The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-04-25
GRAND GULF CAVERN
A GREAT CAVE THAT IS IN SOUTH
WESTERN MISSOURI.

We Ef1N MtoSOCni-
It's r--sserious Depths Were First
Explored by Two Men OF More Than
Ordinary CoaraEe-The stery of
Their PerfIoaS JOarzey.
Southwest Missouri is fun OF strange
earth formations that are called mat
raj" curiosities IN spite Of their IN
latura.ness. The earth is full Of caves
pnd sink holes. One OF the most eele-
bratad of these is the Grand Gulf. in
OREGON county, about four miles from
KOshkonong. Il is a sort Of canyon,
10 shape not unlike a horseshoe and
serves the purpose Of a drainage bed
IN the wet season for u mile area Of
hills. The canyon is 220 feet deep. with
a natural bridge in one place and a
gubterranean lake and river that opens
at one end. The river only exists dur
Ing the wet season. for the earth at
The bottom Of the canyon is porous
and absorbs the water. The lake, bow
ever. is fun the whole year round.
This cave. containing the lubter-
raaean river and lake. had Devef been
explored 20 the end till tie summer Of
1885. when Iat Foley. a saloon keeper
from Thayer. with q companion per-
formed the exploit Foley had made
two trips before into the cave, bat had
not been able TO secure a companion
courageous enough TO persevere in the
enterprise. Each man had weakened
and returned before the end Of the
cave was reached. On the third trip,
however. Foley had with him 4 man
Of courage.
The entrance 10 the cave is wide and
deep. Tbs bed is Of broken stones. over
which trickles tiny stream OF water
il the dry season. a hundred feet in
side the csye the entrance suddenly
narrows fnto q hoie so small that
man must get on hands and knees 10
pass through. Beyond this narrow hole
the entrance widens into a large grottc.
There is a steep hiIl to climb; next the
hin descends sharply Into a lake To
penetrate TO the end Of this lake il was
necessary TO have boat so small that
Il rould be dragged through the narrow
passage into the grotto.
Foley and his companion built boat
Of suitable size and hauled Il through
the narrow entrance. They took with
them also a long coil Of rope, quanti-
~ Of matches some railroad lanterns
snd four torches with cotton Waddlng
on the ends soaked in kerosene. The
cave Of course is perfectly dark. The
men used their lanterns till they got
through the narrow place, but to their
amazement the lantern flames inside
tie groito slowly grew dim and finally
went out. They tried TO light them
again. but the sulphur q the matches
would fare Up only to be extinguished
Immediately. The reason Of this was
thar the atmosphere was exceedingly
damp and heavy.
The men succeeded in lighting the
iour kerosene torches. and grasIing
one Of them in each hand they made
their way down the slope TO the lake
and stood the torches up between the
rocks. The torches smoldered like hot
Goals. giving out very little flame The
boat was dragged down 10 the lake. the
torches fastened at the PROV and stern.
one end Of the rope tied to n bowlder
and ;he rest Of the coil thrown IN the
boat When the two men sat down in
the frail craft they found the water
rose to within three inches Of the gun
wales. II was impossible 10 use oars
without tipping the boat far enough 10
sink II. so the men were forced 10 pad
die cautiously with their hands.
They forced the little craft into the
unknown lake. the smoldering torches
lighting up the blackness for only
few feet around them. Outside it was
a warm summer day. they knew, but
inside IL was like a closed refrigerator,
all blackness and dampness and cold.
The water of the lake was ice cold.
and at every few dips they had TO stop
anI warm their hands. There was
nothing to be seen on any side-Doth-
ing but darkness. No sound could
penetrate the cavern. If the boat
should capsize-as il was likely 10 do
with the slightest disturbance-they
would be cFamped in a minute in the
cold water without a chance of help
from the outside.
After a long and tedious padding the
boats prov was suddenly buried in a
bank Of mud and gravel. Foley took
torch and stepped out cautiously in
his rubber boots into the mud. he
found he had come TO the end of the
lake and that a sharply inclined wall
OF rock rose before him. The saloon
keeper climbed up the wall about 40
feet above the lake searching for 4
continuance OF the cavern. But he
could find none. Apparently the cav
ern ended there. He returned TO the
boat, where his companion sat. The
two men made their way across the
lake and out through the narrow place
in safety. They had been gone an
hour. and their friends outside had be-
gun to fear an accident had happened
10 them.
SO far as people know. the cave in the
Grand Gulf has no outlet The Indian
traditions about the cave are that il
was a subterranean waterway much
used at one time by bOatmen. who
used TO carry provisions in boats TO the
Arkansas valley. IL this be true. the
river must have been stopped up many
years ago by some convulsion of ma
ture and the lake formed then.-Kan-
SaS CITY Star