SELEBRATION of the FOURTH of JULY /50
Through the kindness of an overruling Providence We are spaired through a nother year, to witness the Selebration of the Birthday of our glourious independance. With this day comes many thoughts of home.
EXPLOREING a CAVE etc.*
* (Quite likely this is Mercer’s Cave)
For a day or two previous to the fourth I was wondering in My Mind how I Should Spend that great National day, a day to be observed all through our land of Liberty as the Birth day of her Indipendance. I know I could not enjoy Myself in town among gamblers and drurikards, Nor could I think of Staying about the Tent all day, and as for working I was opposed to that. Well the question was what Shall we do to Spend the day agreeable. Hearing considerable Said of a cave that had been discovered (in the Side of a Mountain of Rocks) but Never explored. Curiosity led me to the conclusion of trying to See the full extent of this place under the Mountain. I Mentioned it to a few acquaintances who agreed to go with Me. The Evening previous to the fourth the constant fireing of Guns was kept up till very late and continued the next Morning, with scarsly any interuption by 9 O clock our company had began, and were near collected together, ready for a Start on our expedition to the Cave. Said one les give them one more Salute agreed said another we loaded and eight or ten reports were Successively heard Echoing through the Valley. Now for the Cave. Hurry up there Mr Norten Mr Benwell, Mr Myers Mr Leads Mr Penebecker Mr Rempee Mr P.H.Halsey Mr G.W.Halsey and I.S.Halsey. those are the Names of those who compose our party. All being ready we loaded our Guns and Rifles, got a long roap, a candle and Lamp etc and Started for the Cavern, which was about 1 Mile distant, North of this place. We Started from our tent (or rather from Allendale) Just over a nole and we were in a very pleasant Valley through which we had to pass. We continued up this Valley till it was confined to a Small Ravine at the base of the Mountain that wound its way up to its Summit. Up this we traveled till near a very high ledge of Rocks (composed of What is called white Rock). We here turned to the left and continued around till we had gained the rear of the Ledge or Bluff. here we found the entrance of the Cave which was about three feet Square We then fastened one end of the rope to a rock at the Mouth of the Cavern and threw the remaining part down the Hole to assist us in our decent. After loading a pistol with Buckshot, and preparing ourselves for whatever we Might have to encounter, we lit our torches and commenced the decent down the pasage, which we found to be perfictly Straight for a distance of about 50 ftt through Massive Rocks that were laid together so perfictly that it Seemed impossible for Nature to have don it the wall on the right hand Side was perfictly Straight and Smoth for the distance above Mentioned . We found that the pasage was divided into two, by a rock below. from this point up to the Enterance the assent was about the same as a common pair of Stairs. But the pasage was now divided into two, the one on the left being Small and continueing Straight with the Main One, and the one on the right Side was also Small but the largest of the two, and the decent perpendicular for a distance of about 10 ft. It was very dark down there, and to make our decent Safer we lowered a light down first and then decented, (With the help of the roap) ourselves one after the other. we here found an appartment, about 5 ftt Square, and 8 or 10 ftt high, the Sealing of which was composed of Massive rocks, arched together whos Surface’s was covered with congeated cristialized fluid that had run down when hot, and cooled in every Shape and form imaganable, resembling Icisickles giving the place a splendid appearance . It was indeed beautiful I have no language to discribe it. this congealed Substance Suspended from the Sealing and the walls around, was of a witeish coller and easely broken. We broke off Many peaces as Specamins, Some of which I Shall try to take home with me. on the left hand Side we found another broad pasage, but very low, So Much So that we had to creep in order to get in. the cealing and walls of this place was decorated in the Same manner as the one last described. the distance from the fatherest end of this part of the Cave to the perpendicular Rock (before Mentioned) was about 12 ft. after takeing a good look in this part we Set out in Search. for any pasage to other parts, if Such there where. We Soon found one to the right takeing a cours at right Angles with the first enterance to the Cavern, its dimentions was about 2 ft broad the highth variing from 2 ftt 1 ftt 6 in. and about 30 ft in lenghth from the perpendicular Rock. the Smallness of this pasage rendered it necessary for us to creep upon our hands and knees in order to get through to the next room which was, about 8 ftt in diameter it being in a circular form with an Oval Cealing. (as Shown by a temperary ground Sketch in Sketch Book Page 19) The higth of this appartment was not Sufficient to Stand upright, but by Stooping a little we managed to get along to the right for a distance of about 20 ftt. where we came to a very large place Splendidly decorated with the christialized ornaments before Mentioned. when we came to the Edge of this part of the Cavern we found the Cealing to be about 3 ftt higher than the place where we were Situated (I mean the Rock upon which we were Standing) and the Bottom about 17 ftt below, making the whole higth to be 20 ftt. The length and breadth was about equal I Should judge 12 ftt, forming a pretty good Sized room. two of the Side walls was perpendicular and Straight the remaining two were very precipitous but not So much as the others owing to Some loose rocks that had been thrown on the top of the other. one of these Sides was next to us, thus making our decent much easier than it otherwise would have been, we wend down to asertain weather the Cave extended any farther. We :ound a pasage sufficiently high to enable us to walk erect but narrow this opening we found in one of the fartherest corners (of the large room) takeing a circular cours and decreasing size untill it became to Small for us to pass through. but by holding the light in one end and looking into a passage that we found in the oposite Corner of the room, We Soon asertained that both cavities were connected and that this was the termenation of the cave. the distance from the fartherest point to that, to which the distance was last given was about 40 ftt making the whole distance from the Mouth or Enterence of the Cavern to its termenation, to be 162 ftt. the Cave wound around So far to the right that the last Mentioned room was Situated about under the Enterence. We came out well pleased with our visit to the Cave, and Set out for our tents on the way we met a friend who informed me that the Express had arived and that there were two letters for me Welcom News, I Soon got them and once more heard good News from home all well and in good health, One was from D S Ludlam of S. S. and the other from the 16 St Choir through Mr Pond. Sent a letter by this Months Express to Mr T.A Ludlam.