The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-15

hessee mas ever been complied, and even
the histories and descriptive sketches Of
| the various counties do not mention them
all. That they have been objects of in
terest since their existence became know
is made manifest by the fact that in 1912
a book entitled life as 1t Is" was writ
ten by J. w. Breazeale A copy of this
interesting work is in the possession of L.
G.. Walker of this city.
Breazeale makes no mention of Look
out cave, and fails to mention also Car
rolls cave, one of the most interesting
in Coffee county not far from Tulla-
homa. In Smith and Wilson counties there
are numerous extensive caves, but no
mention of them is made in the book.
As this is the season when tourists in
wade the remote places of the earth IL
may possibly assist them to find ont
something that is at least novel, by de-
scribing the location and chief character
istics of some of these freaks Of nature.
Near Greenville, in Greene county, is
very beautiful cave, which is fully as in
teresting, If not more so, than the Mann
moth Cave of Kentucky The entrance is
In the side of a ridge, about midway be-
tween the summit and the base, and merely
a hole about five feet square From the
entrance is a long narrow slope, leading
into subterranean chamber with groin
ed roof and well turned arches and num-
bers of stalactities and stalagmites. Mar
row passageways connect this chamber
with a number of others, in one of which
is "Pompey's Pillar" a column about 20
feet high, and feet in diameter which
glitters like cluster of gems in the torch
light In another chamber Is a swift flowing
stream, and in another deep hole, from
which a current of air passes rapidly
In Jefferson county, near Messy creek, is
one of the most peculiar caverns in the
country, the entrance being on a level
plateau, and the cave itself almost hori-
zontal with the surface of the country.
The entrance Is like the crater of vol
cano, and when the bottom of the shaft is
reached a passageway extends a great
length in an easterly direction II has never
been explored very far because of deep
stream of water about % feet in width,
which has hitherto barred further pro-
gress. Away in the distance is heard the
roaring of a much larger stream, which is
thought TO be a veritable underground
river of no small dimensions. The general
surface Of the country is level, sparsely
timbered, and with very few springs for
several miles around. However, two miles
from the cave is an enormous hole about
$50 feet long and 100 feet wide, at the bot
tom of which Is a deep lake Of clear and
exceedingly cold water.
The curiosity part of the fact is that the
hole is 100 feet deep from the surface of
the RTOunQ TO the SuIIdtt VI NIt WdANit
and the lake has apparently no bottom and
neither inlet nor outlet A few miles from
this lake is the site of Swingle's lead mine,
where the first settlers procured lead for
bullets.
In jefferson county also is Englishs
Mountain, in which there is a blowing
cave" This cave has never been explor-
ed, because a strong current Of air rushes
from its every four minutes with a suffi-
IN axffnur1igh ldmD
torch. Electricity has not reached that
locality yet In Carter county are caves,
but without any striking feature One
of them is known as Dead Mans Cave,
because three hunters lost their way IN II
and were found dead by their friends hav-
ing been overpowered by gases
In Monroe county, about six miles from
jacksonville, on Milk SILK Knobs, is a
very beautiful cave. The entrance is in
the side of a steep slope, and is only just
large enough TO permit person to enter.
A narrow passage about 400 yards long
leads into a magnificent chamber about
200 feet square and over $50 feet high. Then
there is a complete chain of chambers of
enormous size, connected by low, narrow
passages. In one of these chambers is a
deposit of ochre, and from the earth in
another chamber 1t is said that saltpetre
was once manufactured. This cavern
also contains a very large river and mill
Ions of stalacites, from the size of lead
pencil to nearly a yard in diameter. One
column is nearly six feet in diameter.
In Warren county Is Higginbotham s
Cave, with vast chamber nearly 10 acres
in extent and there are several very beau
tifuI caves in Marion county.
Some day these caves will be thorough
ly explored by scientists. and then, with
out doubt. a great deal of valuable in
formation will be added to our history of
Tennessee"