There was considerable interest in the caves of Schoharie County in the 1830s, led by John Gebhard, Sr. (1782-1854), who retired from his profitable law practice in his early 40s to devote his interests to the natural world around him.
Gebhard was joined by other professional men—doctors L. Hubbard and Joel Foster, and John S. Bonny— who discovered several caves in and around Schoharie, often writing of their exploits. Their names are associated with Ball’s Cave, Nethaway’s Cave (VeenFliet’s), Becker’s and Knox Cave in nearby Albany County, described below. There were likely others.
Unfortunately, and times were very different then, the early explorers also collected samples of their finds. Ball’s Cave on Barton Hill, Schoharie, was stripped of nearly all its formations, several weighing several hundred pounds. And, as Dr. Hubbard writes below, a formation more than four feet in length, resembling “a man’s head with a warrior’s helmet” was removed from Knox Cave.
Dr. Hubbard’s full account follows. It was published first in The Schoharie Republican, and then reprint in the Oct. 8, 1835, edition of The Albany Argus. It was simply headlined, “Knox Cave.”
That text follows:
“The difficulties and dangers with which nature has surrounded many of her most magnificent works seem, in the present age, to present no obstacles to the daring enterprise of man—that spirit of inquiry in the cause of natural science, which has presented to the literary world so many illustrations of her wonderful operations of nature in her gloomy solitude, has been recently stimulated by the discovery of objects for new investigations and redoubled efforts.
“A cavern, situated in the town of Knox, Albany county, on the land of Jacob Van Auker, about 11 miles east of Schoharie Court-house, has been recently explored—first by Mr. Thadeus Chapman, who resides in its vicinity, and subsequently, Sept. 4th. 1835, more particularly, by Mr. Peter Osterhout and Doctor L. Hubbard, of this village [Schoharie], in company with Mr. Chapman.
“The following is given as the result of their discoveries.
“The first depression resembles the section of an inverted cone—three-fourths of the circumference being nearly perpendicular, the remainder gradually sloping until it meets the opposite edge; the distance of this descent is about forty feet. The second descent is perpendicular in the rock, thirty-eight feet. The walls on either side are regular. with the exception of a few slight projections. The opening at the top forms a triangle, the sum of whose sides is not far from 12 feet, three-fifths of which is covered by a large stone that has fallen from the overhanging rock; the opening at the bottom of this passage is about the same as the top. The third passage is sloping (occasionally interrupted by perpendicular space of about three feet) for a distance of about 65 feet; this descent will form an angle of the horizon of not less than seventy degrees and runs directly south. The fourth passage is about six feet in length, inclining to the west, a little sloping through a curiously-wrought hole in the partition wall. This wall separates the two apartments in the cave. Were it not for this provision of nature, what remained below must have forever remained among the hidden secret of its Maker. This bole is nearly round, and just large enough to admit a person, either head- or feet foremost. The filth passage extends both to the north and south of the fourth; running parallel to the second and third; to the north the passage is free for about fifty feet, when it is choked up by clay which has been washed from above; this passage is from three to four feet wide, and probably not less than 100 feet in height.
“To the south it extends about forty feet and terminates in a beautiful colonnade; the columns are arranged in irregular form, including a space of about fifteen feet in circumference; the columns are formed of calcareous spar and are from ten to twenty feet in length, and from 6 to 14 inches in diameter; on the west side the columns are straight and regular, on the east they are interrupted by a mass of spar which has formed under them; this mass has an oval form, six feet in length and ten in height, and three in its greatest diameter, the sides are fluted out and formed into the resemblance of pillars, the whole mass has an appearance of being supported by pillars; the top is flat and circular, resembling a lady’s toilet table; the surface is beautifully cushioned over with an oval burr-like formation, and the bordering edge is hung with numbers of flat stalactites of differing lengths; the edges are notched out so they resemble fringe. The walls rise from the top of this beautiful formation, about fifteen feet, and meet the roof, which is considerably lower than the roof in the fifth passage; the sides of the columns rising from the table are hung with an immense number of stalactite formations; so also the roof above.
“The colonnade opens into a hall (so called to designate it from the room we will presently describe), the floor of which is about 8 feet lower than that of Ihe colonnade; it is about 80 feet long, 15 feet wide and 30 high. These walls are also ornamented with various formations of spar; great numbers of stalactites arc seen pending from the roof and sides; at the southwestern angle of the hall is a crevice extending about 15 feel, at the extremity of which, is a stalactical formation resembling in form and size a large lamp, (such as are used for lighting cities); the bottom is fringed with small, flat stalactites; at the northwestern angle of this hall is a passage, descending to the north; it has been explored for about 30 feet; the mud prevented us going farther. From this we pass into Ihe large room, (or as it was fancifully called by young Chapman) ihe grand saloon. This room is about forty feet long and twenty wide, and from fifteen to twenty (eet in height; the hall and roof are remarkably regular and encrusted with spar on all sides; the roof is pierced with three rows of holes, passing nearly its whole length. These holes are placed at nearly equal distances and have the appearance of being placed there for ornament. At the northern extremity of Ihe room, the roof parts at the center, and forms two large prongs; the one passes to one side of the colonnade and the other to the other side, and apparently resting on columns; about the middle of the western side of this room is a passage extending about 150 feet to the west; this passage varies in width from 6 to 8 feet; in some places the roof is very high, and in others the rocks fall within a few feet of the floor. This passage is lined with sparry incrustations from one end to the other; stalactites, stalagmites and alabaster, of the purest kind, are found here.
“We procured a stalactite from this passage 4 feet 8 inches in length, the top of which very much resembles a man’s head with a warrior’s helmet; here we also procured the fragments of a stalactical formation, about 8 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length, which had fallen from a crevice and broken; other pieces of the same mass were seen lodged in the crevice above; and judging from the piece we have, and those in sight, we should say it could not have been less than 11 or 12 feet in length; this mass is formed of the purest alabaster, except for a streak of about two inches wide and 1½ thick, (which appears to have traversed it whole length) which is formed of the purest kind of satin spar.
“The above is given by the gentlemen from this village, as a very hasty and deficient account of this interesting cavern. Doc. L. Hubbard, who first entered Ball’s Cave in Schoharie, pronounces that much celebrated cavern far inferior in grandeur and appearance to the one above-mentioned, and gives it a preference only in novelty, resulting from its subterranean navigation.
SUGGESTED READING: “The Gebhards of Schoharie,” pages 288-295 in “Underground Empires: Two Centuries of Exploration, Adventure * Enterprise in NY’s Cave Country.” Published Aug. 2021 by Black Dome Press, Catskill.
Also, Underground Empires, chapter 7, “The Opening of Secret Caverns and Knox Cave.”