The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-07-10

US while renewing our torches. we CAR
ried a lantern. A gallon can OF kero-
scne. a compass. a thermometer, cam-
era ana note book completed our OUT
IT,
Tho entrance Of the cave is hfty feet
below the table land and az the head Of
"a canyon. Huge rocks are In front of
the mouth Of the cave. yhey evidently
formed the roof Of the entrance at one
time. should Judge the opening Is fifty
feet across and ten feet high. Many
swallows have their mud nests under
the edge Of therocks over the entrance.
One with weak nerves Is upt TO tremble
a little as he advances into the cave.
for great rocs fragments lie all about
which have certainly fallen from above.
and the ceiling Is fun Of crevices with
portions Of rock hanging down as though
tae weight above could not be sustained
much longer. But we screw up OUT
courage by chatting each other, take a
picture in the entrance prepare torch
and proceed.
For some distance our progress was
slow as the passage was very rough
with huge masses Of rock lying in every
conceivable position. many OF them di-
reciy IN our pathway and around which
we must either pick our way cautiously
or over which we must climb with main
strength The path tended gradually
downward until we were considerably
below the level Of the entrance and
could hear running water Under the
rocks below US. Then for several hund-
red feet the coursesXtended over min
iature rocky mountains and through
rock-strewn valleys; up and down we
went, orer fairly level tract for a
short distance. down and up. again hor-
izontally. 10 and dowa. around huge
pile OF rock, over another rocky mass.
under an impending rock. sliding down
here. climbig up there with the help of
acompanion. now jumping across a
chasm or planting the footsteps care
fully along the edge of a yawning abyss.
now bending low 10 save our scalps
from being taken by a sharp low hang
ing rock. again squeezing through so
narrow a passage mat the two fat men
IA the party exclaimed "ouch!' in short
the athletic performance required Of one
making the trip through this cave are
much greater in variety nd more per-
ilous than the whole series Of exercises
in modern gynasium.
A short distance from the entrance
the bats began TO appear. In about i've
hundred feet they were the most nu-
merous. The ceiling was black with
them. Our lights disturbed them and
thousands Of them took TO their wings
Above us was a black swinging. nut-
I or
covered the floor Of the cave II was
like walking in sawdust. A strong m-
pleasant odor prevailed this part Of The
cavern. SO we FASTENED on. gladly leav-
/ Ing the bats behind. In few other
places we saw evidences OF bats. heard
their squeaking and the fiutter of theii
wings over our heads. and found guanc
beneath our feet. Atsuch places there
We're probably openings 20 the dir above
for the smoke OF our torches was car
ried up by strong ascending currents
Of air
A great change in the temperatur,
wa9 noticed Immediately upon enter
( ing the cave. The mercury dropped tC
/ forty degrees and remained there unit
we neared the other end. when 1t slowl,
rose
Thecompass showed that our cours
wound about like the course OF a sur
! face stream, aud tAis was not snr3ris
ing for we were simply following N,
course OF an underground stream whicl
had followed the line Of least resistance
The size Of the cavern differs great!
from point TO point. IN some places th
walls are not far apart aud tie ceilnl
Is but a few feet above ones head again
it is twenty or thirty feet to the rock ol
either side and from twenty 60 forty
nve feet to the ceiHns. one vast room
forty by nifty feet was formed by
solid mass Of the ceiling seyerlng wit
a smooth horizontal cleavage and fallln
so 10 form a quite smooth floor on
gentle incline.
Domes are seen here ana there vary
ing IN size and height We estimate
one TO be forty-Rve feet high. Auothe
dome about twenty feet high had a Ion
irregular opening IN the roof that show
J ed perfectly black with darkness. Thes
domes are formed 10y the slow actio
/ OF water which percolates through IA
soil above, finds a crevice IA the ceilin
and gradually dissolves and carte
rock substances to the floor OF the cey
, below In this cave the stream cau.f
and carried away the dripping wats
laden wifi rock substance. othdrwis
we might have found beneath each dom
a splre Of rock. known as a stalagnit
Each drop Of water that came throug