The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-03-08

stood amazed ana wondered Il We
could be dreaming.
It was cavern, a charnel house and
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 a billiard ball
In the center Of the cavern were 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 were 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 a
party of immigrants making westward
| over the overland trail The cave was
only ten miles off the trail. There had
been some awful tragedy here. and we
began looking closer to make it 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 70 tell how
| long they had been inside WREN i 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 shoyelsi
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 60 into as rigid an ex-
animation that night as curiosity
prompted, both Of us having strong
feeling Of awe in the presence Of tho
relics Of the dead. but after a night
passed at our campfire outside we re
turned to the search.
| we had noticed four or FIVE wooden
chests among the baggage, and oul
first move in the morning was to in
spect these. They contained clothing
bedding, etc, but had not yet finished
with the first when made an impor
tant discovery.
! Five years previously a party hae
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 fal
west as the foothills of the Rookie;
all trace Of them had vanished Some
believed they had been overwhelmed
Il in a cioudburst, others that they ha6
been massacred to the last man by the
Indians. In that trunk found letters
and an account book belonging t
Frayne himself, and Of course they
settled the identity Of the party
On the floor Of the cave Shayns
picked up blank book which had
been used as a diary by one John Mar
I tin OF the party. 1t covered a perioe
OF two months, dating from the star
westward His jottings were brief
but several Of them referred to quar-
rels and dissensions, and the last on
said that they were or the trail ans
sending out men north and south i
hopes to regain it. Two children hat
died, but all others were well.
1t is the general belief that IN seek
ing TO find the trail the party wer
sighted by Indians and retired into tn
big ravine for shelter They may hav,
made stand there; but, the Indian
proving to strong for them, they retire,
within the cave, leaving their animal
end wagons outside. Tie animals wer
shot down and the wagons burned.
The people had plenty Of provisions
but there was not one single drop d
water to be had The cave was b
dry as a bedroom Had the wolYe
not got access to it we should hav
found everybody as wei preserved a
II embalmed. We thoroughly exploI
ed every foot Of wall. and there wa
not even a damp spot. How man.
hours or days before the landsllp block
cd up the entrance no one can say. bu
1t is believed that the Indians hrough
It about by using powder from above.
N. QUAD.
t I