Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-08-05
INTERESTING CAVES.
Many Phenomena Found in Bris-
toll Caverns by Exploring
PARTY

According to story written for the
Bristol Herald by Claude N. Place, a
party of young explorers visited the
caves in South Bristol recently and met
with some thrilling experiences, espec'
tally was this true of G. A. Place, who
acted as guide and photographer. He
tells the story as follows: The party
consisted of Fred Legier, Richard and
Lawrence Barry, George and Claude
Place. The party was equipped with
necessary implements, electric pocket
lights, automatic pistols, lanterns, etc.
The first cave entered is known as
Echo cave. This was explored and sew
eral flash light photos of the interior
taken. So far as known these are the
only pictures ever taken of this cave.
The party then passed on to the Barrel
cave. Some of our readers have, per-
laps, been to the entrance of this cave.
1t is situated on the southeast side of
the cobble in solid rock. After a hard
climb we came to the shelf some six
feet below the entrance. Many stories
are connected with this cave. Perhaps
the only true one being told by DIR. r.
G. Grimes, who visited the cave 80 years
ago. After entering its interior the
length of two bed cords he turned back,
as l suppose, owing to difficulty with
lights. Having electric pocket lights
we were fortunate, as we found Ian
tern could not be kept lighted in the
third room of this cave, some $50 to 40
feet back in the cobble. The entrance
is some two feet in size, and after en-
terng some 10 feet we found the bar
rel to be much smaller and almost i'm
possible to enter on account of crooks,
turns and smallness. After entering
about 20 feet found it a difficult un-
dertaking for person of 100 pounds.
| went back and Richrad Barry, the
smallest of the party, entered first.
Determination getting the better of me
l again endeavored to enter, and sue
ceeded At the end of 90 feet we found
small room large enough for person
to turn around in. 1t was perhaps two
feet high and four feet across. 1t was
here that was wedged in for about 10
minutes, finally being released through
the efforts of Mr.. Legier and my brother
1t was the longest IS minutes l ever ex'
perienced.
One can hardly imagine my feelings
as seemed to be bound 80 feet from
daylight in what seemed to me a six
inch water pipe. The beating of oul
hearts in here sounded as loud to us at
an auto climbing hill
The passage from the first to the sec
ond room is on a grade of about 80 de
grees and can be entered quite easily by
lying fiat with hands extended ahead
, moving the body along an inch or 80 a
time. This passage is about 10 feet il
length. Here we found the second room
some Is feet across and ceiling about 81
feet high. 1t was here the first sight wa
t made clear to us that this cave had beer
. entered 80 years ago by DIR. Prime, JOIN
t Lyons and w. II. P. The name of DIR
Prime was inscribed IN the rock in 1871
, The month could not be made out. Thes
were the only names found, and moth
3 ing showed they had explored further
for it was almost impossible to keep
j light burning further than the secon'
room.
Leading from the second room are fou
@ passages. We explored these to the en'
q with the pocket lights. One of thes
: passages led to the third room, some II
feet north in solid rock. This room
NV thrOInyh xxrhio on
can almost enter on hands and knees
This room was large and very cool, ant
4 the dropping of water was constant,
II heard. Hanging from overhead wer
- forms like icicles, which proved to b
: salt, certainly one of the beauties of ma
. ture. In this room was a large pilla
= which must have been made as it seem
- impossible for nature to form such pi
- lar. 1t appeared to be of an ancient type
g Nothing resembling a name or date wa
found here. From this room was sti
another passage. Entering it l went a
/ far as | could and, by the aid of tn
l. pocket light, found it to be 40 to 80 fee
1t long and tunnel shaped. We foun
r neither animal, insect or reptile.
5 The names of our party were inscrit
IS ed on the walls of this room, wheI
7, they will be found by those who mex
J. enter.
ID Returning to the second room we hel
4. a council to determine the order in whic
le we should make the balance of the triI
4. We decided the smallest one of the part
It should 20 first 80 that in case we wei
10 to take our meals at this private boart
ID ing house the rest Of the summer,
W could notify the public of our seclusiol
/. In consequence of the fright and clot
call incident to the inward trip we ha