Helen C. Gordon, in a letter which appeared in the 'SHAVER MYSTERY
MAGAZINE', Vol. 1, No. 2, 1947, pp. 3234., described a strange
experience she and her husband had with a massive subterranean
cavern below southern New Mexico.
While driving near the Organ mountains southeast of Las Cruces,
the two had spotted what seemed to be mine tailings high upon the
forbidden-looking slopes. Being a bit curious and adventurous, they
decided to spend some time and walk up the mountains and see if
there were any mines as they suspected from the tailing piles. They
finally reached the entrance to what they knew to be a mine, perhaps
excavated sometime in the 1800's, and proceeded to explore it's
interior. They made their way back into the dark interior, feeling
their way along. They continued farther still until the entrance
was a mere pinpoint of light, and suddenly they noticed that the
right wall had disappeared into empty blackness. A natural or
artificial 'wall' or partition blocked off most of the 'empty area',
which spanned a considerable distance along the side of the
horizontal mine. Just behind the 'wall' a narrow ledge ran along
the top of what seemed to be a chasm.
The chasm was deeper than their lights could reach and appeared
to be more of a natural result of some ancient geological activity
rather than artificial. They looked around for some wood and
combustible material and constructed a torch, which they then
dropped down the pit. They watched fearfully and in awe as the
torch light became smaller and smaller until it disappeared from
view altogether.
After questioning some of the old timers in the area they
learned that such chasms were encountered on rare occasions by
miners, who referred to them as 'glory holes'. A glory hole is a
natural shaft of such depth and expanse that it's bottom is
difficult to plumb. The old miners apparently broke through to this
'glory hole' and left the partition of the rock there for safety
purposes.
