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Show 1 4 I FEATURES CLASSIFIEDS TV GUIDE PAUL HARVEY o 0 O Swteant 1j) Pintoa Ciliita, LutiiCiiliil iiaNi Tkt Mika Ealtipnt Giki CiIiih, Cchi Cilim THURSDAY, Tlw T ti 20. 1974 s 47 rj -- . Area's TTh Coheir on The Bear River area has own Carlsbad Caverns, though on a much smaller its scale. The Cavern is known as Minnetonka cave and is located about 12 miles west from scenic Bear Lake near the head of the St. Charles Canyon, 101 miles west of St. Charles, Idaho, near the Utah-Idah- o border. The cavern is in the Bear River range, which is part of the. Wasatch system of Southeastern Idaho. Located on the Caribou national forest, the cave is administered by the U. S. Forest Service under the visitor information service program. Some of the most interesting features of the cave are the deposits of lime (calcite) as stalactites and stalagmites and banded travertine. DISSOLVING Some of these depositions! features are very old while some of the others are being formed at the present time. The dissolving solution of water and carbon dioxide, after passing through fractures in the limestone, contains small particles of dissolved limestone. As this solution enters the cave at the ceiling or wall the carbon dioxide escapes from the solution, and the water evaporates leaving the limestone reharden. Stalactites are those particles taking layer. icicle- NEW STALACTITES BEING FORMED IN THE MINNETONKA CAVE place Stalagmites are formed on the floor of the cave by dripping water from stalactites. This formation slowly WATER AND CARBON MAKE on the floor of the cave-givevidence of stream action, like formations which hang from the ceiling of the cave at points where water drips from the ceiling of the cave. Little by little, lime is deposited and the formation begins. As this process is continued a tube is formed, around the drop of water which has descended the tube and hangs suspended at its very end. In this manner the tube continues to elongate. A thin film of water flowing down the outside of the tube leaves thin layers of lime so the stalactite gains in diameter as layer is added to OF LIMESTONE to deposition SOLUTIONS grows upward. Helictites are formed in a similar manner as stalactites. For some reason, however, they do not follow the typical icicle pattern. They are observed in the cave in fishhook and formations. corkscrew-lik- e MINNETONKA about one-ha- lf Cave is mile long and consists of nine rather definite rooms, the largest of which is about 300 feet in diameter and 90 feet high. Elevation of the cave entrance is 7,700 feet. This half-mil- e long cavern occurs in distinctly bedded limestone of the Mississip-pia- n age and has resulted from dissolving of the rock along strong fracture planes by percolating ground water. Water from rain and melting snow has entered the ground and absorbed carbon dioxide from the air and decaying plant materials. Carbon dioxide in water makes an effective solution for dissolving limestone. This solution has traveled along cracks in the limestone-causeby earthquakes and settling. Over many thousands of years this cave has been formed by this dissolving process. The cavern has been further enlarged by collapsing of the roof, and walls through the long period of development. STRATIFIED SANDS, cluys, and rounded pebbles although the erosion by running water has been minor in the formation of the cave. The clay, which occurs in many parts of the cave, is the insoluble part of the limestone which was left as the lime was taken away in solution. The sand and pebbles are waterwashed chert nodules and layers that were formed at the same time the limestone was laid down and were interbedded in the limestone layers. Being composed of hard, insoluble materials, these were also left: and subsequent stream action has knocked off the edges and corners, rounding and polishing the hard quartzite material. IN ONE OF the chambers excavation has revealed sand, clay and pebbles arranged in delta-lik- e deposits which means the material was deposited in a cavern lake or pool. At various times a number of lakes DIOXIDE PASSING INTERESTING THROUGH have probably occurred in the cavern. These have all disappeared as the drainage outlet has been lowered by dissolving while erosion deepened adjacent canyons. FROM ITS discovery until abot 1938 very little public interest was shown toward the cave. (Only small groups visited the cave to satisfy their curiosity.) During this time extensive vandalism mutilated or destroyed many of the more striking and beautiful formations. In the early days of the Works Progress Administration. about 1938. the Government undertook the first development. A trail from the St. Charles Canyon road to the entrance of the cave was constructed. Interior paths, steps and railings were installed. Sand and cement for stairs were transported up the mountain by pack animals. Concrete was carried into the cave in buckets or wheelbarrows. MINNETONKA CAVE was a for only open couple ot years when World War II began. It was dosed during the war years and was not rcoxned until 1947 under the direction of the Forest Service. Gasoline lanterns were used for light during the guided tours through the cave. In 1949 the Paris Linns Club was issued a special use permit to operate the cave. They maintained and administered the cave until Since 19(14 the Forest Service has managed the cave as part of its Visitor Information Service program. An electric lighting system has been installed throughout the cave. FROM THE MINNETONKA CAVE IN FORMATIONS 19(13. SCENES FRACTURES IN COVIITTION with the development of Minnetonka Cave, the IJ.S. Forest Service has constructed three campgrounds in beautiful St. Charles Canyon. They are but a short drive from the cave parking urea. Family picnic and camping sites are available plus several group picnic areas. Future developments will d include a nature trail and a scenic overlook at the parking area. All developments in and around the cave are designed .to preserve the natural beauty of the area arid provide for the enjoyment and safety of the visitor. Numerous fossils of animals and plants that lived in the tropical waters of the Paleozoic era are found in the ceiling, walls, and floor of the cave. These fossils are: horned coral, honeycombed coral, brachiopods,. self-guide- bryozoans. and crinoid stems. Skeletons of these plants and animals were, deposited in the warm trop- ical waters along with lime and mud in layers. The layers were hardened into rock by pressure and heat and later raised into the Bear River Range. The cave opening was found accidently by Edward Arnell of St. Charles. Idaho, in the early summer of 1906 nr 1907 while hunting for camp meat. Mr. Arnell and others were in St. Charles Canyon constructing a sawmill. Mr. Arnell went in search of some meat for their evening meal. He located and shot a grouse not far from the cave entrance. The bird fell at the entrance and as Mr. Arnell went to retrieve it he discovered the cave opening. The opening was very small and was discovered only because of the cool breeze blowing from it. The following day he and several others made what is believed to be the first exploration of the cave by white men. With the use of lanterns they explored the first room of the cavern and saw many formations." EATER EXPLORATIONS revealed the skull and bones of a boar. Also were a live porcupine and the skeletons of several others. It is believed that the cavern's first name Porcupine Cave originated because of these porcupines that were discov- ered. (Continued on page 10) |