Weekly journal-miner., 1911-05-24
MAMMOTH CAVE FOUND NEAR
 ASH FORK
Wonderful Discovery Is Made Along Highway
 To Canyon
AUTO PARTIES WILL LEAVE
 TO-DAY TO EXPLORE .... INTERIOR.
From sunday,s Dailvl

Considerable interest was manifest
 ed in this city yesterday when D.
 M. Clark, who is constructing the
 new highway between Prescott and Ash Fork, made announcement that
 another wonderful cave had been dis
 covered along the route of the new
 roadway. From his vivid deserip- tiOn of the great cavern it appears
 to be one of the greatest natural
 wonders of the country. The diseov- cry was made by Lee Burhans, who
 in the early part of the week, in his wanderings found the opening, about twenty inches in diameter, which he entered and was astOunded to behold cave that appeared to he almost without dimensions. Mir Burhans was a member of a picnic party from Ash Fork, and while he had often visited the place that has so many attractions in the other cave above, this was the first time, how ever, he found the opening leading into the mammoth cave below.
 After making his discovery known to Mr. Clark, who is working in the vicinity, and reaching Ash Fork the same day. Mir Benediek, of Flagstaff. of the forest service was informed. and came immediately to the point and located it as a national monument.
 MT. Clark stated yesterday that he ventured through the opening and took one of the lighted lamps from his auto down into the crypt. He l., cending, but reached the bottom. He says that the new cave lies below the large one so well known, and that the distance between the two openings is less than sixty feet. The sight that greeted him was astOund ing in the awful yet fascinating work of nature. and after a few minutes he retraeed his steps to the surface. He estimates the width of the cave as at lease SO feet, from 60 to SO feet in height and over 500 feet long. From the floor of this gigantic cavern he picked up stalagmite cry stalS. formed from the dripping wat CTS of the roof. and discovered evi- dences also that at some prehistoric time the place had been used as a burying ground and also as the place of abode of an unknown race Of people. Implements. pottery and other crude articles supposed to have been used by the Toltee or Aztec races were secured. forming in short one of the greatest eondi- tions of primitive times that has ever been unearthed in the country.
 Mir Clark states that had not the new road been built, this cavern probably never would have been dis covered
 Appreeiative of the remarkable dis eovery an examination is to follow today when five autos with passen- gers will leave the city, equipped with flash light photo apparatus, lamps. candles and other utilities. to descend and see for themselves The ears of F. W Foster, Weber and Smith. Paul Burks, E. Baehr. and O. A Hesla. have been chartered and a guest will be M. A. Fraser, of the Chamber of Com meree. Several prominent citizens will be among the ones who will make an investigation. MT. Clark will return this morning to pilot the party and to resume road work at that point. E. A. Hinderer, forest has been instructed from to post the legal notices necessary to establish the cave aS 3 national monument.