Show lei 1 lei lei 11 I 1 X i 11 sl W wonders onders of josephine w 4 county r ka r SPECIAL CORRESPOND correspondence ENC 1 I lei wit ellel grants pass oregon april 25 one of the mineral wonders of josephine county are the large limestone caves situated in grayback mountain geologists claim they limestone labyrinths in the are the largest world and no doubt the geologists are right the caves have been explored to a depth of a mile or more they lie in a secluded region some 40 miles from the railroad and are but little known outside this locality A few days ago a representative of the salt lake mining review explored a newly discovered cave of the same character and about ten miles from the ones mentioned above the conclusion drawn was that they are one and the same labyrinth and no doubt the hazardous journey of passing from one entrance to the other will some day be accomplished these later discovered labyrinths have been found on upper deer creek the discovery was made but a few days ago the entrance being accidentally uncovered by two boys of the district who were out hunting the entrance was almost completely hidden by overgrow ing manzanita and chin kapin bushes entering the two hunters found an endless number of tunnels and passages leading back into the gloomy depths of the mountain they returned to their camp and procuring candles and a lantern proceeded pro ceede d to explore the caves the review representative was fortunately in the district at the time and right gladly joined the exploring party they proceeded to a depth of feet or more and would have gone farther but were afraid of becoming lost in the intricate number of chambers rooms tunnels and passages the formation throughout the caves is limestone of the most remarkable brilliancy and beauty the floors and ceilings of tile the chambers and the supporting columns are all of limestone stalactites of this hang pendant from above in profusion reminding one of some huge arctic grotto in the pools of water about the floor are floral growths like coral and of the most delicate shades of pink and blue and gray they have the appearance of petrified underground flower gardens and it seems wonderful that anything of such remarkable beauty could form and grow in the perpetual gloom and blackness of the caves the rooms and caverns of the caves are irregular intricate apparently endless in their extent frequently over the rooms of the chambers are found the mouths of wells seemingly bottomless the explorers stooped over these and gazed down into their abysmal depths but saw no bottom they dropped stones into them and heard the pebbles go clattering down down for many seconds till they splashed into the water many feet below A continual roar and gurgle comes up from these and it is as if a great underground river was flowing through the underworld A draft of air passes through the caves making it difficult to keep a candle lighted and giving assur ance of a corresponding opening on the other side of the mountain it is this draft of air that proves beyond question as well as the fact of their being of the same formation and on the same mineral belt that these are but a part of the great oregon caves occupying grayback mountain ten miles away beyond doubt the whole range is one vast honeycomb of limestone traveling through the caves is extremely difficult the tunnels leading from one part to another are irregular crooked and slimy in some places they are wide and high enough to admit a railroad train and at others they are so low and narrow as to be passed through only on hands and knees some of the caverns found are of large dimensions men strewn about the floors of these in countless profusion are limestone boulders of every size and shape giving the appearance of the deserted palace of his satanic majesty As the discoverers stood in the crystal rock entrance of these with the drip drip of the endless count of drops from the stalactite tips the roar and gurgle of distant waters the chilly draft and the draft and the damp limestone odor of an underground world it required no especial effort on the part of their imagination to see myriad fork tailed imps ali flit t hither a and 11 d yon in devilish glee about the dark recesses of the great room and as the onlookers stood with uplifted torches and beheld the view presented they suddenly experienced that creepy feeling one may get by promenading a graveyard on a gloomy night it seems as if his satanic Satan lib majesty had in days gone by been holding high carnival in this great cavern and unexpectedly frightened fled in dire haste leaving his favorite banquet hall topsy I 1 and about the time the review man began to see and think of these things he found himself overcome by a desire to escape these great caves are a mineralogical wonder a great study for the geologist and will some day be of value |