From: Steve 
Subject: Caverns Beneath California (Fwd)
Message-ID: 
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 16:18:47 -0800 (PST)

From "The Underground Empire"


     In March of 1980, John J. Williams, a New Mexico "Patriot"
who published the anti-Communist oriented "REBEL MAGAZINE" (at
the time available from: Consumertronics Co., c/o John J.
Williams. Pres., 2011 Crescent Dr., P.O. Drawer 537., Alamogardo,
NM  88310) revealed some incredible details on an alleged
subterranean system which the Navy had been exploring below the
western United States.  The report appeared in issue No. 6 of his
magazine, and was later reproduced in the Fall, 1985 (#164) issue
of SEARCH Magazine, at the time edited by Marjorie Palmer, widow
of the late Ray Palmer.  The article, titled 'CALIFORNIA FLOATS
ON OCEAN?', revealed the following:

     "Some time ago, I heard a man on a TV interview-show briefly
mention that parts of California and neighboring states are
floating on the Pacific Ocean!  He was a high ranking Naval
officer on a top-secret nuclear submarine that has been (and is)
exploring and mapping these enormous caverns and passage-ways
underneath the West for over 10 years now.
     "A friend of mine finally tracked the man down.  He is now
living quietly in retirement and asked that no details pointing
to him be revealed as he does not want publicity and government
attention.  After writing this article, I destroyed my files on
him.  This is his story..."
     Williams explains that not "all" of the areas in question
are actually "resting" or "floating" on the ocean, however there
are allegedly many subterranean cavities below the western U.S.,
and they are not limited to California, and many of them consist
of very large water-filled aqua-systems.  These have been
explored via nuclear submarines to several hundred miles inland,
particularly in the region of southern California and the
southern Oregon - northern California area.  Williams continues:
     "...When he retired several years ago, in spite of about 10
years of intensive Naval study, the Navy had not gotten even a
handle on their exacts and dimensions.  Today, the story may be
different.
     "He makes the following statements from his observations:
     "1. The passageways are labyrinthine with widths from a few
to thousands of feet (caverns), averaging roughly about a 100
feet.
     "2. Much like dry caverns do, heights and depths vary a
great deal and in some cases, two or more caverns or passageways
pass over or under each other at different depths.
     "3. Most of the entrances lie just off the Continental Shelf
(ie. in the Continental Slope - Branton).
     "4. Most of the entrances are too small for submarine
investigation; and many that are large enough lie in waters that
are too deep.
     "5. Some of the caverns (in S. California) are topped with
oil while some others are filled with gases believed to
approximate our atmosphere (in very ancient times).
     "6. The San Joaquin Valley is essentially a portion of the
original cavernous area that collapsed eons ago due to it's sheer
weight.
     "7. What is being passed off as the 'San Andreas Fault' are
large, unsupported chambers that are in the process of
collapsing.  When the BIG ONE finally hits, many scientists in
the know believe that most of California will break off like a
cold Hershey bar and slide into the ocean! (it is postulated by
some that an ancient land-mass which some believe may have been
connected to what is now California, broke off and sunk into the
ocean during an ancient cataclysm - Branton)
     "8. (We are deleting this section due to the possibility of
undue stress and fear which may result from it's disclosure.
Also, because of recent international events which may have
resulted in a solution to this problem.  We will merely state
that it involves a scenario similar to that which was portrayed
in a James Bond movie, and which concerned underground caverns,
silicon valley, nuclear weapons, and the San Andreas fault -
Branton).
     "9. A WELL-KNOWN U.S. nuclear submarine lost its way in
these passages and disappeared forever.  It was reported to have
been lost IN OPEN SEA ELSEWHERE to keep the American people in
total ignorance and to justify an enormous pay-off to an
eccentric U.S. billionaire (who died in recent years) for
providing the fictitious "recovery" effort.
     "I have no reason to doubt the man.  I can't tell for sure
whether or not these caverns and passageways exist or to their
extents.  The story does sound a bit fantastic but I have no
reason to doubt the man.  I have seen copies of documentation
that at least prove that he was a high ranking Naval officer
(nuclear submarine duty) and a distinguished scientist.  In fact,
his scientific background and reputation are impeccable.  He
definitely cannot be labeled as a crackpot, lunatic or publicity-
seeker.  I would very much like more information on this
topic..."

     After further inquiries to Mr. Williams on the part of
'inner earth' researchers, Williams responded with the following
when asked whether or not he had received any replies to his
request for more information about the alleged passageways below
California:
     "Since publishing our article on the vast cavern network
under much of California, we have received many responses and
inquiries.  Some of these responses appear to be knowledgeable
sources.  Note that the material sent to us for this article was
written by someone of very high repute whose credentials I
personally checked out.  Due to an agreement with him, I cannot
reveal his identity.
     "One response was from a retired (conventional submarine
duty? - Branton) submarine commander, who according to him, spent
many years in the waters off California.  He stated that the
caverns do NOT exist.
     "Another response was from an anonymous person who cited
unpublished oil company seismographical data, and stated,
'Although most of the caverns you depict in your drawing are
smaller, larger or located somewhat differently than the actual
caverns, you are essentially correct... My information is more
up-to-date than what you apparently relied upon.'  He (or she)
did not supply any maps to pin down our differences, just some
written descriptions.  However, some knowledgeable person could
probably deduce his (or her) overall 'map' from the voluminous
seismographical data sent.  I am in the process of looking for
this input; it's been several years now and it may have all been
thrown out... Incidentally, the oil company seismic data had much
data round the Fresno area if that helps any.
     "One incident which tends to confirm the fact that
California is in fact floating on the ocean was a story which
made the headlines in recent years.  This incident involved an
oil discovery beneath Long Beach, California.  When oil companies
began pumping oil out of the ground beneath Long Beach it was
soon learned that the entire city BEGAN SINKING INTO THE OCEAN!
     "It sank up to 26 feet and dikes had to be built to keep out
the water.  The problem is (temporarily) being rectified by
'water injection'--i.e. pumping an equivalent amount of WATER
into the ground to the amount of oil and water taken out, in
order to keep the city AFLOAT!"

     One thing which may be of interest in connection with Mr.
Williams' account was a statement which was made by a prominent
California Bigfoot investigator by the name of Virginia Louise
Swanson, who has done a good deal of study on caves and their
connections to the Bigfoot phenomena.  She refers to these
caverns in the following words:
     "...Somewhere I got the idea that a big portion of Death
Valley is located on a shelf of FALSE bedrock.  A certain type of
earthquake would collapse all of it down to an enormous series of
caverns that would open up into another Grand Canyon."

     According to our knowledge, the only nuclear submarines ever
to disappear under mysterious circumstances were the U.S.S
THRESHER and the U.S.S. SCORPION.  It is uncertain whether the
retired Navy Officer who John J. Williams spoke of was referring
to the THRESHER or the SCORPION, although the disappearance of
the Thresher probably caused more publicity.  The Thresher was
the LEAD SHIP or 'Flag' ship in the world's most advanced class
of nuclear attack submarines.  She was designed to operate deeper
and more silently than any of her predecessors and was also
endowed with significant advances in sonar equipment, in noise
reduction, and in fire-control.  All in all, she was the most
advanced international submarine in the world at the time of her
disappearance and would have been an ideal choice for a top-
secret mission such as the exploration of the caverns mentioned
by John Williams' source.
     On April 10, 1963 (according to official reports) the
Thresher, under the command of Lt. Commander John W. Harvey, USN,
with a total of 129 men (comprised of the crew, civilian
technicians, and observers) disappeared without explanation.  NOT
A SINGLE TRACE or clue as to the fate of the craft, or it's
occupants, were ever recovered: no oil slicks, radiation,
floating debris, or similar signs of wreckage were ever seen.  It
is interesting to note that almost all of the reports at the time
stated the ship had "disappeared," or was "lost," not "sunk!"
One woman whose husband was on the ill-fated ship reported her
belief that her husband was still alive.  Theologically speaking,
the possibility of a long-distance connection or "communion" on a
deep, emotional level between a husband and a wife should not
necessarily be consigned to the realm of the occult or "psychic"
phenomena.  Many religions believe that the very spiritual
natures of a husband and a wife are united upon the consummation
of a marriage, and thus they become, as Christian teachings say,
"one flesh".  The actual words of this woman, who was interviewed
by Will Carson and Jeannie Joy--two writers devoted to pursuing
strange events--shortly after the Thresher incident, were as
follows:
      "My husband was on the submarine Thresher when it
disappeared.  I don't consider myself a widow.  I don't believe
my husband is dead.  No, it's not a matter of just not being able
to believe it, to accept reality; I just can't get over the
conviction that he's still alive somewhere.  I love my husband
very much.  I know he loved--loves me.  We were very close.  We
could always tell when something was wrong with each other.
Intuition, I guess.  I should have felt something the instant
there was trouble, if he was really in serious trouble and knew
it--a matter of life and death--but I didn't."
     "What do you believe really happened?" Carson and Joy asked
the attractive young woman.
     "Most people think I'm crazy when I say this, but I believe
the Thresher was captured."
     "By whom?"
     "I can't say for sure, but there WAS a Russian submarine
spotted near there that day (that is, near where it REPORTEDLY
vanished 220 miles off Boston harbor)--only I can't imagine how
even the Russians could CAPTURE a vessel like the Thresher
without leaving the slightest evidence!"

     The following account, concerning an area just east of
BISHOP (OWENS VALLEY), CALIFORNIA, was related by Val Valerian in
his 'LEADING EDGE' Newsletter, Dec. 1989 - Jan. 1990 issue.  The
article, titled: 'DEEP SPRING'S, CALIFORNIA', stated:
     "Deep Springs, California is an area that is becoming known
as the site for very strange events.  According to the
information released both on the air on KVEG-AM and from other
sources, the area is full of strange people wandering around in
black suits.  There have also been rumors that there is an
underground facility in the area.  Checking with gravity anomaly
maps proved that there are large cavities under the ground in
that area.  The wildest claims relative to the area have stated
that alien lifeforms are being released there... Deep Springs
Lake has been probed and it appears bottomless.  Divers have
traveled along an underground river 27 miles toward the Las Vegas
area before having to turn around." (This 'river' would probably
have been a 'partially' water-filled cave with a large stream or
river flowing through it, rather than an entirely underwater
passage, since 27 miles would undoubtedly be entirely out of the
question if it were all underwater travel, with present diving
technology - Branton).

     In the April, 1963 issue of SEARCH Magazine, Will Carson and
Jeannie Joy, in their regular column 'PRYING INTO THE UNKNOWN',
related the following incredible story:
     "It has always been a mystery to us in the first place how
Mr. and Mrs. P.E. can find and afford the time to do the sort of
things most of us only dream of doing.  After knowing them for
more than fifteen years, it is inconceivable to suspect their
integrity or sanity - and yet they impose the following excise
upon our credulity...
     "While exploring for petroglyphs in the Casa Diablo vicinity
of BISHOP, CALIFORNIA, Mr. & Mrs. P.E. came upon a circular hole
in the ground, about nine feet in diameter, which exuded a
sulphurous steam and seemed recently to have been filled with hot
water.  A few feet from the surface the shaft took a tangent
course which looked easily accessible and, upon an impulse with
which we cannot sympathize, the dauntless E.'s, armed only with a
flashlight, forthwith crawled down into that hole.
     "At a depth we've failed to record the oblique tunnel opened
into a horizontal corridor whose dripping walls, now encrusted
with minerals, could only have been carved by human hands,
countless ages ago - of this the E.'s felt certain.  The end of
the short passage was blocked by what seemed to be a huge doorway
of solid rock which, however, wouldn't yield.  The light of their
flash was turned to a corner where water dripped from a
protuberance - which proved to be a delicately carved face,
distorted now by the crystallized minerals, and from whose gaping
mouth water issued.
     "As Mr. and Mrs. E. stood there in silent awe - wondering
what lay behind that immovable door - the strangest thing of all
happened...but our chronology will not be incorrect if we wait
till they return to the surface before revealing this, for now
the water began gushing from the carved mouth and from other
unseen ducts elsewhere in that cave and rising at an alarming
rate!
     "They hurried to the surface, and in less than half an hour
there was only a quite ordinary appearing pool of warm mineral
water on the desert floor.
     "'Do you know,' Mrs. E. said to her husband, 'while I stood
down there I heard music - the strangest, most weird music I'd
ever heard.  But it seemed to come from everywhere at once, or
inside my own head.  I guess it was just my imagination.'
     "Mr. E. turned pale.  'My God,' he said; I thought it was MY
imagination, but I heard it, too - like music from some other
world!'
     "Why do they call that rock formation near where the E's had
their strange experience Casa Diablo - the Devil's house?  And
why did the Indians name that area Inyo - dwelling place of the
great spirit?"

     Erich A. Aggen, Jr., in his article 'TOP SECRET: ALIEN UFO
BASES' (SEARCH Magazine, Summer 1991 issue), presented the
following revelations concerning the UFO-Subterranea connection:
     "...A great deal of UFO research has also led to the
conclusion that various...species of aliens have set up secret
underground bases in the United States and other countries.  It
is logical to assume that such bases have also been established
elsewhere in the solar system.  If such bases exist, where would
we find them?  Existing information allows us to make a few
educated guesses.
     "EARTH BASES: UNDERGROUND - The dark, cavernous world
beneath out feet is the source of many baffling mysteries.
Clandestine UFO bases may be hidden deep within the earth in
natural and/or artificial caverns.  As a former member of the
National Speleological Society (NSS), I am well aware of the vast
extent of cave systems within the United States.  In my own
native state of Missouri, for example, there are over 2,500 known
caves and dozens of new ones being discovered every year.  Many
of these caves are intricately linked together by numerous
passageways and interconnecting chambers.
     "One particular species of blind white (albino) cave fish,
the TYPHLICHTHYS, has been found in many widely separated cave
systems over several states.  It has been found in caves that
make a great arc through Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and UNDER
the Mississippi River extending into Missouri, Arkansas, and
Oklahoma!  A VAST SECTION OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UNITED
STATES MUST LIE ABOVE ONE IMMENSE CAVERN SYSTEM!
     "Many caves possess rooms hundreds of feet in length, width,
and height.  In most cases, these huge natural caverns can only
be reached and explored with the utmost skill and perseverance.
There are only a few thousand NSS members in the United States
and only a few hundred of this number are active spelunkers.
With so few spelunkers spread over such a large area, only a very
small fraction of the tens of thousands of known caves in this
country have been carefully mapped and explored.  Thousands of
other caves remain undiscovered and unexplored.
     "Extensive evidence indicates that caves in the United
States may be connected with caves in other parts of the world.
In Mexico, the cave known as 'Sotano de las Golondrinas', (or)
basement of the  swallows, in the Municipio de Aquismo, S.L.P.,
reaches a depth of 1100 feet (334 meters).  The cave is actually
a giant 'sinkhole' or 'hole' in the ground with a nearly circular
opening at the top, hundreds of feet in diameter.  It is
impossible to climb down the sides of Golondrinas because the
walls of the opening are too smooth and "belled-out".  To reach
the bottom of the cave, a special rope over 1100 feet long must
be secured at the top of the opening and dropped into the
sinkhole.  Explorers must then descend into the yawning hole one
at a time using special cave repelling gear and climbing
techniques.  At the bottom of Sotano de las Golondrinas are
numerous 'leads' or openings to a multiplicity of different
crevices, passages, crawlways, and rooms which have never been
mapped or investigated.
     "The entrance to Golondrinas is located in one of the most
primitive and uncivilized areas of Mexico and local inhabitants
are afraid to approach the cave because they believe it is full
of 'evil spirits' which lure people to their deaths.  They tell
stories of people mysteriously disappearing never to be heard
from again while passing near the cave entrance.  These stories
may be based more on fact than fiction: they are similar in some
respects to UFO abduction reports.  Because of its huge size,
remote location, and unique geological structure, Golondrinas
would be an ideal UFO base.  Naturally camouflaged caves in other
parts of the world may serve as excellent natural bases, way
stations, and 'depots' for UFOs.
     "An underground nuclear test called the 'Schooner
Experiment' conducted in December, 1968, substantiates the theory
that caves in North and South America are intimately linked.  In
this test, a 35-kiloton nuclear bomb was exploded under the
desert of Nevada.  Five days after the test, the radiation level
rose from 10 to 20 times in Canada, 1000 miles away from the
Nevada test site!  The only way the radioactive dust could have
traveled that far is through an interconnected system of caves
extending all the way from Nevada to Canada!"

     Bourke Lee, in his book 'DEATH VALLEY MEN' (MacMillan Co.,
N.Y. 1932), chapter: "Old Gold", describes a conversation which
he had several years ago with a small group of Death valley
residents.  The conversation had eventually turned to the subject
of Paihute Indian legends.  At one point two of the men, Jack and
Bill, described their experience with an 'underground city' which
they claimed to have discovered after one of them had fallen
through the bottom of an old mine shaft near Wingate Pass.  They
found themselves in a natural underground cavern which they
claimed to have followed about 20 miles north into the heart of
the Panamint Mountains.  To their amazement, they allegedly found
themselves in an huge, ancient, underground cavern city.  They
claimed that they discovered within the city several perfectly
preserved 'mummies', which wore thick arm bands, wielded gold
spears, etc.  The city had apparently been abandoned for ages,
except for the mummies, and the entire underground system looked
very ancient.  It was formerly lit, they found out by accident,
by an ingenious system of lights fed by subterranean gases.  They
claimed to have seen a large, polished "round table" which looked
as if it may have been part of an ancient council chamber, giant
statues of solid gold, stone vaults and "drawers" full of gold
bars and gemstones of all kinds, heavy stone "wheelbarrows" which
were perfectly balanced and scientifically-constructed so that a
child could use them, huge stone doors which were almost
perfectly balanced by counter-weights, and other incredible
sights.
     They also claimed to have followed the caverns upwards to a
higher level which ultimately opened out onto the face of the
Panamints, about half-way up the eastern slope, in the form of a
few ancient tunnel-like quays.  They realized that the valley
below was once under water and they eventually came to the
conclusion that the arched openings were ancient 'docks' for sea
vessels.  They could allegedly see Furnace Creek Ranch and Wash
far below them.  They told Bourke Lee that they had brought some
of the treasure out of the caverns and tried to set up a deal
with certain people, including scientists associated with the
Smithsonian Institute, in order to gain help to explore and
publicize the city as one of the 'wonders of the world'.  These
efforts ended in disappointment however when a 'friend' of theirs
stole the treasure (which was also the evidence) and they were
scoffed at and rejected by the scientists when they went to show
them the 'mine' entrance and could not find it.  A recent cloud-
burst, they claimed, had altered and rearranged the entire
countryside and the landscape did not look like it had been
before.  When Lee last heard from the two men, Bill and Jack,
they were preparing to climb the east face of the Panamints to
locate the ancient tunnel openings or quays high up the side of
the steep slope.  Bourke Lee never did see or hear from his
friends ever again.
     During the lengthy conversation wherein they first revealed
the secret of the underground city to Lee and others, the
discussion turned to the topic of a Paihute Indian legend that
they had heard which was remarkably similar to an ancient
Grecian myth.  The Paihute legend concerned a tribal chief whose
wife had died, and who according to the tradition took a
spiritual journey to the underworld to find her, and upon
returning with her he 'looked back' and as this was forbidden he
was not allowed to bring his wife back with him from the dead.
This would not be the same as the more tangible story related in
an earlier file, as told by the Navaho Oga-Make, concerning a
Paihute chief who was allegedly PHYSICALLY taken into the
underground cities of the Hav-musuvs deep below the Panamints.
After this legend was referred to, the conversation turned to a
discussion of an alleged subterranean race, who were believed to
inhabit very deep caverns far below the Death Valley area.
Paihute legends of the "Hav-musuvs" indicate that these ancient
dwellers of the Panamints abandoned the ancient city within the
mountain itself and migrated to deeper and larger caverns below.
Could the following story tie-in with the Paihute legends of the
Hav-musuvs?  We will enter the conversation with the following
discourse from Bourke Lee:
     "...The professor and Jack and Bill sat in the little canvas
house in Emigrant Canyon and heard the legend all the way
through.  The professor said, 'That story, in its essentials, is
the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.'
     "'Yes,' I said.  'It's also a Paiute legend.  Some Indians
told that legend to John Wesley Powell in the sixties.'
     "'That's very interesting,' said the professor.  'It's so
close a parallel to Orpheus and Eurydice that the story might
well have been lifted bodily from the Greeks.'
     "Jack said, 'I wouldn't be surprised.  I knew a Greek.  I
forgot his name, but he ran a restaurant in almost every mining
town I ever was in.  He was an extensive wanderer.  The Greeks
are great travelers.'
     "Bill said, 'They don't mean restaurant Greeks.  The Greeks
they're talken about have been dead for thousands of years.'
     "'What of it?' asked Jack, 'maybe the early Greeks was great
travelers, too.'
     "The professor said, 'It's very interesting.'
     "'Now!  About that tunnel,' said Bill, with his forehead
wrapped in a frown.  'You said this Indian went through a tunnel
into a strange country, didn't you?'
     "'Yes,' I said.  'I think I called it a cave or a cavern,
but I suppose a miner would call it a tunnel.  Why?'
     "'Here's a funny thing,' said Bill.  'This Indian trapper
livin right across the canyon has a story about a tunnel, an it's
not a thousand years old either.  Tom Wilson told me that his
grandfather went through this tunnel and disappeared.  He was
gone three years, an when he came back he said he'd been in a
strange country livin among strange people.  That tunnel is
supposed to be somewhere in the Panamints not awful far from
where we're sitten.  Now!  What do you make of that?'
     "Jack said, 'I think Tom's grandfather was an awful liar.'
     "I said, 'Tom's grandfather lived when the Paiutes were
keeping their tribal lore alive.  He probably knew the old
legend.  Powell heard it in Nevada only sixty-five years ago.'
     "'It's very interesting,' said the professor.
     "'I got an idea about it,' said Bill, thoughtfully.  'Tom's
grandfather might have wandered into some tunnel all goofy from
chewen jimson weed and then come out an found some early whites
an stayed with them.  Tom told me that the people spoke a queer
language and ate food that was new to his grandfather an wore
leather clothes.  They had horses and they had gold.  It might
have been a party in Panamint Valley, or even early explorers or
early settlers in Owens Valley.  How about that?'
     "Jack said, 'Yeah.  The Spaniards was in here, too.  So it
might have been Spaniards or the early Greeks.  And, where is
this tunnel?  And why did Tom's grandfather have trouble speaking
the language?  This is an entirely different story than the one
Buck told.  We are arriving at no place at all with these Indians
and Greeks... To return for a moment to our discussion of
geology, professor; have you been in Nevada much?'"
     From here the conversation took off in an entirely new
direction...

     Some years ago a woman by the name of Joan Howard, at the
time living in eastern Canada although originally from Britain,
wrote a manuscript in which she described her own paranormal
experiences with small "alien" entities.  Joan had experienced
several UFO-type 'abduction-encounters' while at a very young age
when she still lived in Britain, and claimed to have had
'psychic' contact with beings that claimed to be of
extraterrestrial origin.  These experiences were accompanied by a
great deal of occultic manifestations such as poltergeist
phenomena, psychic dreams, encounters with invisible entities,
etc.  Joan even admitted that she often doubted the claims of
these 'beings', that their actions were manipulative and just
didn't seem to coincide with their claims that they were here as
some kind of group of cosmic saviors to lead humanity into a New
Age of enlightenment.  She also warned other researchers to
retain a "keen, analytical mind" when dealing with alien entities
so as not to fall under possible deception or manipulation.
Perhaps, as she suggested to others, they might actually be here
to prepare for a future invasion of this planet and were merely
using her for various purposes to help prepare the way, and that
all of their 'benevolence' talk was just that... talk!  She DID
describe vivid "dreams" in which she saw alien craft hovering
over major cities blasting frightened and terrified people in the
streets with powerful beam weapons, dreams which she suggested
might be somewhat prophetic in nature.  She described the
entities as being small or dwarfish, yet was unsure whether they
were human or not, although they DID attempt to pass themselves
off as some type of evolved human species, something which the
'grays' have apparently done in order to break down any natural
enmity which might prevent their 'contactees' or 'abductees' from
receiving the lies which they intentionally fed them as part of
their program of conquest and control.
     Joan Howard, incidentally, wrote a privately published book,
titled "THE SPACE - OR SOMETHING - CONNECTION".  We refer to it
here because it dealt with some experiences which she, or rather
her husband, had shortly after she came to America.  In fact she
devoted an entire chapter to her husbands account, which involved
some incidents that took place while he was doing some field work
for a certain company, which required a great deal of activity in
the out-of-doors.  During his employment with this company,
'they' (he and his co-workers) had to travel through some
relatively unpopulated terrain in West Virginia, particularly in
the regions between Newville in Braxton county, and Helvetia in
Randolph county, or rather the general region in and around the
northern part of Webster county.
     During their travels through the forests and wilderness, and
the rolling hills-mountains of West Virginia, he had encountered
some very strange things, and heard accounts of strange cave-
related incidents from the locals.  At one point, he claimed,
their group ran across what appeared to be a pipe sticking up
from the ground far from the nearest town.  There was no other
sign of civilization or anything manmade for miles on either
side, yet here was this large pipe or tube sticking straight up
from the ground.  But the most remarkable thing was that a flame
was shooting out of the pipe as if it were burning some type of
gas.  They never found out just what it was.  Also, in this same
general area, they explored caverns which contained some very
strange things.  One of the caverns had strange hieroglyphic-like
writing on it's walls, and others claimed that they heard what
sounded like faint voices and sounds like machines moving
underground coming as if from beyond the walls of the caverns, or
from their unexplored depths.  Two men, he claimed, bedded down
one night in front of a certain cave which contained a very deep,
unexplored chasm some ways inside.  The next morning one of the
men woke up and found that his partner had disappeared, and no
trace was ever found of him.  This particular cave by the way had
been known as a place of unusual happenings, and a place to stay
away from.  Some even went so far as to call it 'Satan's Lair'.
Whatever the case may be, it may provide an answer to the man's
disappearance.  One of the most remarkable accounts that Joan's
husband heard involved a man who claimed that, while exploring
the labyrinthine depths of a particular cavern in the area, he
had suddenly come face to face with a woman.  She was attractive
yet completely void of hair (such as someone who might have been
subjected to radiation poisoning?).  The woman, who spoke a
language completely foreign to the man, tried for some time to
communicate.  After they found that they were not getting
anywhere, they departed and went their separate ways.

     According to an item which appeared in THE LEADING EDGE
Magazine, a well-known Los Angeles talk show host by the name of
Ken Hudnell announced over the air on November 3rd, 1989, his
intention to take a group to visit one of the ancient underground
cities, which he says has an entrance 60 miles from Anaheim,
California.

     In 1962, a researcher by the name of Chuck Edwards released
some of his own discoveries concerning the 'Western Subsurface
Drainage Network' which seems to cover parts of Utah, Nevada, and
Southern California, where are located many drainage systems
which do not ultimately flow into the Pacific ocean (via surface
rivers, that is), but instead made their way underground into a
vast subterranean drainage system.  His letter appeared in issue
A-8 of 'THE HIDDEN WORLD', one of the few specialized
publications which grew out of the Palmer-Shaver controversy of
the late 1940's.  We quote Mr. Edwards' comments here in part
(Note; These comments are addressed in a letter to Richard S.
Shaver):

     "This letter is in reply to your January 31 letter.  Please
forgive me for not answering sooner.  Enclosed is some material I
hope that you can glean something of value (from).  Please be as
candid as you have been in the past and if I am far off base
don't hesitate to tell me...
     "Our foundation has located a vast system of underground
passages in the Mother Lode country of California.  They were
first discovered in 1936, ignored by all even with our best
efforts to reveal them.  Recently a road crew blasted out an
opening verifying our claims.  ONE (of the chambers is) 200 feet
long, 70 feet wide and 50 feet high.  We have disclosed what we
believe to be a vast subterranean drainage system (probably
traversing the Great American Desert country for a distance of
more than 600 miles).  We believe this system extends out like
five fingers of your hand to such landmarks as Zion Canyon in
Utah, the Grand Canyon, another runs south from the Carson Sink
in Nevada and yet another follows (below) the western slope of
the same range, joining it's counterpart and ending somewhere in
the Mojave Desert.  We believe, contrary to orthodox geologists,
that the existence of this underground system drains all surface
waters running into Nevada (none, with the exception of the
Armagosa runs out) and accounts for the fact that it is a Great
American Desert.  The hairy creatures that you have written about
have been seen in several of these areas.  Certainly there has
been much 'saucer' activity in these parts.  For two years I have
collected material pertinent to these creatures and if you have
any opinions along these lines I would appreciate hearing them.
     "So much for now.  I hope that I am still your friend.  Much
of my time has been devoted (to) helping a farmer near Portland
who has made a fantastic discovery of incredible stone artifacts.
He has several tons of them.  They predate anything yet found (or
accepted) let us say that for now.  We are making slow but steady
progress in getting through the wall of orthodoxy. - Chuck
Edwards."

     Still another possible area in the Mojave Desert region
which may connect to this subsurface network involved 'Iron
Mountain', one of the peaks in the El Paso Mountains northeast of
Mojave, California.  There are many bizarre accounts connected
with this mountain, which apparently got it's name in part from
the many old mines which can be found there, along with numerous
natural cavities which open out to the surface in many different
areas.  The area has allegedly been the site of certain activity
concerning native American Indian occult practices, as well as
the site of alleged secret government activity, some of which
reportedly involves the observation and monitoring of strange
creatures and/or automatons which are said to emerge from the
area on certain occasions.  Just exactly what these 'creatures'
are is uncertain, but some accounts indicate that they are
dangerous!  Could it also be a 'magnetic' zone due to the high
iron content?

     Following the Sierra Nevada range from here into the
northern territories, one arrives at the Cascade Range,
consisting mostly of dormant or extinct volcanic mountains which
rise at intervals through northern California, Oregon and
Washington and into southwestern Canada.
     The Cascade Range is not without it's own peculiar accounts
of subterranean recesses occupied by unknown beings, both human
and non-human, who apparently re-discovered what apparently are
parts of ancient antediluvian subsurface networks, which were at
one time inhabited by a race of highly technological (through
extremely violent and warlike) beings, perhaps both human AND
reptilian!?  There are many unanswered questions as to just how
the subsurface world was used, or exactly what part it played, in
relation to these ancient subterranean races, but the following
account may explain some of these mysteries and help us to see
the entire 'picture' more clearly.
     Some years ago a man by the name of Ralph B. Fields
submitted the following account to AMAZING STORIES Magazine (Dec.
1946 issue, pp. 155-157), with the assurance that it was true and
actually happened.  However, we must be cautious of every tale of
this type which might be presented yet at the same time not deny
the possibility of it happening as well.  We will leave the
reader to draw their own conclusions concerning the account,
which we quote as follows:
     "In beginning this narrative and the unexplained events that
befell my friend and myself, I offer no explanation, nor do I
even profess to offer any reason.  In fact, I have yet to find a
clue that will, even in part, offer any explanation whatever.
Yet as it did happen, there must be some rhyme or reason to the
whole thing.  It may be that someone can offer some helpful
information to a problem that just should not exist in these
times of enlightenment.
     "To begin with, if we had not been reading an article in a
magazine telling us about the great value of guano (i.e. bat
droppings in old caves, which are said to be extremely effective
as a fertilizer - Branton) that have accumulated over a great
number of years, we would have continued to wend our merry way
through life without ever having a thing to worry about.
     "But having read the article as we were at the time living
near a small town called Manten in Tehama County, California, we
thought that that would be a good country to explore for a
possible find to this kind.  After talking it over for some time
and as we had plenty of time just then, we decided to take a
little trip up the country just back of us.  As we were almost at
the foot of Mount Lassen, that seemed the best place to conduct
our little prospecting tour.
     "So collecting a light camping outfit, together with a
couple of tents to sleep in, we started out on what we expected
to be a three- or four-day jaunt up the mountain.
     "I guess we covered about ten or twelve miles on the third
day and it was fast approaching time to begin to look for a place
to spend the night and the thought was not very amusing as it had
turned a little colder and we were well over 7,000 feet above sea
level.
     "We soon found a sheltered place beneath a large outcrop of
rock and set about making a camp.  As I was always the cook and
Joe the chore boy, I began getting things ready to fix us some
grub and Joe began digging around for some dead scrub brush to
burn.  I had things all ready and looked around for Joe and his
firewood.  But I could see no signs of him.  I began calling for
him and he soon came into sight from around the very rock where
we were making our camp.  And I knew he was laboring under some
great excitement and his face was lit up like a Christmas tree.
     "He had found a cave.  The entrance was on the other side of
that very rock.  He was all for exploration right away.  But I
argued that we had better wait till morning.  But he argued that
in a cave it was always night and we would have to use
flashlights anyway, so what would be the difference?  Well, we
finally decided that we would give it at least a once-over after
we had a bite to eat.
     "It wasn't much to call a cave at first as it had a very
small entrance, but back about 20 feet it widened out to about 10
feet wide and around eight feet high.  And it did reach back a
considerable distance as we would see at least 100 yards and it
appeared to bend off to the left.  The floor sloped slightly
down.
     "We followed to the bend and again we could see a long way
ahead and down.
     "At this point we became a little afraid as we were some way
into the mountain.  The idea of being inside so far seemed to
make us a little afraid.  But we reasoned that inasmuch as there
were no branches or connecting caves we could not get lost and
therefore had nothing to be afraid of.  So we went on.
     "We found no sign of anything that we could imagine to be
our much sought guano nor signs of any animals being inside the
cave.
     "I don't know how far we went, but it must have been a mile
or two, as we kept on walking and the cave never changed it's
contour or size.  Noticing this I mentioned it to Joe.  And we
discovered an amazing thing.  The floor seemed to be worn smooth
as though it had been used for a long time as a path or road.
The walls and ceiling of the cave seemed to be cut like a tunnel.
It was solid rock and we knew that no one would cut a tunnel
there out of rock as there had been no sign of mining operations
(tailings).  And the rock in the walls and ceiling was run
together like it had been melted.  Or fused from a great heat.
     "While we were busy examining the cave in general, Joe swore
he saw a light way down in the cave.  We started down the cave
once more and found a light.  Or should I say the light found us
as it was suddenly flashed into our faces.  We stood there
blinded by it for a minute until I flashed my light at it's
source and saw we were confronted by three men.
     "These men looked to be about 50 or a little younger.  They
were dressed in ordinary clothing such as is worn by most working
men in the locality.  Levi type pants and flannel shirts and wool
coats.  They wore no hats.  But THEIR SHOES LOOKED STRANGE AS
THEIR SOLES WERE SO THICK that they gave the impression of being
made of wood. (John Keel's book 'THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES'
describes men who were seen wearing THICK-SOLED shoes in
connection to MIB reports - Branton)

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