Monday, November 19, 2012

Under Indiana

I discovered Morengo Cave by accident, much like it was originally discovered in September of 1883 by two school children, a brother and sister, exploring their local woods...

Can you even imagine how amazing it must be to be a child discovering a giant cave for the first time, and trying to keep it a secret?























"Marengo Cave was discovered September 6, 1883 by siblings Orris and Blanche Hiestand…Orris was 11 years old at the time, and his sister Blanche worked as a cook at the local Marengo Academy and had heard some of the boys discussing a sinkhole they had found in the woods close by. They suspected it might lead to a cave and were talking of returning with lanterns later. Blanche decided to beat the boys to it. She ran home from the school that day, enlisted her brother Orris, took two candles and set off into the woods…they stumbled into the sink hole, situated in a thick woods and undergrowth of vines and ferns. Orris let himself get down in the hole enough to see that an opening and darkness extended to unknown depth. The children crawled down a narrow passageway, approximately 50 feet long, and were the first humans known to set foot in Marengo Cave. Awed by what they had seen, but quickly becoming afraid of the darkness they retreated back to the surface."



Here are photos of my handsome accomplice and I exploring the woods above the cave. I guess Indiana isn't that bad after all.







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