Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-10-21


ed; aud now it was so rough, broken
and low, that we had to stoop as we sal
in our boat in order to pass under it
We did not pass rapidly down this
stream None Of US were in a hurry
We seemed scarcely to belong to this
driving, go.ahead world. Now shou,
echoed wildly and magnificently through
the rocky chambers; and now we sat
entranced while one Of our company
a splendid musician, sang some beauti-
ful song-never as beautiful as now,
when it echoed and re.echoed along
these walls, and died away in the dark
ness that our dim lamps could not pen
citrate. This river. too, is most appro-
priately named. The echoes are most
perfect and beautiful. We experiment.
ed in a great variety of ways, singing
alone and in concert, shouting, whist.
ling, clipping our hands, and finally, the
whole company sung "Ortonville."-
But there was one thing more impress
Isive than all ,hese-and that was silence!
We sat in our boat as quietly as posi-
bic, no one speaking or moving for some
time; and the stiffness and the darkness
by which we were surrounded were SOL
emn and awful beyond all description.
We were deep in the bowels of the
earth-I know not how many feet be-.
low its surface-but SO low that no ray
Of light from the sun had ever penetra-
ted its depths, and no voice of loudest
thunder had ever wax ed an echo there.
The silence was perfect save the sound
of breathing which each one tried to
suppress, and the throbbing ofour hearts
that
"Still like mufled drums were beating,
Funeral marches to tho grave"
God spoke in that stiffness with a
voice such as | had never heard before.
| had never before so realized how aw-
fully impressive were darkness and 81
lence. / had entirely now ideas Of the
awful solitude Of that period when the
'ear,h was without form and void, and
darkness was upon the face Of the
deep ...' --....-.... .a.a.
| On getting beyond this river, we en-
tered region Of avenues, Of incredible,
lifnot Of ofinterminable length, which have
been discovered within the last twelve
or fifteen years One ofthe first Of these
lis called 'Siliman Avenue in honor Of
\ Prof. Siliman, who, has made a very
Thorough exploration ofthe Cave This
avenue is mile and a.half long, about
three rods wide, and has various inter-
esting features which ] have not time to
notice. At the termination Of this ave-
|nue, the Cave widens into large room,
several rods wide and some fifty or six
lty feet high, which is called 'Ole Bulls
| Concert Room from the fact that this
musician gave a free concert there to
the visitors who were at the Cave at the
time ofhis visit. fN a....
Beyond this room, we entered an av:
'enue two miles long, called the Pass OF
Ell Gor.' This is an exceedingly une-
ven and rocky avenue, leading, by a
most circuitous path, up and down great
piles Of rock, along most rugged and
desolate way. near deep holes and fss-
ures in the rocks, until at length we
come 10 o fine sulphur spring called
.Hebe's SPRING which we found quite
refreshing. Here, through narrow
opening in the rocks, we climb ladder
eighteen feet high, and find scene that
abundau,ly compensates for the rough
walk we have taken to reach it. On
reaching the top Of this ladder we find
ourselves in 'Martha's Vinsyard.'-
Here is vast room, the sides Of which
are covered over with formation re.
sembling grapes. They hang on the
wall above, plump, round and perfect in
4 form, and in the greatest profnsion.-
They are so solid and hard that it is
difficult to break off fany Of the clusters,
and are said to be formed by the drip
ping of the water through the rocks
Near the head of the ladder there is a
iuo representation of a vine, Of solid
rock, running along the wall; and appa'
renlly connected with this vine, there
are seemingly cartloads of these rocky
grapes. Our guide illumined the Vine.
Yard with one Of his Bengal lights, and
1.-The view was magnificent. 1.f" '.
i Going OH from this point thro' 'Elin.
dos Avenue aud Washington Hall,
we reached another Of the remarkable
rooms of the Cave, called the Snowfall
ROOM The Cave is here about 100
feet wide, 10 or Is feet high; and the
ceiling quite even and beautifully arch
ed. Nature has here played most fan
tastic tricks. know of no SO good a
way to describe this room. as 10 say that
lis walls and ceiling overhead look like
. the end of some building that score o
E school.boys have completely covered o
yer with snowballs. We examined these
. formations for some time with our lamps
and then Alfred gave US the benefit O
an illumination. But of its appearance
when thus lighted up, | will attempt nc
r description. .ra @ p.