The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
AGREATCAVERN IN MAINE.
nrScoVERIEs ArADE BY EXPLORERS
IT ALLRGA6H LIKE.

rhs CAvo relieved to Do or Immense Extent
Great hats Brought Gas from the Inner
Chnpibors-Its Diacoyery n Wear ago by .
Eumberinnn-IndisE Legends Pointing to It.
! HoULroN, No. March a7.-James'K. osgood
II this town is-homo from the great cave NJ
! AlleCRsh Lake With n saR'ui ot bats, some OF
! them monsters az their kind, and an interest
ing story Of his explorations IN that recently
discoI erNl suhterrancnn wonder. The hats h,
brought with him ns rroof that lie had rcno
tratcG 70 son'o of tho inner chauaers Of ia,
cove. Their immense siGc no considers an IN
dlcntion that tho cavc Is much larger than IN,
widest conlectirrs nj Its discoveries nude IT,
Three weeks ago MIR. Osgood organized at
CT aedltion If cid woodsmcn mad guide. and
with torches ard ro gcs and other rcCcssarici
10" unlerErocn. exploration, went TO P0ttcn
the last town between lloult0n and the Alle
cash. There they hired horses md were con.
YcScd 10 tho lake. In the party were VIII IL
i,awlor OF i!eEedlcta. brother Of Thomas Law
lor, who discovered the cave n year ago; Blu
ton ", Howe OF Patton, Daniel Clark of l!oul.
ton, and Ranc Gross VI Ashland.
TLc cnvs entrance ia situated nifty rods from
Tho cast shore OF Alicgash Lake, and Ia a small
opening In the ride OF the mcuntatH. The
oucn'rG IS sufficiently large 20 :crmIt q utnu &c
enter the cave cnaily. lut - partially hldlcn by
o ditch growth 81 stubby trees. The tarty en-.
tered $40 cave. altiiag down = elop!ag ulclf
which runs w ~ angle OF about 30 degrees for
several rods. They then tound themselves I,
T. large chamber dI:uiy lighted with an ir.
%."Gulnr roof aud mary corr dcrs and w~!ndinRs
IN he walls, but with \ perfectly smooth and
level foo. Tho width of the chamber AZ the
One Of tho corridors running - the north in
a alszaG course was followed for n long dis
lance. n some places this corridor wiGcns so
thnt rcycral men r.cht walk abreast. and in
other places II Is so harrow that the men had
'Nn ~ prfN-y F1 snF A. fYIr rnt1u TlNap gnNr.a
g a nssurc At the side Of the corridor about
l5c feet from, the outer chamber. After low
was twenty feet below, they attached line to
a boulder in the wall Of the corridor and low
selves, IN another large. chamber. swarmtng
WITH bats. This rhamher Earies in height
as is that Of he ehsnNer under which il lies.
Leading out Of this chamber arc many pas
tnsss' o.! %! then ttfitu!t Of eStrS; one OF
mountain. was entered by some Of the party
aud explored for 100 feet or more. II slopes at
n anGie Of - degrees. gradually widening and
HniI they tou ndd't theinseives in I another large
passages leading downward and onward. The
party did not dare to explore further. but will
return the coming summer and make a moro
Evidences we're found that the cave had been
visited by the aboriRines. These evidences
werc In tho shane OF stumps Of pine trees that
nad been hacked OF With blunt Instruments.
mr. H1r' VssUoa nr6afht 5scs some OF these stumpt;
- N'-'S h'N NNAAt NLA AAAS iAASi h1 va
the axe or other tool are not plainly apparent
on his specimens. The stumps we're found in
Mr.. oseood believes that there is another
opening 70 the cave somewhere on the other
side OF the mountain. as the air is pure ard
fresh, although there is no strong draught. An
impaln"ble dust an inch or more in depth has
settled in all the CHANGERS. and this penctrat-
ed the clothing Of the explorers and proves
to be very hard TO get rid of. From observa-
tons made by the OsGood party the assumption
IS thnt the cave Is one # the largest known.
Mr.. 0sgood believes that it honeyromhs the en-
tire base Of the mountain. which rises in III SO
neaks above II. and that IT descends to derths
Which VIII be difficult OF eEulOration. Thee
are no signs of water in The cave. and no sound
running stream.
The location OF the cave is aiclty miles from
Paften. the most northerly town in Pcnohsc"t
county. which IL reached nv a branch nf the
Bangor and ArOostook railroad. The di-cov-
cry or the opening was made n year ago Gv
Thomas LAwlor while uas;ing M 10 his camp
mountain side he thought he saw smoke issu-
;gg from a clrmp of shrubbery at the mouth Ot
70 investigate. AS he drew nearer he saw thar
IL was not snnke. but steam which was rising.
aad that the snow about the. clump OF bushes
was tina King. Thinking that he had discovered
a bears den. he went back for sonle Of his crew
and they explored the entrance. Sliding down
to the first chamber, hey were astonished 20
find that what they had mistaken tor "A bears
den was a wonderful cavern.
Some Of the Older woodsmen remember a
legend often related BY the Indians years ago.
which says that n powerful spirit had IFS
abode under the three pc AXIS OF the mountain on
the shores of The .Ailegash. and that this spirit
kept guard over s:Onderful mines OF gold and
vicinity. The legend saws that one Indian
succeeded In getting into the good EraCes of tho
snirit; and was conducted, TO the mines and
permitted to take away n lump of solid gold.
Afterward the Indian and n white man from
Bangor named ChemauT went up the ALE
cash to find the mines. but neither Of them
WAS eve EpRn nVaiD