Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-22
WD0DSNEN FIND.
A GIGANTIC CAVE
ONCE INHABITED.
Cavern in Olympic Mountains Is
Twenty Miles Long and Con-
tains Natural Wonders.

SEATTLE. June 2l-John NJ. Gil
gore and Robert Reid. woodsmen,
came to Seattle to report their dis
covery of gigantic cave in the heart
of the Olympic Mountains, in the
northwest part of the State
They describe the cave as being
about 20 miles long and half a mile
wide in places, with large rooms filed
with amazing things. 1t has an en-
trance and exit and lies in a region
easy Of access.
The woodsmen were cruising or
measuring standing timber when they
found the entrance to the cave on the
south side of a small mountain. Pro-
curing lanterns and supplies, they
ventured in and spent fourteen hours
wandering from room 70 room. finally
coming out into daylight 20 miles
farther south and about one mile
lower in altitude.
Find Human Skulls.
They say they are the first white
persons to enter the cave, although
Indians or prehistoric men may have
lived there. for there are numerous
human skulls and bones in one room
near the south entrance.
The entrance is high enough to per-
nit a man to walk in direct. once in
side Gilgore and Reid found them
selves in a room with a low ceiling,
but which glistened like glass, and
was cold and damp. They found the
room to be studded with stalactites,
10 to 20 feet, protruding from the
sides Of the walls. The floor was
composed of damp, red sand, and near
one side was small stream worn
out Of the solid rock.
Fifty feet further the low room
spread out into a court and another
| larger room with high ceiling. over
the floor and under the fiat rocks ran
myriads of lizards and snakes 1t APP
peared to be the Wintering place for
all the reptiles in the Olympic Noun
! tains. The lizards were of every land
species and Of every size.
Enter Wonderful Rotunda.
Hurrying through this cavern, Gil
gore and Reid, holding hands for mu.
tual aid and to assure each other
confidence. entered a wonderful ro-
tunda, with a dome and walls of
( white silica or lime rock. They esti-
4 mated the length of this room to be
/ close to 1000 feet. and from 1000 to
( 5000 feet wide. The ceiling ranges
from 60 to 100 feet on the sides to
several hundred feet in the domed
! center
Following the general trend OF the
I cave, the men worked their way for
two miles over rocks, across abysses
and around pools Of water Of I'M
known depth. until they came upon a
yawning pit. Here they filled one Ian
| tern with a fresh supply of oil and
threw the empty bottle into the pit
Reid counted 80 before the bottle was
| heard striking the rocks on the bot
tom of the pit
Once around this deep black hole,
! the men found easy going and came
! upon another room filled with a
strange odor This was believed to
! be produced by sulphur bearing rocks
| in the formation.
Believing that they would have to
turn back because of this gas. the
men suddenly emerged into another
room, in which they felt fresh air
| blowing in a strong current through
the cavern. They were unable to
trace it's origin, but were fairly car
ried by the current into another sep
arate room, where the lanterns were
not needed, because PHOSPHORUS
rocks made everything as bright as
day. The air was fresh and sweet
here evidently coming from an aper-
ture in the sides of the mountain.
Like an Inferno.
Wonder after wonder opened up
before the two explorers as they hur-
ried through the natural tunnel. After
traVersing many miles Of the caves
they came upon a large room filed
with every conceivable noise. 1t was
a veritable inferno. Screeches, bowls,
meanings and sharp reports like ex-
plOsions rent the air continually.
There was not a thing moving to pro-
duce the sounds. and it was a terri
flying mystery to the woodsmen.
Ten minutes more brought them
into room where many skulls and
human bones lay in small piles. as if
the room had been used as a vault for
the dead. Stone arrow heads and
stone mortars were observed
Hand in hand the two men hurried
along, and after more than fourteen
hours came upon straight, low
arChed passageWay and saw daylight
through a hole so tiny il looked like
a keyhole. The hole was really the
south entrance of the cave. and the
discoveries found themselves in the
mountains again and fully twenty
miles from camp.
IiDa.o-,J WILL MO nnn