. Those above carefully paid ont the rope. He WAS soon down some 70 feet He asked another to come down also, as the way had landings, and two or more could very easily work their way along Mir Mason soon reached 100 feet Here he found d chamber, from which there were several halls. Selecting what he thought to be the main one, he continued down until the rope paid out marked 16o feet No weight being felt upon the rope, 1t was thought Mir Mason had reached his journeys end.
 In about 20 minutes signal was giy en- and MT. Mason was drawn up He said that at q depth of 40 feet the pas sage was narrow and terraced frequently. but from there on the terraces were less frequent. At the end of his passage he finally emerged into large chamber about 50 feet in diameter and 20 feet high. From the roof of this cavern hung large stalactites which glistened in the dim light like countless diamonds. Al most in the center of this chamber was an oval shaped depression in the floor of about two feet This basin was filled with water, intermittently rising and falling with elockike regularity Gin einnati Enquirer