Archeological Investigations Part 18

Much water also falls from the roof. A hydraulic ram, not far from the entrance, formerly forced water from one of these falls to the farm residence. A descent of 6 feet, over large rocks and wet earth, brings one to the nearly level floor, 40 feet from the mouth. The amount of flood water running into the cave is indicated by a gully 4 feet deep and the same in width, while trash and driftwood litter the floor from wall to wall for more than a hundred yards.

THOMAS CAVE.--This is a mile north of Bowling Green. The roof of a cavern has fallen in and forms a high mound of rocky debris, down which a path winds on each side, giving access toward either end of the cavern. There is scarcely a possibility that it was ever occupied.

MILL CAVE.--Three miles south of Bowling Green a stream emerges from the foot of a slope, flows a hundred yards through a canyon-like open channel, and disappears under a cliff. This is another instance of an open cave due to a falling roof. The open end is large and forms an excellent shelter for cattle. On either side of the stream, under the cliff, is a shelf or projecting ledge, covered with loose stones.

Neither is 2 feet higher than the water level in a wet season.

BARREN COUNTY

PAYNE CAVE.--This, also known as Saltpeter Cave, is near Temple Hill, 9 miles southeast of Glasgow. The bluff in which it is situated is a conglomerate limestone, rising from the waters of Skagg's Creek. The cave has three different entrances, 100 feet or more apart, and each entrance is broken into three or four by columns or ma.s.ses of stone that have resisted erosion. None of the entrances is large, or opens into s.p.a.cious chambers within daylight. Flood marks are visible in all, and it is said that after prolonged or heavy spring rains the water covers the floors.

BEN SMITH'S CAVE.--This was discovered while digging out a fox den. It is a tunnel-like cavity, not more than 6 feet high or wide, and not suitable for habitation. It lies a mile and a half south of Temple Hill.

FORD'S CAVE.--This is between Freedom and Mount Hermon, about 14 miles southeast of Glasgow. Originally the entrance was about 8 feet high and 20 feet wide, and opened into a well-lighted chamber probably 40 feet wide and 60 feet long. The floor was of earth and level, with ample s.p.a.ce between it and the roof, as shown by marks on the walls, for people to move about readily in any part of the room. The entrance is now artificially closed by earth and stone, except for a s.p.a.ce 4 feet square in which a door is hung. Old men in the neighborhood claim they can remember when the floor was 20 feet lower than at present; a manifest impossibility, for that measure would bring it several feet lower than the bed of Mill Creek just in front of the cave. They also claim that blocks of conglomerate and travertine 5 to 10 feet in each dimension have formed from "drip" within their recollection; which, if true, would prove these persons to be almost contemporaneous with the cave men. The more probable statement is also made by them that in early days saltpeter workers dug up and leached all the earth in the cave, filling the entrance and the narrow s.p.a.ce before it with the leached earth from the front part of the cave and throwing that from farther back into the cavities and pits left by the prior workings.

Inside the cave, near the entrance, is a never-failing spring whose waters flow through a short, narrow crevice at one side. While easily accessible, the water does not reach any of the earth floor.

This would have been an excellent site for aboriginal residence, but there is now no undisturbed earth within daylight nor for some distance beyond, and no one can remember that anything of an artificial nature was ever exhumed.

THE ESMITH CAVES.--Two caves situated on Peters Creek near Dry Fork post office, 14 miles southeast of Glasgow, were reported to be admirably suited for shelter purposes. The smaller is not more than a foot high, from floor to roof, and is filled with flood water after every heavy rain. The larger is above flood line, but the entrance is not over 2 feet high, and the "cave" is scarcely sufficient for a sheep shelter. If the floor were cleared off to a depth of 4 feet from its present level, it would be covered whenever the creek reached high-water mark.

BONE CAVE.--Five miles east of Glasgow human bones were found in a cavern. Particulars could not be obtained. The cave is on a hillside and is entered through a narrow crevice by straddling the walls or going down a ladder. Rocks and trash form a mound in this, the top being 15 feet below the outside surface. On either side of this mound one can make his way continuously downward to darkness, and a rock thrown ahead can be heard going on down some distance over loose stones. If human bones were ever found in here, either they were thrown in or some person fell in and was unable to escape.

SLICK ROCK CAVE.--This is near the post office of Slick Rock, 7 miles east of Glasgow. The entrance is in a narrow crevice at the brow of a low hill. The descent is steep and rugged to beyond daylight.

LOVE'S CAVE.--This is located on Dr. Love's farm, 3 miles north of Slick Rock. It is now used for storing apples and potatoes. The entrance is through a large sink hole, formed by the falling in of the roof of a cave which was at least 50 feet wide at this point. As is usual, the debris has blocked the cave in one direction. Descent is regular, though steep, along the slope into the other end of the cave.

The floor is wet and muddy the entire year on account of the drip from roof and overhanging rock at the mouth. The vertical distance from top of the debris to the level floor is about 30 feet, and from the top to the outer surface about 20 feet more. Any attempt at excavation would be difficult and costly, and conditions are such as to make it probably fruitless.

MONROE COUNTY

Four caves in this county were represented as being worth investigation. All are north of Tompkinsville, the county seat.

(1) A rock house in the conglomerate sandstone on the land of Dr. E.E.

Palmer, 7 miles north of Tompkinsville, shows smoke stains on the ceiling, and some flint chips among the gravel and earth in front where they have been exposed by water dripping over the face of the cliff. There is, however, only 2 to 4 feet of s.p.a.ce between the earth floor and the roof, across the cave from side to side, a distance of 20 feet, and from the front to a point 10 feet back. From this rear portion the earth slopes downward, parallel with the roof of the cave, to the wall behind. The amount of descent could not be accurately ascertained owing to the cramped s.p.a.ce, but seems to be 5 or 6 feet.

At about that level on the outside a ledge was found on both sides of the entrance and appears to continue across. If so, the earth covers the part immediately in front of the cave. Neither tools nor men could be found to do any trenching, but it is not probable the shelter was ever high enough for a man to stand erect in, because most, or all, of the floor earth must have come from the ceiling.

(2) A mile north of Dr. Palmer's is the McCreary Cave. The entrance is from 60 to 70 feet across and the cavern reaches back fully a hundred feet without any diminution of breadth. Two branches then start under the hill. Each has been explored more than a mile. From each branch flows a considerable brook. They unite near the entrance, sink into the floor, and reappear as a strong spring 30 feet lower in the ravine leading from the cave. The earth is not more than 3 feet deep near the front. It becomes greater in amount farther back, but is wet everywhere below the level of the running water, consequently no excavation was practicable. Flood marks show that the whole floor, except in places a strip along the side walls, is completely submerged at times. On one side a rock ledge or shelf above reach of the water is covered with dry loose earth from 1 to 3 feet deep. This has been dug up in nearly every part by treasure seekers, but nothing of human workmanship has ever been found.

(3) The Belcher Cave is 7 miles northwest of Tompkinsville. It is also called Mill Cave, because a gristmill near the foot of the hill below it is run by the outflowing stream. The entrance is wide and high; the front chamber or vault is fully a hundred feet across each way. But the bedrock is exposed in places and the earth is not more than 2 feet thick anywhere. Water from the brook percolating through this keeps the lower portion saturated.

(4) On John Black Tuley's land, on Meshach Creek, 6 miles northeast of Tompkinsville, two human skeletons were found in a small opening, which has since been known as the Bone Cave. It is a room not over 10 feet across at any part, in a limestone conglomerate, and may be of quite recent origin. Being inconvenient of access, it is not in a position for residence purposes. The skeletons, which were less than 2 feet below the surface, were probably those of Indian hunters. The material in which the little cave is formed will crumble easily in cold weather, being rather wet from the soil water soaking through the hill above it.

There are other caves in this county, but from the descriptions they do not seem at all suited even for temporary camping needs.

LOGAN COUNTY

Very little limestone appears in Logan County, the surface rock being mostly conglomerate. A reconnoissance was made here, however, from Russellville to Diamond Springs, to investigate "a broad valley" which was reported to extend in a general north and south direction from the Ohio, near Brandenburg, toward the c.u.mberland. It was also claimed that beds of drift gravel exist at a considerable elevation above the little creek now flowing through the valley and that rock shelters are numerous at various levels.

As there is an abandoned drainage system, different from the present, somewhere in this part of Kentucky, which has never been traced, the place seemed worth a visit. The result was disappointing.

The valley is due entirely to causes now at work. The gravel beds result from weathering of lower Coal Measure conglomerates. The rock shelters are shallow, or with a thin covering of earth on the floor, or subject to overflow. None was found that offered any incentive for examination.

TODD COUNTY

On the farm of Mr. Robert Glover, 3 miles southwest of Trenton, is a cave known generally as "Bell's Cave," from a former owner. This forms the outlet of a large sink hole, all the rainfall of 6 or 8 acres draining out through it. The entrance is wide and deep, with an easy descent to the level floor. It was for a long time a shelter for Indians, for there is a layer of ashes more than 6 feet in depth, 50 or 60 feet long, and about 15 or 20 feet wide. These represent the probable original dimensions, but the top has been leveled for a dancing floor, and the drainage water has cut away a large part of it, depositing the material farther back in the cave. Six feet of vertical face is exposed at one place by the water, but the ashes extend still deeper. It is said that bone needles, animal bones, antlers, mussel sh.e.l.ls ("different from any in the creek now"), burnt rock, and much broken pottery were found in leveling the top. A very fine polished flint celt 12 inches or more in length is also reported. One human skeleton has been found, either at the edge of the ash bed or a few feet away from the edge. The floor is covered, where the earth is washed off, with flint nodules and fragments, and the slopes outside have considerable on the surface. The gullies washed along the slope are paved with nodules like a macadamized road, and in a few places the streams have cut into them so as to show a foot or more at the lower part of the bank so filled and packed with nodules that a knife blade could not be thrust in more than 2 or 3 inches. But there is no evidence of aboriginal quarrying. Probably the Indians dug nodules out of the gullies, for chips are found above and on each side of the mouth of the cave.

To the west, on top of the hill in which the sink hole occurs, and beginning at its edge, is an aboriginal cemetery. There are two small mounds and numerous graves. Scores of the latter have been opened.

They are all alike; flat stones form bottom, ends, sides, and top.

Many have only one skeleton; others more. The greatest number yet found in one was six. Few are more than a foot deep or much over 5 feet long. About one in ten contains relics of some sort--in two or three entire pots, beads, arrowheads, and gorgets occurred.

I opened three; two contained one body each. The face of one was down, but all the other bones of this and all the bones in the second grave were so decayed that no statement of their position can be made. In the third grave, which was 2 feet deep--the deepest yet found--were three bodies. Two lay with faces north; the other, behind these, with face south. The grave was 24 inches wide and less than 6 feet long.

Most skeletons (it is reported) were doubled up; often the graves were not over 3 feet long and 10 to 16 inches wide. In some the bones denoted skeleton burial. One skull had been perforated by a ball; at least there was a round hole on each side exactly such as would have been produced by a bullet.

Another large cemetery is on the farm of Mr. G.S. Wood, next north of Glover's. Mr. Wood has opened 50 or more graves and found some relics.

Flint arrows, spears, knives, drills, hoes, spades, and celts, not to mention unfinished pieces, have been found by the thousand on the surface within a mile radius of these cemeteries.

It would seem useless to make any further examination of the level limestone region of central or southern Kentucky. Nearly all the minor drainage is underground, and most of the caves have inlets through sink holes or in small crevices. The water supply is scanty except along streams, and in such situations the caves are usually, for various reasons, of such character as to preclude a continuous occupation, or one extending to a very ancient date. Search is more likely to be rewarded in the mountains where an ample water supply is always at hand.

TENNESSEE

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

DUNBAR'S CAVE.--Three miles east of Clarksville a large cave has been fitted up as a summer resort. The earth has been leveled around the entrance, both inside and outside, floors laid for picnics and other gatherings, booths, refreshment stands, and places of amus.e.m.e.nt erected and the surrounding grounds somewhat improved. On account of all this, the place has become quite noted. At present there is from 15 to 20 feet of loose stones and earth on the solid rock floor, and a strong stream makes its way beneath them. It could never have been occupied in prehistoric times until the debris had practically reached the stage at which it was found by the whites.

INDIAN MOUND CAVE.--A report was received to the effect that the mouth of a cave on the Stewart County line, about 18 miles west of Clarksville, had been closed by a rock wall, and earth piled against the outside of the wall; also, that tool marks are quite distinct in a chamber which is plainly of artificial origin.

The rock wall is the stratified rock, in place; the earth in front has washed down from the hillside; the tool marks are water channelings; and other remarkable things mentioned in the report are equally natural. The entrance is a narrow crevice.

SULLIVAN COUNTY

LINVILLE CAVE.--This is 4 miles almost directly west of Bluff City.

Apparently it is of great extent, for large sink holes connected with it are scattered over an area of several hundred acres. There are three princ.i.p.al openings. The largest is near the top of a knoll or low hill, and is due to the falling in of the roof. The sunken part has an area of about 30 by 60 feet. Usually, in such cases, the debris entirely fills one end of the cavity thus made, obscuring that part of the cavern, the other end being kept open by surface drainage. In this case, owing to the dip of the strata--some 8 or 10 degrees--and to a change in direction of the cavern at this point, both ends may be entered from the fallen rocks and earth. At one side the descent is precipitous and winding, over and among large fallen rocks. No level place is reached in daylight. At the other side the descent follows the natural dip of the strata and no level s.p.a.ce can be found from which the entrance is visible. This part, also, is filled with rocks, large and small, from the roof and sides, and was never habitable.

Fifty yards from the main entrance is another much smaller cave, on the slope of the knoll. It is at the bottom of a crevice 10 feet deep.

The floor is level, but only a few square yards in extent, the sloping roof reaching it within 10 feet. As there is considerable drainage into the cavity from the hillside, it is probable that this floor, at least the upper portion, is of recent origin, and that the earth extends downward indefinitely toward the subterranean stream.

West of the knoll on which these openings are found is a valley 2 or 3 miles long. Timber shuts off the view toward its head. This is drained by a constant stream which after winding from side to side of the little vale flows under the knoll. The hole where it disappears is small, but as no rock floor is visible it may lead into a large cavern, and there is no doubt that all the sink holes in the vicinity as well as the two openings above described eventually have the same outlet. Excavations would be difficult and useless.

THOMAS CAVE.--In the face of a steep hillside, near the south (left) bank of the Holston, 3 miles east of Bluff City, is a room with a nearly level floor 10 by 18 feet in the longest measurements. A narrow pa.s.sage, high enough for a man to walk in, branches off to the right but soon begins to diminish in size and at 100 feet becomes too small to crawl through. The debris in front of the cave is piled to a height of 16 feet above the present floor, and the highest floods of the river reach to about the same level on the outside. The rapid disappearance of the surface water which finds its way in indicates an underground pa.s.sage to the river, so that a solid floor would not probably be reached above the ordinary water level.

ARKLOW CAVE.--This is a mile and a half southeast of Bluff City. It was reported to have a level earth floor, not more than 4 feet below the acc.u.mulation outside. While this was formerly the case, cultivation of the hills around now causes a great amount of surface water to flow over the little bluff into which the cave opens, and this has carried nearly all of the loose earth away through some underground channel. The descent for upward of 30 feet is steep and rugged; it was not traced farther.