The Underworld of Oregon Caves National Monument

The Underworld of Oregon Caves National Monument

Three tired men unsaddled their horses where the mountain stream disappeared into the ground. They had fought their way 15 miles over wild, rugged mountains since leaving Williams Valley at dawn. Yet rest was far from their minds. Hurriedly they stuck tallow candles into lanterns made from tin cans, untied a lariat from a saddle, then walked down the valley. They stopped where the stream, now larger, reappeared from a shadowy crevice under a cliff. This must be it, said one of them eagerly, just like Davidson said. And with mixed feelings of excitement, fear, and the overwhelming grip of adventure, they followed flickering candlelight into the dark opening. Tales of persons lost for days in other caves were fresh in their minds, so they uncoiled a ball of string as they went. Later they could follow it back out. Soon they knew the Davidson story was true, more than true. Crawling from one chamber to another, they found a fairyland of weird grottoes and exquisite stone formationspillars and spires, drapes, frozen waterfalls and grotesque formsin shapes and sizes beyond their imaginations. Some they named from resemblance to familiar objects. At others they could only stare in awe and wonder how can it be? Using the rope in steep places, they probed upward into another level of caverns where they were thrilled to find even more elaborate formations. At one place they wrote their names and the date, July 11, 1879. Here and there they saw 2 evidence left by the few others who had entered the cave in the five years since it was discovered by their neighbor, Elijah Davidson. On and on they explored, returning to the entrance only when their last candle was growing short. Outside, stars lighted a midnight sky. Exhausted, happy, they vowed to return, then fell into bedrolls. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 59262
Author: Contor, Roger J.
Release Date: Apr 12, 2019
Format: eBook
Language: English