LOST IK A CAVE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 10, 27 June 1884, Page 27

LOST IK A CAVE.

On St. Patrick's Day, two gentlemen from Cincinuatti, Charles Ghower and Chris. Schmitgens, says the Chattanooga, Term., correspondent of the Glooe-Democrat, entered a cave penetrating Lookout Mountain, four miles from this city. The explorers were provided with a glass lantern, bottle of coal oil, two baskets of lunch, and other necessary conveniences. The men bad not bsen seen to emerge from the cave, the gate-keeper supposing they had done so while he was at dinner. This wonderful cavern had heretofore been explored for several miles, but the extent of its depths was not known. Tales of its marvellous depths had excited their curiosity. Jeff Harper, Emerson and Calvin Leslie, who recently came to this city from Indiana, entered on an exploring expedition, thoroughly equipped with lamps, torches, etc. When they had proceeded abouc three miles, and while in the midst of a labyrinth of passes diverging in all directions, they heard- deep groans. The startled men listened, and hearing no more supposed it was a fancy, and were in the act of continuing their journey when the sound was again heard. They hastened and before they had proceeded far discovered the forms of two men lying prostrate on a shelf of atone. The men at first could not articulate a word except to sob in ecstacy at the prospect of rescue. After being removed to the outside world, the men stated that they entered the cave at nine o'clock on the morning of Monday, March 17. They had a small lantern, and intended to go but a short distance. After they had proceeded about three miles, G-ower stumbled and fell, the lantern fell from hi 3 hand into a deep crevice, and the bottle of oil was broken. They had no other means of making a light and groped their way back a few hundred feet, but found the undertaking useless, as they were in danger of falling over a precipice, and it was impossible to find their way back to the main passage. They heard the trickling of water and crawled toward it, and by lowering their hats, by means of strips torn from their clothing, into a crevice, obtained a small supply of water from time to time. They remained at this spot about three days. Driven to desperation by hunger, they made another effort to escape their terrible doom. About the fifth day they threw themselves down in hopeless despair, to meet their fate and unable to move. From that time until their rescue their sufferings could not be described. At times they were unconscions, at others delirious. When brought to the city the men presented a pitiable spectale — hollowed-eyed, gaunt, weak and starved. Upon Mr. Schmitgens the ordeal seemed most severe, and he showed symptoms of aberration. Several times he would tell of the boys bringing them beer in the care in glasses with false bottoms, and when in the act of offering them the beer, pull out the bottoms and spill the fluid on the ground and laugh at their trick. Late this evening their physicians state the men are doing as well as can be expected. By careful attention their lives may be saved, but the chances are against them. Their entire sustenance during those terrible fourteen days consisted of their scanty lunch and what water they could procure in their hats.