The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-21
A Great Cavern In Maine.


The cave entrance is situated fifty
rods from the east shore of Allegash
Lake, and is small opening in the side
OF the mountain. The opening is suffi.
GENTLY large to permit man to enter
the cave easily, but is partially hidden
by thick growth of stubby trees. The
exploring party entered the cave, slid
ing down a sloping shelf which runs at
an angle of about thirty degrees for
several rods. They then found them
selves in large chamber dimly lighted
with an irregular roof and many cor
ridors and wipdiDgs in the walls, but
with perfectly smooth and level floor.
The width of the chamber at the en-.
trance is ninety-one feet.
One of the corridors running to the
north in zigzag course was followed
for long distance. In some places
this corridor widens so that several
men might walk abreast, and in other
places it is 80 narrow that the men had
hard work in squeezing through. They
came to fissure at the side of the cor
ridor about $50 feet from the outer
chamber. After lowering weight
and finding that the bottom was twenty
feet below, they attached line to
boulder in the wall of the corridor 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 it lies.
Ltading out of this chamber are
many passages, ell of them difficult of
entry. One of these, leading directly
toward the base of the mountain, was
entered by some of the party and ex-
plored for 100 feet or more. 1t slopes
at an angle of forty-fve degrees, grad
ually widening and increasing in height.
The party proceeded until they found
themselves in another large chamber
with vaulted roof and alcoves and pas
sages leading downward and onward.
The party did not dare to explore fur
Their, but will return the coming sum-
mer and make more thorough exam
alton.
Evidences were found that the cave
had been visited by the aborigines.
These evidences 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 decayed,
and the marks of the axe or other tool
are not plainly apparent on his speci-
mems. The stumps were found in the
lower cave.
1t is believed 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
an inch or more in depth has settled in
all the chambers, and this penetrated
the clothing of the explorers and
proves to be very hard to get rid Of.
From observations made by the Osgood
party the assumption is that the cave is
one of the largest known. Apparently
it honeycombs the entire base of the
mountain, which rises in three peaks
above it, and that it descends to depths
which will be difficult of exploration.
There are no signs of water in the cave,
and no sound or current OF air to indi-
cate the presence of running stream.
The location of the cave Is eighty
miles from Patten, the most northerly
town in Penobscot county, which is
reached by branch of the Bangor and
ArOostook railroad. The discovery of
the opening was made year ago by
Thomas Lawlor while passing up to his
camp at the head of the lake. Look
ing up at the mountain side he thought
he saw smoke issuing from q clump of
shrubbery at the mouth OF the cave.
He put on his snowshoes and started to
investigate. AS he drew nearer he
saw that it was not smoke, but steam
which was arising, and that the snow
about the clump of bushes was thaw-
ing. Thinking that he had discovered
bears den, he went back for some of
his crew and they explored the en-
trance. Sliding down to the first cham
Der they were astonished to find that
what they had mistaken for BEARS
den was wonderful cavern.
Some of the older woodsmen remem-
Der legend often related by the Indi-
ans years ago, which says that pow
erful spirit had its abode under the
three peaks of the mountain on the
shores of the Allegash, and that this
spirit kept guard over wonderful mines
OF gold and silver that were hidden
somew where in that vicinity. The le-
gend says that one Indian succeeded in
getting into the good graces of the
spirit, and was conducted to the mines
and permitted to take away lump of
solid gold Afterward the Indian and
white man from Bangor named Che
maux went up the Allegash to find the
mines, but neither of them was ever
seen again.