Year: 1868

DISCOVERY OF A CAVERN ON THF PALISADES


The IHctrOpOlian Record has a cOrrespOn-
dent who writes to that journal to say:


II am the discOverer of an immense
cavern in the Palisades of the Hudson,
fully one mile in length, and at least halt
a mile wide, with a vaulted roof, higher
than that of Trinity Church, supported
by innumerable pillars, which must have
been erected by the hand of man many
centuries since, aud furnished with i'll
Vulnerable side recesses, ante-chambers,
and long winding passage of the most
wonderful construction.


Ruins of what have evidently been
affairs, erected thousands of years ago,
are abundant, toe ether with the moul-
dering bones of beings of enormous stat
ure, as if belonging to race of giants
that formely inhabited the earth. The
floors of this remarkable cavern are as
smooth and hard as granite, though
covered deep with the dust OF centuries.
Here and there lower deep is discerna-
bic through the all-prevading gloom,
with spacious stone steps leading there
to. From these mysterious cavities the
sound of rushing waters fall upon the
ear, with other reverberations of a
strange, unearthly character. The cav
ern, it is manifest, is not, like the Ken
tncky cave, a freak of nature, but as al
ready conjectured, the work of man, i'll
some early period of the worlds history.
Cabalistic signs cover the bases of some
of the pillars, while figures bearing a
close resemblance to sphinxes, deaths
heads, and mummies, as if Egyptian de-
sign, adorn various portions of the walls
and roof 1t is certainly passing strang
that the existence of this remarkable
subterrancan palace flor it richly de-
serves the name) should have so long
remained profound mystery, lying as
it does close to the most popular city liz
America. Its grassy roof, even now
constitutes the tavorite playground of
thousand of unsuspecting school schil-
dren, as well as the favorite resort of
innumerable picnic parties on summer
afternoons. Its mode of discovery by
myself was as follows: Wandering along
the Palisade ridges one afternoon last
summer, for recreation aud study, l sat
down to rest myself under the shadow
of tree. Immediately afterwards a
couple of rabbits darted past me, and
the endeavor to capture them brought
me to small crevice in the hill, partially
concealed by a clump OF shrubbery. In,
to this c,evice the animals dried, and
roofing I'D the shrubbery in order to
dislodge them, judge of my surprise on
discovering an opening spacious enough
TO admit of the entrance of mans body.
A feeling of fear at first crept over me,
and looked around to see if any person
was near, to help me examine the place !;
but not soul at the time was within
calling distance ; and SO, after recover
ing my selfpossession little, l resolved
to look in-not, however, without some
serious misgivings as to the possible
presence of some huge anaconda that
might deprive me of my head. Grad
ually mastering courage, went in to
my surprise discovered that the further
| went the wider grew the aperture.
My courage, however, had been severely
tested, and after making such observa-
tions as the darkness and close atmos-
phere would = NIT. l CROPPED back to
the light of day, and carefully closed up
the entrance to the place, mentally resolv-
ing to return next day to pursue my ex-
plorations. My first impulse was to
communicate the secret TO some friend
in whom l could conide but the re-
Election that the cave might contain hid
den treasure, which in that case would
have to be divided; persuaded me that it
were best to keep the discovery private.
The next day was stormy, and did not