Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1901-08-14
4 WONDERFUL CAVE.
Whether Its Existence is Real or Whether 1t Is Another Creation of Joe Mulhatton is Left to
 the Reader.

That Joe Mulhatton is still alive and in his right mind is evidenced by
 the following from the Florence
 Blade, published in the county where
 Mir. Mulhatton resides:
 Messrs. F. S. Burchett and J. A
 TiIman recently discovered and To-
 cated, in a contact between quartzite
 and massive lime, a remarkable wide
 vein carrying carbonate of lead ore
 The discovery is located about two
 miles west of the Troy copper mines
 and about three miles north of River
 side. While they were prospecting
 along the contact to determine the ex-
 tent of their find Mir. Tillman slipped
 and fell. To prevent himself from
 sliding down the mountain he threw
 his arms around a large boulder.
 While hanging on the boulder and
 trying to get on his feet again he
 heard a sound like rocks rolling down
 shaft. He called Mr. Burchett and
 they made an investigation. They
 rolled the boulder away and found
 under it an opening in the limestone about Is inches in diameter and going down vertically to a depth of about II
 feet. At the bottom it appeared to connect with a large drift. Having a rope and candles with them, Nr. Bur chett decided to explore the discovery. MT. Tillman let him down to the bot tom of the vertical opening, and sure enough he found there what appeared to be an old tunnel leading down under the mountain at an angle of about 45 degrees. He followed this in about l20 feet and came to an abrupt fall of about l5 feet; chamber ing down this he found himself in a large chamber about 45 feet in diame- ter each way, but in the dim light of the candle he could not see the roof. He found the chamber floor covered with large boulders, showing carbo- notes of lead. The walls of the chambers also showed lead carbo- mates. It had evidently been the home of bats for years, as he sank down in the guano up to his waist Continuing his investigations, he found in the wall opposite the open ing by which he had entered another drift leading on under the mountain. Entering this. he followed it a dis tance of 2S feet into another chamber. not quite so large as the first one, but the same in every other respect. 1 While examining this chamber, he found another opening continuing on in the same direction followed by the proceeding openings. At some dis ! tance in. it seemed to enter another . large chamber, but as the passage ! way was wedge shape, with the sharp . edge down. Mir. Burchett could not | get through if without putting in stulls, and these he did not have. | Furthermore, he noticed in the guanO bed on the floor numerous fresh lion tracks leading into this opening, and ls he was unaTmed It was not wise to venture into this lion den. The air in all portions of the cave examined by Mir. Burchett was perfectly fresh, and he is confident that the cave has more than one entrance. 1t is more than probable that this great cavewill not only prove to be a great curiosity, put also a great treasure vault, as on .he surface above it the lead carbo- nate vein is, Mir. Burchett says, about l50 wide and will average 20 per cent cad. Messrs. Burchett and Tillman ocated four claims along the contact, including the cave. The ground is not for sale until they shall have de- to some extent at least, its ralue. The wonders of old Pinal are ust beginning to be revealed.-Ari- .ona Blade, Florence.