Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16
CAVES OF NEW YORK STATE.
Caverns in Schoharie County Are Be-
ing Explored This Summer.

From the Cohieskill index
The caves and caverns of Schohare coun-
ty have been objects of interest and specu-
lation almost from the time of the advent
OF the white man within her borders. In
number and magnitude they surpass those
of any other county in the state
There are probably 100 of these caverns
In the county. all of them of deep interest
10 the geologist and some of them invested
with weird and fantastic tales by the early
settlers At least two lives have been lost
in an attempt at their exploration and yet
In spite of all the labor and suffering the
beginning and endings of most OF them are
. Still shrouded in mystery and doubt
Not until the present summer has the
scientific exploration of them been attempt
ed by the state. 1t has been believed that
most. If not all. of these great caverns are
intercommunicative; that these little
face and so mysteriously flow on under
ground finally all unite in some subter-
ranean river flowing through the Cobleskil
cavern. by biologists this great under
ground opening has been named.
To ascertain If possible, whether this be
true and to explore the caves and cavernS
and to discover as far as possible their size
and outline and their relation to each other
a party began operations. as previously
noted, on June 30. 1t was under the direc
ton of the state geologist and consisted of
Prof. John II. Cook of the Albany Normal
College James F. Loughran. surveyor;
Harry Cook, photographer. and a laborer.
They began work at Howe's cave. This
which is the most famous of those in Scho-
harie county and rvaled in size only by
Mammoth cave in Kentucky, was first ex-
plored in 1912 by Lester Howe, from whom
81 took its name. This bold spirit. undis-
mayed by tales of its being inhabited by
wild beasts, removed the underbrush and
after months of great labor and hardship.
penetrated the cavern. discovered the lake
therein and thoroughly explored for dis
tance of five miles
The exploring party remained there for
two days. penetrating as far as man had
ever been before. stopped at a point where
the roof had caved in and so barred farther
progress they retraced their steps and
went to Carlisle Center, camping on the
Gordon farm. Ice cave was then visited
so named from the fact that the tempera-
ture therein never rises above the freezing
point The party did not long remain
there. The low temperature makes extend
ed explorations extremely inconvenient. but
1t Is said that venturesome persons long go
discovered, after having penetrated a long
distance. frozen lake and deep. icy
chaSms, almost fathomless.
McFallS cave was next visited. The
cavern takes its name from the unfortunate
man who lost his life while exploring it in
1888. This gentleman, a professor in the
seminary at Carlisle was being drawn up
from the pit by means of a rope and had
almost reached the surface when he was
seized by vertigo and fell backward. strik-
Ing upon his head and fracturing his skull
He survived but a few hours.
The owners of the cave. deeply affected
by the sad. occurrence, closed the entrance
with logs and stones and did their work So
able to penetrate only about fifty feet.
Better results were obtained at Sellecks
cave on the Chester Ottman farm. This
cave. located In the heart of the woods. is