22 PKOCEEDINGS OP THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [NOV. 5, 



Northwards, and a little to the east, is a cavern in the turnpike - 

 road that leads to Ulverston. 



At a short distance above Lindale Tarn, -which is situated in the 

 centre of the village, is a remarkable little cavern, in a field com- 

 manding a view of the vale. This was formed during one night in 

 the spring of 1861, — an oval space 26 feet across and 58 feet long, 

 sinking from 1 to 2 feet. At the south side of this is a cavern open- 

 ing deep into the ground, apparently for a distance of three or four 

 yards. I believe it is gradually changing in character, and I have 

 no doubt the coming winter will alter it much. I send a specimen 

 of the interior roof. This cavern is nearer to some of the works than 

 those before mentioned ; but it is not considered to be owing to any 

 workings whatever. 



Still further north, upon Lindale Moor, a cavern about 10 yards 

 in diameter was disclosed, a few years since, by the falling-in of the 

 surface. 



At the distance of a little less than half a mile towards the south- 

 west, cavernous ground is again met with on Whittriggs. In these 

 mines, in the year 1843, a very large cavern was discovered, 60 

 feet below the surface. In sinking the vertical shaft which led to 

 this discovery, a cavern of small dimensions was opened on one side 

 of the shaft ; but lower down the miners discovered an immense, 

 dismal vault, 24 feet in depth. In this gloomy chamber a great 

 mass of rock could be seen resting, as it seemed, on a very slender 

 pedestal, and threatening every instant to fall down. This cavern, 

 like the rest, was not in rock, but in the same material as the one 

 behind the station. 



Thus we have a line of cavernous ground proceeding up the 

 eastern side of the vale, and occurring again on the north-western ; 

 and there is reason to believe that the miners are acquainted with 

 many more. 



That both kinds of caverns have been long known may be seen by 

 referring to one of our oldest local writers on the antiquities of Fur- 

 ness*, from whose statements it appears that the earth-caverns were 

 supposed to be caused by the sinking in of water. This idea seems 

 to prevail still amongst the miners, who call them " Water-washes." 



The numerous depressions and inequalities of the surface on the moor 

 called Carr Kettle, and other localities, would lead one to suspect some 

 such mining work of nature there. The supposed rock-chasm, after 

 having been slowly filled or choked by the falling matter, might at 

 length have formed in it a compact floor, which, receiving constant 

 additions from the falling roof, would gradually rise ; and thus the 

 cavern of 60 feet depth below the surface might become in time 

 the cavern of 50 feet, then of 40, and ultimately merely a surface- 

 depression or deep basin like the cavern on Lindale Moor. 



I have very recently received information, from one of the gentle- 

 men of the Dalton Mining Company, of another " water-wash " or 

 cavern, occurring in their mines near Standing Tarn. It is situated 



* Antiquities of Furness, by Thomas West. New edition, by W. Close, 1805, 

 Supplement, p. 593. 



