BILLA SURGAM 3: Cathedral Cave
15.434200,78.186400
Description
The most southernly and most voluminous part of the Billa Surgam complex is formed by a roofed bend in the meander of the partly underground »cañons« (FOOTE 1884a: 28) of the Billa Surgam cave complex (KENNEDY 1977: 101). The murky lateral niche or »apse« (FOOTE 1885: 233) has been christened »Cathedral Cave« (FOOTE 1884b: 201) as it is characterised by an about 10 m wide and 15 m high »enormous mass« (FOOTE 1884b: 201) of speleothems (stalagmites and stalactites in a senile state of formation) in twilight and hence was called the »High Altar« (FOOTE 1884b: 201). At the base of the southern wall commences the recently (April-May 1884) excavated »Corridor« (FOOTE 1885: 228), a fully dark (aphotic) and horizontal cave passage which leads 10 m south and then intersects at least 20 m of east-west trending cave passage christened »Fairy Cave« (FOOTE 1885: 228) due to its having contained a fragile occurrence of helictites, which had been described as »a perfect forest of most beautiful little stalactites, some forming delicate little pillars, others branching off into tree-like forms as ramified as the most elaborate corals« (Henry Bruce Foote in FOOTE, R B 1885: 228). Needless to say that these fragile helictites were fully »explored« in the sense of entirely destroyed. ETYMOLOGY: FOOTE (1884b: 201): »The Cathedral Cave contains many more stalactites and stalagmites [speleothems] than any of the others [of the three subdivisions of the Billa Surgam cave complex] and a great part of its eastern end is filled with an enormous mass, composed of both forms of the deposit [note 1], to which the name of the "High Altar" was given from its great resemblance to the sanctuary in a Roman Catholic Cathedral.« PRASAD & YADAGIRI (1986 for 1980-1981: 72) mislead with stating that one »Bruce Foote [either Robert B. Foote or his son Henry B. Foote] named these caves from east to west [sic!] as Charnel House, Purgatory Cave, Cathedral Cave and Chapter House. The Cathedral Cave happens to be the best developed cave among the Billa Surgam group of caves, where a Huge stalagmite growth is seen. To this enchanting piece, Bruce Foote gave the name of High Altar.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1885: FOOTE, R B (1885: 228): »The second series of excavations made [during 1884 December and 1885 May] in the Cathedral cave was much less easy to effect than the first, as he [Henry Bruce Foote] had to contend with great masses of hard stalagmite, much of which had to be blasted, while the rest was broken up with cold chisels. The excavation of the whole area of the Cathedral cave was effected to a depth of 16 feet [4.9 m], and in the southern corner a wide shaft was sunk to a further depth of 21 feet [6.4 m], making a total of 37 feet [11.28 m] from the original surface [note 2]. The sinking of this shaft revealed the existence of a passage opening from the south. This passage, to which the name of the "Corridor" was given, was followed up, and at a distance of 55 feet [16.76 m] southward of its mouth was found to lead into another larger passage running east and west. On the south side of this east and wet passage, and opposite to the mouth of the Corridor, another passage was found running south apparently, but for want of time was not excavated. The east and west passage formed a domed chamber, measuring, before the excavation of its floor commenced, 25 feet by 12 feet [7.62 m by 3.65 m], with a height of ten feet [3.05 m] in the centre. A large fine stalactite hung from the centre, and below it was a large mass of stalagmite crust from 1/2 to 1 inch [1.3 cm to 2.54 cm] thick over the floor of the chamber. At the eastern extremity of the chamber the roof of the cave sloped down to about 2 feet [0.61 m] from the floor, and here occurred "a perfect forest of most beautiful little stalactites, some forming delicate little pillars, others branching off into tree-like forms as ramified as the most elaborate corals." To this chamber Lieutenant [Henry Bruce] Foote gave the name of the "Fairy Chamber" after the beautiful little cave at Caldy, in Pembrokeshire, so graphically described by Professor Boyd Dawkins in "Cave-hunting." The western end of the "Fairy Chamber" was filled with cave earth, which proved very rich in good specimens, as did also that in the "Corridor". The atmosphere in the Fairy Chamber was extremely close and steamy, and it was impossible to be in it for many seconds without being bathed in perspiration.« FOOTE, R B (1885: 233): »Of the streams which filled the Cathedral, one flowed in from the east, entering the apse close to the north side of the high altar, the other entered from the south through the Corridor. It is not improbable that another passage entered the apse of the Cathedral from the south-east, but is now hidden by the great stalagmitic mass of the high altar.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1906: »The Cathedral cave contained masses of stalagmite at the sides, and the relics of a floor in the shape of irregular blocks …« (LOGAN 1906: 38).
NOTE 1: The »both forms« (FOOTE 1884b: 201) of speleothems include 1st) stalagmites, 2nd) stalactites, and 3rd) stalagnates.NOTE 2: »The thickness of the sediments in the Billa Surgam group appears to be more than 10 m as evidenced by the excavations of Henry Bruce Foote, who dug to a depth of 9.7 m in the Cathedral Cave and to 9.0 m in the Charnel House Cave, without touching the bottom in either cave« (MURTY 1974: 196).
Documents
Bibliography 24/03/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1884: During »early in March … till the end of May« (FOOTE, R B 1884b: 200), »Mr. Henry Foote commenced systematic excavation about a month before the end of his time« (FOOTE, R B 1884b: 201). Henry B Foote narrates how he »… could not at first work in it, owing to the numerous swarms of bees which occupied it, but after destroying their nests twice, they retired up the cliff to a safe height, and I commenced work in one corner of the cave, under an overhanging piece of the wall which, being the only place the sun could not reach in the afternoo, was the most suitable for human habitation. … Having cleared away the bats' dung, which was about a yard in thickness, I commeneced to excavate the beautifully stratifed cave earth …« (FOOTE, R B 1884b: 201). 1884.12 - 1885.05: »The second series of excavations made in the Cathedral cave was much less easy to effect than the first« (FOOTE, R B 1885: 228).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | BILLA SURGAM 2: Purgatory Cave | ||
| 0.1 | BILLA SURGAM 1: Charnel House | ||
| 0.1 | BILLA SURGAM 5: North Chapel | ||
| 0.1 | BILLA SURGAM: U-SHAPED CAVE | ||
| 0.1 | BILLA SURGAM 4: South Chapel | ||
| 0.1 | BILLA SURGAM, cave under present study | ||
| 0.1 | BILLA SURGAM 6: Chapter House | ||
| 0.3 | BILLA SURGAM | ||
| 1.1 | KOTTALA POLIMERA GAVI |