Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-10-26
WYANDOTTE CAVE.
A PARTIAL DESCRIPTION Or THIS
WONDERFUL "GsoUNo HOLE"

WONDERFUL "GsoUNo HOLE"
Amons tho MANY Curious rhiae' Tho
Greatest Il thc rnisr of the ccnstiiu-
uor-It &, $4,000 Years Ola or Many
Thousand flnc' That Asr.
wynudotto cavo is inferior to Nam.
moth iu llngth, aud yet % walk through
IT, 20 mile. Of avenues mud chambers
convincu DIE visitor that thcrris enough
aud o. apnrr. OF course be- usually takes
only tho three foutcs-l2 milra-nnd ia
satisfied. As ii the ctso with all oth'r
caves that are IN burncfs. bear bears
the credit Of discovering this natural
wonder. Il was Ia this why. in tho
early days II this state % hunter ono
day saw bear aud shot but did not kill
It. whoroupon be gave chase and was in
closo pursuit. whon. 10 nnd behold. 90
disappeared This much puzzled tho
seasoned hunter. and be- stood IN amuzc-
mont. but finally sumuuning bis rao.
luton he went 10 tho spot whorr tlu
animal had vanished Thorn was largo
upcning In the side ~ tho hill luyusti.
CATION revealed tho existence ~ this
vast underground possession. 80 much
fuf tradition. The same thing occurred
with every other cave, aud why not
with ihisi
Tho existence of this cave has boon
known for years Ne early ns 1879 70
was owpod by white man who gath.
orrd salipctor IN H. chambers md mndc
gunpowdor--a precious article IN tho
hackwoodS The early sotilrB worked
the cave that way for year,, going Gar.
thur aud farther from tho entrance in
search 81 this mincfal Finally II ceased
TO b. necessary or profitable 10 make
their own powder. and tho owner of the
cave abandoned IL, and tho land rcyort.
cd 10 Tho general government In 1910
or 1850 u mon named Roihfuck bought
the land aud explored the cave. AZ that
time only four miles were known. bnt
by chance n small opening was nutIc,d.
and un investigation revealed the fact
that u new and greater portion bad been
discovered. This unknown route was
explored, six miles more of cave came
into possession u tho owner. and Ii lrst
occurred 20 him that ho had a Bonanza.
The now fnd brought tho cave into mo-
toe. and subsequent discoveries have
placed it among the wondortof America
II was ~ years ago that Mr.. Roth.
rock, then n young man. commenced
acting ne guido among tho labyrinth Of
passaguways under tho hill. Now comes
one Of tho most interesting features 81
tho cave When he began his visits here.
he heard tho drip. drip ~ the waters
that never ocaD and saw tho sialArtitcs
little fingers of stone which bad buon
made by the dripping waters 10 tcst
the growth II the stone stems be- mark.
ed ono with the smoke of % candle aud
awaited results Almost 90 yuars have
elapiod, aud ho returns today To tho
stone umokcepor and measures tho
etowih-ihmc.si1t al an inch.
There aro columns hero soyun feet high
formed by the constant drop Of water.
Only few feet from the top you pafs
from tho known 10 the prehistoric.
wyandotte h beautiful Ia sediment
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and stalactltc-
that form from floor and ceiling. grow.
ina scarcely hairhreAdth In year.
but gradually lcssnuing tho distance be-.
tween their crystal points until IN timo
they meet ma form columns ~ trnnslu.
cent stone. BEAUTIFUL aud chasto IN de.
sign, tho despair Of architects Fancy u
chamber Of Imposing dimensions. tho
lofty coiling supported ny ihtso divine.
" wrought pillnfa, tho coucayc walls
vencsrcd with = coating ~ sparkling
diamonds, tho dolusi,c glitter OF gold
and silver In bonndloss wealth. and you
have Alnddin's cave. ~ rich ns the ava.
rioiuus vision ~ tho Arabian dreamer
rhe new foutus ruyeL tho boautioa ~
crysial. the old route pre- cuts tho ia.
mul;uoua, the grand. The pass ages and
chambers are rough. broken, the barren
rugrudnos that Turns ones thoughts to
grandeur. This route terminates In tho
climax uf attractions This isthu senate
chamber, aud from H. oontrr, ssoming.
~ out q boiling caldfon vi molten
lava that hnd born chilled and lett im.
movable, risca the pillar u the consti
tuition. 10 stands alone. the grandcsl
column ever orctcd by man or bis mas.
Ter, Thirty feet In holght, 20 feet Ia
circumference, with huiod surfaco aud
unbrokon body, II stands IN perpetual
darkness, no ray Of light ever gliding
IT, sparkling exterior kayo that from a
niokering candle
LIT us take out our notebook aud cal.
culaio the agc Of this venerable pile. The
grny b"arled guide has told "a that the
fragile finger Of stone grew throo.six.
teynihs Of m inch IN nenrly 90 years.
onc inch IN si1 years. This pillar IL 80
feet high 800 inohes-twn centuries
aud 30 years 10 ono single inch. But
then II forms FROM floor and ceiling, 20
that inches are formed Ia thnt time
According 10 oar calculation. it has
ben ia,l00 years since tho foundation
Of this column was laid. But We ha,S
omitted ono factor The stone fngor
would hayu formed in that time. but
this BE- 600 times hs great On diameter.
Our pencils and books aguin-tut this
D. bowildCring. We cannot conceive ~
The Lapse ut timo contained in tine 40, 600
years Why go on piliug ngos upon
ugos3 Who Do brave enough 10 say that
America lacks afc' Why compared
with this, the Rnmoscs were be- squat.
tiers upon The homestead of antiquity.
h,i0u leaving found o small piece
Of rock the Indians had dug from the
pillar II had been 200 years mnco tho
redskins had made ornaments FROM this
beautiful stone, and 1 carried u away
o..