The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-08-04
GREER COUNTY
H AS SO NJ {
HUGE CAVES
Thrilling Stories Of Attempted
Exploration Ot Under
ground CaVeTns

i Mansum, Okla. Aug. 4-Greei
d county has it's mammoth caves which
!, lare sources of interest to many tray.
4 elers in that part OF the country
D Inere are several of them ana al far
1 as known none have been explored h
4 their full depth Il Is doubtful Ill they
, ever win be.
! Enough is known of the caves to
lsay that one In particular. tho Tester
cave, entrance to which is gained
some feet below the level OF the
ground extends in an elevated posi-
tion opening near the top OF the
lsmall mountains. Opening in later
Iais through the main opening are
Emany smaller openings which lead to
mo one knows where
H Millions Of bats make their home III
lthe cave and some enternFising folks
fmake their way Il short distance into
the cave gather the manure, ana sell
] { for Fertilizer. 1T brings q good
price. There are many pools Of vat
Ter in the cave. some of them being
100 yards long and 20 wards wide.
/ lhe depth has never ben fathomed
lThese lakes are said to be stocked
| with fish
Exploration OF the cave is attend
led with a great degree of danger
People who have visited it on several
Occasions say that each time they goI
they find whore rocks have fallen
during their absence and again they
VIII find their usual path lost in
large body 81 water
The most interesting story Of the
attempted exploration of the cave
concerns three boys Marion North
cutt FairfOrd Dodson and George
Hall, ranging in years from Is to II
Last August the boys were visiting
Ithe uncle Of one OF the party ana
one sunday morning hitched up the
horse and went to church .li
Wien services were over tile BOYS
decided to visit the cave and finding
ta lantem In the buggy, lighted IL and
began the trip through. There We're
many pools OF water and as the boys
We're wearing their Sunday clothes
they decided to take them of aud !
stripped, they again began the trip |
Of exploration Their clothes We're |
left outside in the buggy.
There was much slipping around on |
the moldy stones and much chatter |
ing caused by wading through the |
cod water Several times the light |
flickered but the boys went on. They |
wanted 20 80 through il all A stone I
wall reaching TO iieir waists stretch |
ed across their path and water lay |
on both sides of IT.
over this stone tile boys climbed |
and the one carrying the lantern slip /
PED The lantern Went into The wat
er and there was darkness WItA
the realization OF the situation the
boys decided the only thing to do was
to find the opening and they climbed
back over the barrier. holding each
others hands they gropcd about seek
Ing an opening
Following their feeling OF the wall
they found themselves in several OF
the side openings, which ended abb
ruptly and thoy backed out Several
hours OF cropping and ihe bows bcame
chilled and exhausted and finding q
dry spot sat down to rest They soon
fell asleep, but do not know how longl
they slept
IN the meantime their absence oc
casioned great alarm and when morn
ing came a searching party was form
ed Search In the vicinity of the
church brought to light the horse.
buggy and clothes. Lanterns We're
quickly gathered ana search Of the
cave began After a few hours the
boys We're found still groping around
he walls Beyond being badly fright
aned and chilled they did not show
ans effects from their imprisonment
But they have decided that if the cave
S ever fully explored none OF them
sin bee found i'm the party
"Jester cave Is not the only one Of s
ts kind I'm this vicinity There are S
many in The vicinity of Cave creek I
md these. like Jester, have never 5
leen fully explored but enough is I
Known of them TO warrant the slate 5
nent that they are among the big I
,est in America.