The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-14
CANADIAN GAVE RIVALS MAHRA0TH
 CAVERN IN OHIO
Mount Tavern Cave Called Miniature of Largest
 Cavern in America.

West Liberty, O., Oct. II - The beauty of Mount Tabor cave, a laby- rinth Of natural underground passages s1illfully carved by nature through &olid rock, flashing with stalagmites and stalaotites and unique rock for nations, is said by geolog1sts to rival zzas sptendorS of Mammoth Cave. Mount Tabor cave, located four miles southeast of West Liberty, is deSorfb- ed as Mammoth Cave in miniature. and Is admitted to have color effects from the blending of iron ore and copper ore, that Mammoth Cave does not possess.
 The Ohio cave p1erces the bowels of the earth to 8 maximum depth of 65 feet, and has over 1,So0 feet of winding corridors with arched stone roof and with kaleidoscopic cOlors ever apparent in the freak rock for nations and mineral deposits, It's huge sta.lactftes resemble giant icicIes suspended from the rock hewn ceiling of the immense cavern. Its white crystal staIagnites rise up like silent sentInels of the somber dark ness that envelopes the cave and that Is only pierced by the lanterns of sightseers, while there are many unique rock and crystal formations, Some of these in color and shape and even in size, str1kingly resemble crackertack, honeycomb. a beef liver and elephant foot
 The cave is the largest in Ohio and is more than 100000 years old, according to geologists who have es- abolished the fact that 1t is pre- glacial The largest stalagnite, known as t'Grandfather's stalagmite,'' meas ures seven feet in circumference at its base. It gives some idea Of the age of the cave, for stalagmites and stalactjtes are said to grow barely an inch in a thousand years
 The entrance to the cave is on the farm of ". H. Reames, on the crest of Mount Tabor, at the side of the Mad River valley. Its winding corr1- dOrs run through limestone and gIa- ciaI drift, and the cave remained un- molested by human being until 20 years ago, when first dtscovervd.
 At that time a large sink basin or kettle hoIe' on the Reames farm gradually sunk deeper and deeper until finally there was exposed a gaping and apparently bottomless pit, which when explored proved to be the mouth of the cavern. The entrance
 
 shale and solid rock, leading to the passa ges which vary in width and heighth and to various chambers known as Crystal chamber, China Hall and the flag room, the latte: so named because of the peculiar ar engagement in vertical stripes of alter hating layers of iron oxide and cal ciuu carbonate. One unique cham Der, containing hundreds of small staIact and stalagmites. all re- sembEng miniature tomb stones, has been labeled the Graveyard"
 According to Professor Thomas NJ. Hill, geoIogist at Chio State Univer- sity, the cave was caused by water dissOIving out the rock and percoIat- ing through the rock, down in the Mad River valley
 The width of the accessible galler- les varies considerably. The maxi mum width is 50 feet, the haight of these large chambers also varying from 25 to less than three feet. Re gently two of the largest staIagnites and staIacttes were ruthlessIy broken off and snugsled from the cave un- der cover of coats
 Whether Unexplored channels may lead to larger chambers, greater scenic effects and new rock forma- tions, is now only q matter of specu- lat5on- The cave, winding northeast may, according to geological experts be an almost endless labyrinth of un- derground passage ways honeycomb- ing the entire elevation of the Mad River valley Unfortunately, lack ot proper facilities at Mount TabeC AoU make further extensive explora- tCn almost impossible