The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 24, 1903, Page 12

THE —onNC ORNER trip ing told him ubout a “heap big , the mountain” . which he found wh hunting bighorn sheep, which abound in the Providence Range. The Indian said he ntured into the hole for some distance and found the place in- abited by “winged devils’ ¢ vi spirits He ghtened almost out of = wits and made his escape 1n great never again returning to that part of game. Berg the Indlan’s state- had discovered a ment tk really e of some magnitude and been fright- ened by the large bats which usually in- abit such caverns. He resolved to find e cave and explore it at the earliest opportunity, but several years passed be- fore he found time to carry out his plans. Accompanied by Charles Staublin, a teamster employed by the mining com- & set out on a recent Sunday to cave. After a long detour ugh the canyons north of the pass, found the “hole” at one of the high- st and most difficult points of access i the range, just as the old Indian had dc- ser it The entrance to the cave is in the face of a cathedral-shaped mountain in front of which is a portico jurting out over a hr deep narrow canyon. Overhead spirelike peaks pierce the sky. There are three narrow openings, separated by limestone pillars of v f about one h the three corridor whick riegated hues. dred feet frem the mouth soon expands into a series nderful grottos. & prepared for extensi “We e not exploration of the cavern on our says Mr. Berg in a written re, of his discoveries he portal wa we dared “Our progress beyo soon stopped by decli attempt not [yt E SRETLY ERLING Vo /0T TOES is graphically At a distance $ umiie In one winding t ¢ 1d to descend DOOR WA y SF ] WELN OF FLOWER SBARCEN without the ald of ropes and grappling hooks. But we saw enough to fill our =ouls with admiration and awe and prompt a second expedition into the sub- terranean fairyland. On the followiug Sunday we returned, accompanied by Mre. Berg, who is an expert mountain climber, and equipped with ropes and hooks, an abundance of candles and a flashlight camera with which we ob- tained several good pictures, but, unio tunately, we used up our entire supply of plates before we came to the most beau- tiful objects to photograph.” The journey into the cavernous depths described by Mr. Berg in a letter to @ friend In Los Angeles as follows: “After passing the portal the last ray of daylight is soon left behind. With miners’ candles in our hands we go down a gradual slope. The roof soon disap- pears from view and the walls leave us ax the sid ut reappear a little farther on. The passage narrows to the width and height of an ordinary door and pres- ently we find ourselves upon what ap- pears to be a small balcony in a great hall. Our dim lights can scarcely pene- trate the cimmerian gloom, Save for the spot where we stand ail around us is the blackness of a starless night. “We soon discover that we are not the only living beings in this black hole. Shadowy forms circle round our heads in the gloom. We feel the flapping uf their wings before we digcern the dum otitlines of the white-bellied cave bats. These a the ‘winged devils' which drove the Indian hunter in terror from the cave. Small wonder that he was scared! The uncanny squeals of the startled creatures reverberate through the great hollow dome like the shricke of lest souls. The echo of our own almost extinguis I ysterious underworld edge of the balcony, we drop pebbles ¢ rtain what a step in t By counting the the brink to asc dark would mean floor of the hundred fe: d vault ever s subterranean >rusted in the walls in b the walls and pillars a e 1ights will permit us to gaze. et as regularly a geometric plan. ters of stalactites resembling huge hang from the roof and are met in some forming columns hourglass b There are curtains, col- illars and pilasters as white as le dlaced behind onstructed on stalagmites shaped like an of their points. he Cave of the Giants is undou thinner ones shines &n opalescent light. There are pyramids VARTURES - voices sounds like Lhe clang ot of stalagmites crusted over with a coral. This is a veritable whispering gal- r been explored in shade from head another expedition for Berg expects greets a bad actor dt a high-class play “The bats seem to resent our intrusion their inces- oink to a creamy The sound of the letter theése piles are of the form and color of Los Angeles