The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-01-04
MONTANA'S CAVE is A WONDER.
Thought to be Greater Than Mammoth
or Wind.

ANACONDA, Mont, Jan. S.-An i'm
mense natural cave that promises to
| rival the wonders of the Mammoth
cave or the Wind cave of the Black
Hills has recently been explored at
Lime Spur, Mont.
The mouth of the cave is at the
top of Lime Spur mountain, in JEFF
ferson canyon, about forty-two miles
from Butte, on the Northern Pacific
| railroad. 1t is about half a mile
from lime quarry owned by D. A.
] Morrison, who also owns the land
| where the cave was found. 1t was dis
| covered by accident
In many respects the Lime Spur
cave has no equal. AT a depth of
about 800 feet below the mouth of the
! cavern, the chambers widen into rock
ribbed halls, the walls of which are
| covered with beautiful gypsum and
stalacttic tapestry. Translucent col
umns of stalagmitic formation rise
| from the rock-strewn floor to the
| lofty ceilings; festoons of cur1ousIy
wrought flowers of gypsum, studded
with sparkling crystal, reflect the
| light from the torches Of the visitors,
and strange colonnades of pure white
| cross and recross the spacious cham
bers.
Into Center of Mountain.
Unlike other cave, this cavern
plunges into the center of the noun
! tain instead of offering a horizontal
| passage. The first descent is of fifty
feet into a chamber which is the home
of bats. Clinging in clusters to the
milk white walls, or flying about.
startled by the candles, the strange
creatures seem to speak of the mys-
| teries of the caverns
From the first landing there is a long
incline. which ends abruptly in another
jump of $50 feet Rope ladders are
| used here. the ends being fastened to
huge stalagmlteS.
At the bottom of the second land
ing the cave widens into series of
ly like the interior of cathedral, with
organ loft. chancel and all. A long
row of stalactites, which reach from
the lofty ceiling to the floor, resemble
an immense pipe organ.
The stalactites vary from six inches
to an inch in diameter, and when
give forth deep, sonorous sound
that fills the cavern with weird har-
mony. The tone is of singular sweet
ness, and when the blow is repeated
several times the cathedral is flooded
with melody.
Bewldering Beauty.
The passage leads from one chamber
to another until another descent be-
gins. This time the path leads down
a steep incline to a depth of 500 feet
below the mouth of the cave. Here
wonderful beautiful sight meets the
gaze. On every side are walls of milky
whiteness and oddly shaped lacework
of stalactitic formation. The ceilings
are high above. Grottoes of bewilder-
ing beauty are on every hand
On one side one hears the rush of
water. A stream Of cold water six
inches in diameter, gushes from a
hanging wall and splashes on the
floor. The water is only few degrees
above the freezing point.
strong current of fresh air rushes
up from down below, and the explor-
ing party seeks to discover the source |
The air is bracing and seems charged |
with ozone just as in the Mammoth |
cave Of Kentucky. After breathing
the air for a time, fatigue is for
gotten.
Plunging down another long Decline
the wonders increasing at every STEP
the party encounters curious
phenomenon. A distant rumbling is
heard in far-off region. 1t gathers
in volume until great sweep of wind
blows out all the lights. The air rushes
upward until it finds outlet above.
The rumbling is surmised to be the
vibration of the mighty stalactites,
but whence comes the fresh air can
only be conjectured. 1t is supposed
that miles away there is an outlet,
which causes strong current of air
to circulate through the spacious
chambers. The reverberating sounds