Volume 17 , Issue 38

Big Cave Found 1895, Oklahoma Territory

It was in The Wichita Daily Eagle, Tuesday morning, 3 September 1895, page 6, that we found this article: "Big Cave Is Found." Interesting discoveries were made in western Oklahoma. Two men go into the belly of the glass mountains and see many wonders, among which is a gushing fountain which rises and falls; crystals were very beautiful explorers return to Waukomis to secure ropes and dynamite for the purpose of extending their discoveries.

Found on Newspapers.com

Guthrie, O. T., Sept. 2 (1895) -- In the western portion of Oklahoma are the Glass or Gloss mountains. They are known by both names. For a long time it had been believed that these mountains contained some wonderful caves and that belief was not verified by the following in the Waukomis Wizard which was a a perfectly reliable paper:

J. J. Jones and Mart Hoffman came in from the Gloss Mountains on a Thursday for a supply of groceries and a large coil of small sized rope, also lanterns, candles and dynamite. They were two of the exploring party who were in search of the hidden wealth in the caves of the Gloss Mountains. They report finding several large caves, nine miles from Fairview, O.T., and one of them had been occupied by men until a short time ago. Nothing of value had yet been found. In one cave found they were unable to make a thorough search as they were not equipped in proper shape. In this cave after crawling and some times walking at the distance of about three hundred yards they came to a large room. To the rough and uncover roof the height was about forty feet and some two hundred feet wide. They say the scenery was grand, as the lights shinning on the white crystal rocks made them sparkle like diamonds. For several hundred feet they traveled through this room, when there came a rumbling sound as if water would rise and fall. They soon discovered the cause. In a deep opening in the rocks about one hundred feet deep they held their lights down and saw an immense cave. At the opening or mouth there was a large flow of water which would run through from the spring at intervals of every fifteen minutes.

The water would rise thirty or forty feet then gradually go down and be calm and still. Not having rope long enough to get down they ceased further search and went to camp next day. These gentlemen came to town and from the looks of supplies and the different coils of rope they expect to be prepared for all emergencies in the future. The object of taking as large a quantity of dynamite was to enlarge the opening of the cave in several places where they had difficulty getting through. Also in several places rocks having down and may at any time fall. They expect to take charge the caves and someday not far distant those gentlemen say the noted mammoth cave of Kentucky would have a competitor.
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