The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-25
BOTTOM FELL OUT
Revealing a Mammoth Cave
Near Greenwich
ON Mr.. Y0UNG'S FARM
None So Brave as to Try to
Explore 1t.

Mr.. Henry Young was in the city yes
terday and told a reporter for the Eagle
OF the discovery Of a subterranean cave
IN a corn field about 200 yards from his
house on his farm, two and half miles
from Greenwich. The discovery has Gre
ated somewhat OF a sensation in that
neighborhood, and when the report
reaches the ears Of scientists there may
be uncovered and revealed chasm which
will startle the country. The earth dis
appeared very suddenly in a field which
Bir. Young has farmed and plowed over
for nearly thirty years, and It was only
by the instinct Of the horses which mis-
son was driving that a horrible accident
was averted. The discovery was made by
Mr.. Young's son, Herman, who was plow-
ing corn. The team suddenly stopped and
scared, and Herman went around to seq
what the trouble was, and was himself
startled by the discovery Of a large hole
the like OF which he had never seen be-
fore anywhere on the farm. He called to
his father and Mike Cahooley, the hired
man, who went to the scene. They could
not account for the strange disappear
ance OF the earth. Men from Greenwich
heard OF It and went out to see Il. BY
the best means at hand the cavity was
measured and peered into. II Is thought
10 be about twenty feet deep where the
opening was. About half the way down
they could see where the cavity expanded
and extended to the southeast, where it
got a great deal deeper and the bottom
could not be found. At a distance of
about twenty feet the cavity is said TO be
% feet north and south and about IS or %
feet the other way. The opening Of the
cavity IS about four feet square. There
Is a ridge OF stone discernible where the
hole makes a dip under the earth. and 1t
Is thought the interior Is walled with rock
or formation Of rock and gravel. Frank
Leygrts, a merchant at Greenwich, want
ed to explore the interior, but there were
no means at hand by which he could be
let down with safety. One man put his
ear 20 rhe edge of the hole and thought
he could hear a curious rumbling like
the running Of a stream over and through
stony crevices. and the sound gave evil
dence that the interior comprises much
larger space than that which the neigh
boFs had figured on.
The corn field in which the cave was
discovered is a sloping field containing
about forty acres, at the lower edge OF |
which there IS a draw. In order to pre- |
vent the soil washing into this draw Mr.. !
Young made a dam Of rubbish to catch |
the dirt as II washed down from the field. |
After the discovery OF the cave Mr.. |
Young removed some OF the rubbish Of |
the dam and several streams Of clear wa
ter broke forth. each as big as his arm.
lie thinks this water came from the cave
Herman Young. who has been cultlvating
this particular field. had been over the /
spot five times this spring, and was
blowing the corn for the last time. Had |
he been blowing on the other side of the
field he would have driven into the cave.
and horses, plow and all would probably
have gone down with the earth. which
is still resting without any support what
ever. Precau;ion has been made to keen
curiosity seekers from walking ON the
unsupported part. II Is thought that some
means will be secured by which some bold
adventurer may be given a chance 10 ex-
plore the cave. which Mr.. Young says IS
truly a wonder.
In 1885 there was reported from Clear
water a similar discovery, but there It is
said the earth simply sank. and was cas-
lily accounted for by the appearance OF
water in the bottom OF the sunken place.
On Mr.. Young's place there Is nothing
whatever 20 account for the disappear
ance OF the earth. II simply dropped out
q sight and did not lodge anywhere, as
far as any one has been able TO find.