Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-17
MARYLAND CAVE OF MYSTERY.

escaped Public Ledger
MARYLAND CAVE OF MYSTERY
Supposed Retreat of Pirates or Snug.
slers Discovered.
A spacious cave, which is believed
by the people of the neighborhood to
have been built and used by snug
glers in the early colonial history OF
the state, exists In Anne Arundel
county, Md, and has been only re-
Gently entered and thoroughly explor-
ed by George w. Emmerich, Of West
River, ana w. w. Billiard, Of Balti-
more. These young men are the first
persons TO have entered the cavern
within the memory of the oldest IL.
habitants Of the locality, and are
probably the first who have investi-
gated its interior in over a hundred
years, says Fairhaven correspond
ent Of "The Baltimore SUM-"
The cave is located on the farm OF
James Jones, about half a mile from
Fairhaven, and its entrance, marked
by a large old elm tree, lies at the
head Of small cove which makes In
from the Chesapeake bay, some twen-
ty-fye miles south Of Annapolis. The
arched entrance, feet high and
feet wide, is lined with bricks exact
ly similar to those brought over from
England and used in the old st.
James church, at Herring creek,
which is three miles distant. Fair
haven is an old colonial port, where
the bricks were landed for the con-
Of st. Anne's church, at
All Hallows church, at
and st. James, these
being three Of the oldest churches In
and 1t is probable that the
bricks used in the cave were stolen
from Fairhaven.
The existence of the cave has been
known to many persons in the neigh
borhood, but the entrance had,
the years, become filed up
with earth, until there was left only
an opening the size of mans head.
The fact that the mouth was partly
filed with water and gases, the ru-
NOR that there was we'll just with
in, and fear Of snakes, had deferred
any one from attempting to enter. A
party cl scientists from Washington
is said to have visited the spot about
two years ago but was driven out by
snakes. Many stories and supersti-
tions and rumors of ghosts Of pirates
have prevailed among the colored
The general belief has
been that the cave was used by pi-
rates or smugglers, but no attempt
was made to verify the theory until
Mr.. Emmerich and Mr.. Billiard de-
termined to explore 1t.
After considerable labor Messrs.
and Billiard. equipped
with picks and shovels, lanterns and
revolvers, succeeded in making an
opening large enough to permit the
entrance of their bodies, when they
were met by heavy stream Of water
which finally subsided until it was
knee deep, and they found them
selves in a long passage. The brick
lining extended back about fourteen
feet from the entrance, and beyond
that the walls Of the passage were
found to consist Of hard, white clay or
fuller's earth so hard that 1t did not
require additional support. The pas
sage is fully hundred feet in length
and the marks of tools on the walls
can still be seen. 1t is built on a
fairly sharp curve ideally arranged
for resisting an intruding enemy.
Pushing on through the mud and
water, the explorers came at last to
a room about twenty feet long and
twelve feet wide, with a perfectly
arched ceiling about twelve feet
high The room, like the passage,
had been cut into the hard clay about
fifty feet below the surface Of the
hill, and needed no support. Much to
the regret Of the adventures, no pi-
rates gold or anything else was
found in the room, but, owing to the
depth of the mud and water, no care
full examination Of the ground could
be made, and they do not admit that
there may not be something buried
IN the floor Of the cavern. They did
discover, however a large hole filled
with loose earth, the bottom Of which
hey were unable to reach with their
,hoyels and which indicated the exis-
.ence of an outlet from the cave to
he other side Of the hill. There are
traditions of the existence OF another
entrance to the cave which time has
concealed, as a careful search failed
% reveal 1t.
What lends color to the belief that
his cave was not used by honest men
9 the fact Of its location. The config-
lration Of the land shows plainly
hat the cove was formerly Of much
arger extent. The channel Is mar
.ow and tortuous, and a vessel lying
It anchor in the cove would be en-
irely out Of sight Of ships in the bay,
while from the summit Of the hill
my craft in the bay could readily be
,een. A more ideal spot for the oper-
ltions Of smugglers IN the early days
cannot be imagined. There are no
'ecords Of pirates operating in the
yicinity of Anne Arundel county, al
hough they are said to have visited
It. Mary's on one occasion. Mr.. Bill
ard and Mr.. Emmerich are deter
mined to attempt to find the other
passage, If 1t exists, and examine the
ave more carefully, with a view of
solving the mystery.
Luck.-"Do you think luck cuts
much of a figure in the success or
allure of a man nowadays?"
haliava Inao Tbara's