The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-08-07
Remarkable Cave Of
Giants in California

moth cave has been discovered In the
heart Of the Providence mountains,
southeastern California, which Is
naned the Gave Of the Giants" and
rivals in splendor and beauty other re-
nownes caverns of the globe, IL
graphle descriptions are TO be cred
ited.
George L. Berge. who discovered the
cave and explored its recesses, has
taken up his residence in Seattle II
was Mr. Bergs love for scenic beauty
which took him into the Providence
mountains.
Looking across the Fo Shea pass
from Goidstone camp every evening at
sunset there are outlined on the face
OF the immense limestone cliffs that
form the northern wall Of the pass
Two giant masks. formed by the con
tour Of the rocks and the evening
shades. one face has the pose Of a
bearded giant with his head pillowed
on the brow Of the mountains and eyes
closed In slamber The other face Is
that Of a low browed, sallow checked
and snlien Moor. with scraggy chin
heard and mustache. gazing vacantly
into space The great limestone cave
which has just been explored is under
meath and back Of these sentinels.
The existence OF the cave was re-
vealed to Mr. Berg by an aborigine
known as Indian joe" who lived on
the west slope Of the Providence
range. BY markings on the ground
he vvidly described the entrance
leading to great depths. whore wing
ed monsters lived Describing his ex-
plorauon Of the cave with Charles
staubin, Mr. Berg said:
1--WE found the cave as Indian Joe
had described it. Great spire like
peaks stand above the entrance, cast
ing long dark shadows down the pre-
cipitous sides OF the canyons It was
a long. hard climb to the large bal
cony at the entrance to the cave,
which overhangs deep canyon.
"Our first trip was stopped by de-
clivitles we dared not attempt to as
ccnd without ropes and graphing
hooks, but we saw enough to prompt
q second expedition.
"The Sunday following our first visit
staubn ana l. accompanied by my
wife. who Is an expert mountain
climber. returned TO the cave, prepared
TO aee more Of IT, This time we were
equipped with hooks and ropes and an
abundance Of candles and fash
light camera
I'VE wound our way through one Of
the several corridors. a distance of
hundreds Of feet. coming on main
hail or grotto that leads due south.
The last rays of daylight we're soon
left behind. and with miners candles
in our hands we went down a gradual
slope. The floor was rough and sharp
edged crystals Of lime ground beneath
our feet aud cut our shoes. The roof
soon disappeared from view and the
walls. too. but they reappeared again
further down to the width and height
of an ordinary door bringing US out
on what appeared to be a small bal.
c,Siy Our dim lights seemed like a
rsocloery in the gloom that hung about
as like pail
But we were not the only living
things Attracted by our lights. shad-
owy forms circled around our heads.
We felt the flap of their wings before
Ne discerped the dim outlines Of the
bats. These were tho evil spirits
that had scared Indian Joe and drove
him from the cave The s1Geals of
the startled creatures reyerberated
through the mouth OF the grotto. The
echo OF our own voices sounded like
the clang OF broken bells and gave
us more OF start than the scream OF
the bats
I'VE took sOundings OF the place by
dropping pebbles to see how far we
would fall If we should step into the
dark depths below. We ascertained
by this method that the next floor was
nearly one hundred feet below US We
then threw stones In every direction
and came TO the conclusion that the
cavern had the proportions Of a vas
cathedral.
we retraoed our steps and found
q winding stairway that took US dowr
no the floor of the great gretto whicl
we had Just left No cathedral eyei
mad richer carvings or more beautifully
tinted wallis than This dark cave
strange serpentine forms Of petrihe,
...ai.... nnd ll,nrhs ~ diuhra Hind.