Mr. A. O. Wheeler, D.L.S., accompanied by Deutschman, was the next explorer, and the following is Mr. Wheeler’s description of their experiences in the new caves which were discovered during this visit:—
Mr. Wheeler’s Exploration and Description of the Caves.
“Up to this time, only the Gopher Bridge series and the Mill Bridge series (see [map]) had been explored. It was not until a day or two before the close of the survey, August 4, that an attempt was made to penetrate the huge opening seen at the north end of the bottom of the gorge. On the date named, the writer descended by means of a knotted rope, and was followed by Deutschman. The stream was then at high water, and pouring into the opening with a tremendous rush and swirl of waters. Although the creek was crossed by wading waist deep in the icy torrent, it was found impossible to penetrate more than a couple of hundred feet into the depth. Later in the month Deutschman, alone and unaided, penetrated this opening and worked his way across the stream, discovering what is now referred to as the Gorge series, or the series of passageways reached by the opening from the Gorge. And here the writer begs to say a word or two concerning this remarkable man. The work of exploration he has done without assistance, shows a character utterly devoid of fear. The descent into depths of blackest darkness, lighted only by the dim rays of a tallow dip, without a rope or other aid except in a case of direst necessity, requires more than courage; it requires strength of purpose and power of will far beyond the ordinary degree. For, added to the thick darkness, there was always the fierce vibrating roar of subterranean torrents, a sound most nerve shaking in a position sufficiently uncanny and demoralizing without it. Huge cracks had to be crossed, and precipitous descents made in pitch darkness, where, it is safe to say, a misstep would have instant death, either suddenly or through disablement. Now that ladders are placed and ropes set, and the sure path pointed out by this intrepid guide, it is difficult to realize how in the first place the passage could possibly have been made without.
Typical Alpland—On Mt. Abbott about 1 mile south of Glacier.
“The first visitor after Deutschman to the Gorge series was a Mr. Lang, of Golden, B.C., who very nearly met with a serious accident when climbing up the rope from the bottom of the gorge to the floor of the valley, 80 feet above. He had nearly reached the top when his strength gave out, and he slid back down the rope, arriving at the bottom in a much bruised condition, but fortunately with no bones broken.”
Mr. Wheeler furnishes a splendid detail description of the various series of caves, and it is thought well to reproduce this description in extenso:—
Gopher Bridge Series.
“On leaving the lake-bed above mentioned, Cougar creek flows in a series of cascades for a little more than half a mile through open alpine meadowland, broken here and there by knolls crowned with scrubby spruce. Suddenly, without warning, it drops into a cavity and, 450 feet farther down, quietly issues from its underground way. During this disappearance the stream has only dropped 30 feet. The intervening space between the entry into and exit from the ground has been named ‘Gopher Bridge’ by the first party visiting the Caves, owing to the large numbers of Parry’s marmot, which much resembles a gopher, to be seen in the immediate vicinity, and the underlying passages are here referred to as the Gopher Bridge series. Directly opposite the disappearance of the creek, two striking cascades tumble down the mountain side and uniting, flow for a short space parallel to Cougar creek; then, vanishing into a hole in the ground, they join the main stream by a subterranean passage. They are known as ‘Gopher Falls,’ and the place where they disappear as the ‘Gopher Hole’ (see [map] of Caves).
“The Gopher Bridge series of passageways was at first entered by the opening shown on the [map] as ‘Old Entrance.’ It was a very disagreeable operation, entailing much wriggling and squeezing through narrow cracks over dirty rocks. Eventually, a point of vantage was reached directly over the subterranean torrent. At the time of the first exploration the writer took acetylene bicycle lamps, whose bull’s-eyes enabled the pitch darkness to be pierced to some extent. Magnesium wire also was lighted, and, by its aid, for a brief minute, the interior was bathed in dazzling brightness. Standing on a narrow ledge that overhangs a black abyss, the eye is first drawn by a subterranean waterfall heard roaring immediately on the left. It appears to pour from a dark opening above it. Below, between black walls of rock, may be seen the foam-flecked torrent hurtling down the incline until lost in sense shadows. Overhead, fantastic spurs and shapes reach out into the blackness and the entire surroundings are so weird and uncanny that it is easy to imagine Dante seated upon one of these spurs deriving impressions for his inferno. As the brilliant light goes out the thick darkness makes itself felt, and instinctively you feel to see if Charon is not standing beside you. This subterranean stream, with its unearthly surroundings, is somewhat suggestive of the Styx, and incidentally supplied the name ‘Avernus’ for the cavern of the waterfall.