Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-03-08
A Mountain Tomb


While the western terminus Of the
Union Pacific railroad was still at
Cheyenne l started off into the noun
tains with companion named John
Shayne to prospect for gold.
We had been out for two weeks when
signs of Indians became so fresh that
we were driven into hiding in small
canyon or ravine making out Of lar
ger one. We kept working back up the
dark and narrow way until we had
quite reached the end, and as it had
now come night and we were in want
Of food we decided to start a fire.
The bottom of the ravine was cover
ed with leaves and limbs, and we soon
had cheerful blaze going. Soon after
the fire was lighted two great wolves
rushed past us, going for the mouth.
They had come out of a mass Of rock
at the upper end. Thinking there
might be a den there in which others
were hiding, we made torch and in
spected the place.
Under a tangle Of trees which had
fallen from above was the mouth Of a
cave 1t was little larger than the
body Of a WOLF but when we had eaten
our supper we went at it to enlarge
the orifice. In the course of an hour
we opened the mouth Of great cav
ern. From the mouth what may be
called a wide hallway ran back dis
thnv,
came to the cavern itself.
Its roof was from thirty to forty
feet high, and in width and length
there was space enough to crowd a
thousand people together. We built
fire in the center of the vast apartment
around us, thinking there might be
other wild animals lurking about, and
when we could see everything we
stood amazed and wondered if we
could be dreaming.
It was a cavern, charnel house and
a tomb combined. There was not such
a thing as perfect skeleton, but there
were hundreds and hundreds Of human
bones lying about, each one as white
as ivory and as clean as billiard ball.
In the center Of the cavern We're sew
en- or eight heaps of furniture, bedding,
clothing and cooking utensils, each
one apparently having belonged to a
different owner. Leaning against one
Of the walls were eight rifles, and near
them We're axes and kegs Of powder.
AS we looked around and saw these
things and handled some of them we
could come to but one conclusion. Ev-
erything before us had belonged to
party of immigrants making westward
over the overland trail. The cave was
only ten miles of the trail. There had
been some awful tragedy here, and we
began looking closer to make 1T out.
The puzzle was soon solved.
The immigrants had either been at
tackled by Indians and driven to bay
in the cavern or had wandered from
the trail and taken temporary refuge
there There was no way to tell how
long they had been inside when land
slide brought down thousands Of tons
Of debris over the mouth of the cavern
and entombed them. Heavy rains had
subsequently washed much of it in
side, and then the wolves had burrow-
ed through the remainder. The en-
tombed people had made efforts in
three or four directions and had broken
or worn out their spades and shovels,
but they had had to give it up at last.
They might have blasted their way
out with powder at hand, but they
were afraid to use 1t.
We did not go into as rigid an ex-
animation that night as curiosity
prompted, both Of us having strong
feeling of awe in the presence Of the
relics Of the dead, but after night
passed at our campfire outside we re-
turned to the search.
We had noticed four or five wooden
chests among the baggage, and our
first move in the morning was to in
spect these. They contained clothing,
bedding, ETC., but had not yet finished
with the first when I made an impor-
tant discovery.
Five years previously party had
been made up in Boone and Jefferson
counties, Mo-, by man named
Frayne. There were seven families,
numbering thirty people. in the party,
and after they had progressed as far
west as the foothills of the Rockies
all trace Of them had vanished. Some
believed they had been overwhelmed
in a cloudburst, others that they had
been massacred to the last man by the
Indians. In that trunk 1 found letters
and an account book belonging to
Frayne himself, and Of course they
settled the identity Of the party.
On the floor Of the cave Shayno
picked up q blank book which had
been used as diary by one John Mar
tin of the party. 1t covered period
Of two months. dating from the start
westward. His jottings were brief,
but several of them referred to quar-
rels and dissensions, and the last one
said that they were off the trail and
sending out men north and south in
hopes to regain it. Two children had
died, but all others We're well.
1t Is the general belief that in seek
ing to find the trail the party were
sighted by Indians and retired into the
big ravine for shelter. They may have