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SKELETONS IN THE CAVERN
Tours into the Grand Caverns in the late 19th century sought excitement and entertainment. In addition to having Elmer Snider play popular tunes on the Grand Concert Hall's "stalacpipe" organ, George Snider, the cavern's discoverer and developer, decided a more ghoulish attraction was necessary. In early February 1889, a human skeleton was unearthed by workers in excavating the Snider Stone Company's sandstone quarry in Red Rock Canyon east of Manitou. First on display at the Manitou Journal office in downtown Manitou, the Native American bones were moved into the Grand Caverns. There, the skeleton was laid out behind protective chicken wire in a small side alcove along Canopy Avenue, the corridor leading to the Horseshoe Tunnel. Although decaying wood from the protective fencing remains in the alcove to this day, the skeleton is fortunately long gone, having been removed and buried elsewhere in the late 1890s.
COLORADO'S FIRST SUBTERRANEAN WONDER
Although Cave of the Winds is the oldest continuously-operated visitor attraction in the Pikes Peak region, it is not Colorado's first cave opened for public tours. Another Williams Canyon cave, Mammoth Cave, holds that honor. Opened in April, 1875, Mammoth Cave attracted visitors from the new resort of Manitou. The April 10 Colorado Springs Weekly Gazette reported "Mr. Case, the proprietor, is having stairs constructed for the various descents, and suitable clothing and other conveniences are soon to be prepared for the use of parties desiring to visit the cave. Last Saturday, about 150 persons, some of them ladies, went through the cavern, and many others only await the promised preparations for a comfortable visit to make the tour of this subterranean wonder." The opening of the Cave of the Winds to public tours in July 1880 spelled the end for Mammoth Cave, which fell into obscurity and is today known by an alternate name, Huccacove Cave.
HIGH WATER
Colorado residents are well aware of the dangers posed by heavy rain and narrow canyons. The tragic July 1976 Big Thompson Flood west of Loveland with over $35 million in damage, 250 injuries and 144 deaths is probably the best known of Colorado's floods. WIlliams Canyon at the Cave of the Winds has also seen its share of heavy rain storms and flash floods, including a tragic July 1882 flood that sent an eight foot wall of water down the narrow canyon, overcoming and drowning nine-year-old Charley Gillingham, whose lifeless body was found by rescue teams lodged in driftwood near the soda spring in Manitou. Later floods in 1894, 1902, 1921, 1940, 1947, and 1964 brought destruction to Manitou and destroyed large sections of the Williams Canyon auto road. More recently, in April 1999, 12 inches of rain in a 72 hour period again washed out the road, as well as collapsing sections of the shelf road leading up the canyon's western wall to the Cave of the Winds. The extensive damage to the shelf road, constructed in 1895, proved to be the end for the popular route leading through the famous Narrows, where signs once reassured nervous automobile drivers, "Yes, You Can - A Million Others Have!" In October 2001, local Colorado Springs contractor and caver Walt Rubeck donated his time and heavy equipment to rebuild a portion of the damaged road. Walt's efforts allows high clearance vehicles access with permission from the Cave of the Winds to travel from the southern property gate at Manitou Springs to the Narrows. Cave of the Winds General Manager Grant Carey is uncertain if the remainder of the road will ever be reconstructed.
EVENING STAR
From the June 11, 1887 Manitou Journal, an amusing tale about the popular Manitou Grand Caverns is reported. The story in its entirety: An English cousin visited the Grand Caverns yesterday. In his subterraneous wanderings his eyes rested on a very brilliant object. “‘I say, guide, what is that?" "That is a diamond, sir, called the Evening Star. The cave is full of them." Being a little desirous of investigating the gem of beauty, our aforesaid cousin climbed up into the dark recess among the rocks, and discovered only this and nothing more -- an old coffee pot which had been thrown away. The rays of light from the reflected lamps gave it its luminous appearance. "Evening Star, Evening Star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky."
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