The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-19
GREAT CAVERN
In MAINE.

HOULTON, Me-, April 17.-James
K. Osgood, of this town, is home from
the great cave at Allegash lake with
bagful of bats, some of them mon
sters of their kind, and an interesting
story of his explorations in that recent
ly discovered subterrane an wonder. The
bats he brought with him as proof that
he had penetrated to some Of the inner
chambers of the cave. Their immense
size he considers an indication that
the cave is much larger than the Wild
est conjectureS of its discoveries made
1t.
Three weeks go Mr.. OsgoOd organic
ed an expedition of old woodsmen and
guides, and, with torches and ropes
and other necessaries for underground
exploration, went to Patten, the last
town between Houlton and the Ale
cash. There they hired horses and
were conveyed to the lake. In the
party were Will H LawIor of Bene-
dicta, brother of Thomas Lawlor who
discovered the cave a year ago. Bur
ton w. Howe, of Patten, Daniel Clark,
of HOultOn, and Ranc Gross, of Ash
land
The cave entrance is situated fifty
rods from the east shore of Allegash
lake, and is a small opening in the
side of the mountain. The opening
is sufficiently large to permit a man
to enter the cave easily, but is partial
ly hidden by a thick growth of stubby
trees. The party entered the cave, Slid
| Ing down a shopping shelf which runs
at an angle of about so degrees for
several rods. They then found them
selves in large chamber dimly lighted
| with an irregular roof and many cor
ridors and windings in the walls. but
with a perfectly smooth and level floor
] The width of the chamber at the en-
I trance is 81 feet
| One Of the corridors running to the north
/ In a Zigzag course was followed for long
! distance. In some places this corridor widens
so that several men might walk abreast, and
in other places 1t is so narrow that the men
had hard work in squeezing through. They
came to assure at the side of the corridor
about $50 feet from the outer chamber. Aft
err lowering a weight and finding that the
bottom was twenty feet below they attached
a line to a boulder in the wall of the corri-
dor and lowered themselves into it. They
found themselves in another large chamber
swarming with bats. This chamber varies
in height from two to six feet. and the floor
! is not level, as is that Of the chamber under
which ii lies.
Leading off of this chamber are many pas
sages all of them difficult of entry. One Of
these, leading directly toward the base Of the
mountain. was entered by some of the party
! and explored for 100 feet or more. It slopes
! at an angle of IS degrees, gradually widening
/ and increasing in height. The party pro-
! ceeded until they found themselves in an
! other large chamber with vaulted roof and al
! coves and passages leading downward and
! onward. The party did not dare to- explore
further, but will return the coming summer
! and make more thorough examination.
! Evidences were found that the cave had
! been visited by the aborigines. These evil
| dences were in the shape Of stumps Of pine
! trees that had been hacked off with blunt
! instruments. Mr.. Osgood brought back some
/ of these stumps, but they are badly de-
| cayed. and the marks of the ak or other
! tool are not plainly apparent on his speci-
mems. The stumps were found in the low
/ est cave.
Mr.. Osgood believes that there is another
! opening to the cave somewhere on the other
side of the mountain, as the air is pure and
| fresh, although there is no strong draught. An
! impalpable dust on inch or more in depth has
settled in all the chambers, ard this penetrat-
1 ed the clothing OF the explorers and proves
| to be very hard to get rid of. From observa-
| lions made by the Osgood party the assumption
| is that the cave Is one Of the largest known.
| Mr.. 0sgood believes that it honeycombs the
! entire base OF the mountains. which rise in
three peaks aatH 1T. anu that it deEeends to