Two days left in cavern season

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BELLEVUE - Vast underground rooms have fascinated young and old adventurers alike since two boys lost their dog, and their footing, and discovered Seneca Caverns in 1872.

Dubbed "The Caviest Cave in the USA" by a more recent young visitor to Seneca Caverns, owner and operator Dick Bell has been involved in promoting the cave for 75 years. It was his parents, Don and Fannie Bell, who first began operating it as an attraction. Before that, area families knew it as Good's Cave, because it was located on land belonging to farmer Emmanuel Good.

The story behind the cave is it was discovered in 1872 when two young boys were hunting rabbits along TR 178. Their dog scared the rabbit, which ran down a sinkhole. Both boys followed the dog, enlarging the opening, and then tumbled down a slope of clay onto the first level of the cave.

"The boys' names were Peter Rutan and Henry Karner; both were (from) old-time families around here," Bell said.

"My father leased the property for two years with the option to buy if it could be successfully developed," he added. "Then he bought the cave on a payment plan with Mr. Good. Mr. Good was an exceptional individual, a farmer, and a Heidelberg College grad who appreciated the value of the cave. He encouraged my Dad and helped him at times."

The cave opened as a commercial attraction May 14, 1933.

The cave tour, which lasts one hour, takes visitors into the seven different levels, or rooms, one of which is 250 feet long.

"When you go down to the depth of the the seventh level, you are down 110 feet and can view the underground river, which is actually a flowing stream that is part of the water table of this area," Bell said.

The reason the cave exists, Bell said, is the whole area is a karst topology area, filled at one time with limestone that is easily dissolved or worn away by flowing water in combination with a weak chemical reaction. This also helps to form stalactites and stalagmites.

Tour guides are local high school and college students with an interest in geology, and undergo a training in the history and geology of the cave before giving tours. Many of the guides stay for multiple years, Bell added.

After navigating the caves levels, visitors can try to pan for real gemstones at Seneca Mining Co., sifting through bags of sand available in the gift shop.

The gift shop itself offers a large number of rock-, gem- or fossil-related merchandise at a wide range of prices. Also gracing the shelves are Native American crafts Bell and his wife purchase during gift store conventions on their travels during the winter months.

Bell said it is the only cave of its type open to the public, as it is a fracture cave, cause by extensive fractures in the bedrock.

"It is so unique that it was designated by Gov. (George) Voinovich as a Natural Areas and Preserves and was registered as a national landmark in 1997," he said.

Seneca Caverns is is to be open two more days this season, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is to re-open in May with weekend hours, and be open daily, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Admission is $13 for adults, $10 for seniors age 62 and older, and children 13-17 years of age, and $6.50 for children 5-12 years old.