Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-09-23
THE MAN MOTH CAVE
ON BIG CREEK

The forest officers have recent!
explored a large cave located within
the national forest in Big Greek
about seven miles west of st. Charlel
Idaho.
According to the best information
obtainable, this cave was discovered
in the spring of 1915 by a Boy Scout
troop from st. Charles On August
Is last, a crew of forest officers
making a study Of grazing conditions
on the forest, in company with Rang
er Romero, made a thorough eXplor'
alton of this quite remarkable cave
1t was again explored on August 2S
by Messrs. Palmer, Aldous and SEQ.
field of the Grazing Studies crew, in
company with Supervisor and MIS-.
Sheppard.
The entry to this cavern is an in
conspicuous break in the limestone
dye one-half mile south of the
Nelson-Arnell sawmill in st. Charles,
or Big Creek This opening is about
two feet in height by ten feet in
width A strong draft of cold air
meets the explorer, who must de-
sends on all tours down slope of
n hDItt thitt,r non cont for n Chort dic
lance over bed Of coarse limestone
fragments which have, in time past,
fallen from the arched vault of the
cave.
After penetrating for about 80 feet
the cave bread MS and deepens, form
ing a chamber in places thirty feet
high by sixty feet wide. At about
two hundred feet from the entrance
the cave bears to the left at right
angles and extends fully three hun
dued feet further and upward at
varying angles. In this portion of
the cave there are found thousands of
lime deposits, formed by the SLOW
dripping of water that is saturat, d
with lime salts, which crystalize,
forming curious shaped deposits,
both hanging from the dome and
built up from the floor. Each pend
ant 'icicle' has It's partner directly
underneath. These stalactites and
syalagmites, as they are known to
biologists, have in numerous places
grown together, and thus formed
solid columns Of lime deposit from
roof to floor. Some of these are
over two feet in diameter, and all ar
curiously shaped. The first impress
sion on seeing these white columns
in the flickcring light of a candle
is OF cemetery with many ill-shap-
ed Jombstones.
Although the cave is probably but
recently known to man, it bears evil
dence of having been long known to
other createures of the animal world.
Rats and bats by the hundred have
spent at least a part of their exist
ence here, and numerous families of
mildly protested against
the intrusion of the inquisitive hui
mans. The exploration of this cave
Is made east by the presence Of free
1ir currents from some Undecided |
source. Ordinarily candles burn
and their light is much
leed d to show the way over the
'ough, slippery rocks, where a care
ess step may result in a sprained
ankle.
1t is believed that when the pres
nee of this quite unusual cave be-
comes generally known, it will be the
object of many visit from tourists
md campers. The entrance to the
ave, however can be reached only
~ a ste p climb over brush and rocky
edges to the obscure opening at the
cot of the limestone cliff one-half
way up the mmountain side and at an
Elevation of 1900 feet. Big Creek
S accessible by a poor auto road to
i've miles from St Charles, and the
dditional two miles to the Nelson
,rneu mill can be made by wagon.
rom that point horse may be rid
to within a short distance from
he entrancem of the cave From that
ont the climb is a steep one, but 1