The Glenwood post., 1911-09-16
Let Themselves Down With Rope and
Later Find They are Unable to
Get to the Surface
HAD A VERY NARROW ESCAPE

"Buffalo' cave is the latest discov
cry among the many points of interest
in the neighborhood of Glenwood
Springs. The discovery was made last
Tuesday by two young men, Clifton
Jackson of Indian Bay, Arkansas, aud
Ennis Roberts of Springtown, Texas.
These two southerners have spent tne
past two weeks in the neighborhood If
for lands to which they could acquire
a title from Uncle Sam under the
homestead act and incidentally they
have not been blind to the scenic beau
ty and the natural scenery, so rich and
grand in western Colorado.
Early last Tuesday morning they left
ShOshone station, carrying a lantern
and considerable lunch, with the inten-
tion of climbing to the fattops beyond
Hanging lake. They started up the
Hanging lake trail in Dead Horse gulch
right and made their way to wood
choppers camp near the top of the
hill. Here they found rope which
they took with them, they scarcely
knew why.
Reaching the top, a most beautiful
scenic panorama spread out before them
and they were enchanted with the
grandeur of the scene for from all dl-
rections the mountains lifted their
snowy heads, the stately pines nodded
in the breeze while for miles they
could see the Grand RIVER which looked
like a silver thread as it sped on to the
Pacific.
After gazing in wonder at this beau
tiful picture the boys started to mean-
fashion and soon came to a depression
in the turf and going closer they dis
covered that this was the entrance to an
immense cavern which they started in
to explore.
Unlike most mountain caves the en-
trance was in the nature of shaft
rather than a tunnel. The young men
carefully fastened at the top the rope
which they had brought with them and
on this they let themselves down to the
first landing a distance of about Is
feet, letting the lighted lantern down
in advance to light the way and to
guard against gas. Here they rested
themselves and ate their lunch and then
started out to make an exploration ,ot
what they were now convinced was IA
tremendous cavern which had never yet
been entered by human beings.
AS proof that they were the real
dscoverers of this cave the young men
found the remains of huge buffalo
which in roaming the hills had tumbled
in and perished and they carried away
as souvenirs the teeth which had re
NAMED nndisturbed up to the time of
their visit.
In their explorations they. found the
cavern to consist of at least five large
chambers, one of them about 50x70
feet and 25 or 30 feet high, the ceiling
and Aoors being covered with stalactite
and stalagmte formations of beautiful
shapes and colOrs and the walls in many
places being covered with little nodules
or wartlike formations of calcium ear
Donate, making a most beautiful picture
and an interesting study in nature.
After thoroughly exploring these five
chambers the young men returned to the
outlet, but were surprised to find that
since they entered the cave the water
trickling down from above had so soaked
the rope which they used as ladder In
letting themselves down that egress
seemed impossible. Try as they would
they seemed unable to scale the rope
by which they had descended.
Frightened at the prospect of being
\ forced to starve in this cold cavern IN
which they had spent the past few hours
in wonder and delight, they returned