The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-30

have been tustihcd in doing for more
curiosity 20 explore the small cavern wo
were in. ..1.,-
Midnight niaeitnssS
We found several roons With oslllnss
forty or more feet high. ana there were
occasional stalacutcs; but nothing Of
much importance was seen. We wero
not able 20 penetrate beyond 1900 feet,
and probably 400 feet below the point Of
entrance In time Of drought one might
70 further: but go found the passages
10 small md the water so deep that we
could not keep our large stable lanterns
above wnteF, although W. still had pien-
~ OF breathing space Beyond us We
could hear the winter flowing intp u
chnsm, but wp could not reach It's brink
IN order to see what lay below. We re-
turned, having been IA the cave three
hours, and being satisfied that We had
almost found the object for which we
were searching.
However, we were not 20 bc balicd by
one failure. That afternoon we aepa-
rated, zach tnklnS a dlTcrunt direction,
and we explored the whole region, and
talked with the people about caves, 81
which there are dozens. and on the
third day we met by appointment NJ
Mlngo, within three miles OF The head
spring Of tho TyEart river. and about
five miles east OF the cave which we had
examined. The most promising opening
into the supposed Elk river cavern was
against the side of Mingo Knob, about
four miles from Elk river. That cave
was represented TO Us as going down
almost perpendicular to an unknown
depth. No man had been IN It for forty
years. The Ehostly stories which the
people told us about Il was enough 90
make Us supersti,lous They said that
two men went In It forty years ago.
When they came out one had become In
sane md the other never would tell
what ne saw. They also said that In
dams used The cavern as n dungeon,
into which they throw their captiyes and
Left chem TO die Nevertheless we de-
cided TO try It. not taking much stock
In the traditions.
Penetrated 1880 Feet.
This cavern was quite different from
the one we had explored few days be-
fore This had no water in 1t, and In
stead of descending by an easy grade, It
went sheer down like a vast well, into
binrkness Of the unknown
depths below. However. the statement
that tho descent was perpendicular must
be somewhat qualified. Il was perpen- |
dlcular in places, and very steep In
nthevu, with chnsna knocking the sight |
With unspenkable depths" But. takvn
az whole, It Is not very large, II It's d.
IRE expressed in feet. There |
are probably 4 hundred caves in West
into which person can pene-
trate farther; but know Of none in |
which more danger exists and where |
there Is more Of the horrible 20 be seen
and felt. once descended GOO feet into |
the crater OF an extinct volcano, and |
considered that rlslty, but It was not
equal tn this cavern In real or apparent /
danger, or in difficulty.
With our ropes, lanterns, an AK and |
chalk, we started The opening against |
the side ut n hill was about four feet |
square. Twenty feet down there was u !
shelf, and we cut \ pole and restins the |
lower end on the shelf, one went down.
while the others cut another pole OF |
equal length and let Il down with ropes.
and Its lower end was rested on another
shelf twenty feet lower. We then climb
cd down these poles and reached q place !
where we had good foJtirS. The dan
Ger here consisted Of loostened rocks
falling upon those who first went down.
The next 100 feet was MT perpendlcu-
lar, and we climbed down, holding 10 the |
angular rocks. The descent was COM
easy and safe. There we
emergcd Into a room which would nave
been grand. had Il not been so grim ana |
blnck. BY measurement II was lss rect |
long, i32 wide. with the central ceiiinS
~ solid sandstone about 80 feet nigh |
Tho ilow was covered for the most par
with sandgtcne blocks which had fallen |
SroT, above. Part OF the Goer was Of
limestone, about the only limestone we |
saw,
on the rink ora Pit
After looking about this room until We
were satisfied, we began searching for a
way to descend into the next depth.
Broken rocks nearly CLOSED the passage,
hut we proceeded down . very Steep |
slope about seventy feet, when my |
brother. who was In the lead. remarked |
shat his lantern threw no light ahead, |
that everything looked black. Suspect !
inE that he was about 20 step lnto water, |
/ told him to throw n rock ahead, He |
AID so: hut instead OF splashlng in 4
water, nothing was heard for several |
seconds, when the fall reSounded far be-
low. Instead OF n pond of water he |
was standing on she very brlnk Of q pit /
so deep that the lantern could NOT throw |
llEht 10 the bottom, and did not reflect I
from the sides. The rocks on which We |
were standing were loose, and inclined 70 |
slide over the brink. We loot no time |
in rCtractng our way 80 the large room. |
Along the floor OF the room on the eS-