The following story appeared on pages 54-55 of the same book:
“…Apparently such tunnels into the subsurface exist elsewhere in the world besides Brazil. In fact, one letter on file with us comes from Prof. W. Wiers of Mexico, who tells us that he knew Prof. Schwartz who had made a long study of cave problems, starting when he was 15 years old in Germany.
“According to Prof. Wiers, just before the beginning of the second world war, both the axis and allied powers were interested in using various caves as supply bases, and for many military applications.
“Prof. Schwartz at one time had stated that he knew of a Nazi who had come upon an ‘enormous circular pit’ (in Brazil? – Branton) whose sides dropped straight down for a good 1200 feet. Trees could be seen growing tall and straight below. Eagles soared around, and then dived to the center of the bottom, apparently to eat something. Since the sides were dangerously steep the Nazis had to content himself with using binoculars instead of descending into this world himself.
“Returning later with others he eventually discovered a similar but much narrower bore, or shaft, not far from the first, which was so big that it could not be hidden in any way. Not having cable or apparatus with which to let down a man in the seemingly bottomless shaft, they let down a pencil attached to a rope. To their surprise, the cord, when drawn back up was found to be cut clean, as with a knife, or scissors – and the pencil was gone. Of course, they all resolved to come back to study this pit further but the war prevented their doing so.
“The location of this shaft is supposedly in northern Guatemala. Near the place is a witch doctor, friendly to Prof. Schwartz, who assured the professor that there is a secret passage, closed by a revolving rock door, which goes to the still enormous chamber which is still below the vast roof cave-in seen from above.”
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