The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-28

strayed into Ste. Genevieve -sfronn 4
shanty boat, and learning the tfadi-
ton. set out to solve the mystery.
They made several trips and at first
had no trouble
They discovered a spring OF water,
and a wonderful room full of stalac-
titeS such as every limestone cave pos
sessss. and they discovered rooms that
have been visited a hundred times
since by every romantic couple in Ste
GeneVieve- Then they went further,
and growing familiar with the cave
failed to blaze their way Whittier they
wandered no man knows. Neither APP
pesred again in Ste. Geneyieve-
Another supposed entrance was found
in a sinkhole on the Simnas place, but
| when this was explored IL led only to
( another opening on the river. passing
! over or under Dead Mans cave, with
| out communication with II.
This was the amount of information
| placed at the disposal of Captain John
J son when he made his trip into the
! cavern. He went in equipped with
| everything that a man could carry TO
/ make such trip easy. he had a.
lantern and a can of oil, box OF
/ matches, plenty of chalk and string
and everything he might need to help
| him find his way back by the route
| he entered.
I
| spite of the protests Of many towns
people, and Travelled easily along the
well known way until he came 10 the
| underground river. This he had de-
| termined TO cross; SO. in a canoe, which
/ he had dragged with him, he embarked
on the unknown water
! The current was swifter than he had
anticipated and bore him so far along
that when he got to the opposite shore
/ y NJ NJ los f.sr-1 he.
! out of sight and out of reach of the
| point at which he had embarked. He
tied his canoe, as he thought. securely,
| and began TO seek a way farther into
| the depths. He found one easily enough
and went a long way in without find
ing anything remarkable. Then, think
| ing il was time to return, he made his
| way back to the river
| The landing he found easily enough,
but not the boat. The swift current
had torn it away Then. indeed. the
captain was in a plight. He endeav0re
TO find a way TO cross the river and
! by keeping in mind that it was on his
right, he made his way up stream and
4 continually approached it. but without
success, so far as crossing was con-
cerned.
Thinking that the river must lead 10
the Mississippi, he then started 70 fol-
low it down stream: but in doing this
he lost his way, became confused and
/ was never able 10 retrace his steps 10
the flowing water.
That must have been late on Mon
day night. On Tuesday a searching
party began to hunt for him, but could
not cross the river. When at last a
boat was dragged in. the captains
canoe was found far down the river
1t was believed that he had fallen in
and had been drawn under. There was
| nothing to show where he could have
left the stream, and so the search was
abandoned
! Meanwhile, the captain retaining his
presence Of mind, put himself on ire
shortest of rati0ns. and. exploring stc-
cording to rule, made his way by de-
grees carefully through passage after
passage. always trying to work west
ward knowing that the river was be
! tween him and the entrance, he hoped
that by following the westward way,
according 10 a little compass on his
| watch chain, he would be able to come
TO the limit of the hills and find another
opening.
His oil gave out on Monday night
After that he went in darkness. saving
his matches to enab bic him from time tC
time to consult his compass.
Day followed day. When at last he
had given up hope of rescue, he sud
denly came TO a turn and saw ahead
a giimmer of daylight. Crawling down
! a narrow passage. he emerged into the
open air and lay, faint and helpless
I from exhaustion. and blinded by the
daylight, four miles from the cave en-
/ trance. There he was found by the
farmer an hour or two afterward
There are none here anxious to ex-
p]ore Dead Mans cave, and any who
| wish TO try will receive scant encour-
| agement from the cautious people Of
Ste. Genevieve.