Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-04-18
MINERAL POINT, WIS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL IS. 1855.

from the entrance is the church, which is
slxty-three feet In height and about one
hundred feet In diameter. in which there
is natural pulpit and large gallery for
a choir. Sermons have been preached
here, and wedding ceremony was once
performed. Still further on is the Giants
Coffin, which is of stone and looks exactly
like menstrous coffin. Over it is the
antenter. black incrustation on the
white wall. Objects are quite common in
some parts of the cave, resembling often.
beasts, birds, men, trees, &c. Near here
is a row of houses, built for consumptiye
patients, who formerly resided in the cave.
hoping to be benefited by its pure, in
vlgorating air; but it proved of little
avail. We passed down the Steps of
Time, through the Deserted Chamber and
saw the Covered Pit, the Side Saddle Pit.
and the Bottomless Pit The last is
| rightly named A frail bridge is thrown
across this deep ravine, and one fairly
shudders as he stands on the bridge and
drops lighted paper to see it 60 down,
down, down, into unknown depths below.
Goran's Dome is well worthy Of notice.
1t is not wide but quite high, perhaps two
hundred feet One side of the rock re-
sembles curtain lying in folds, and SO
striking is the illusion that one uncon-
sciously looks upward to see to what it is
fastened Just before reaching the dome,
the guide and left the party, and going
another way through very low, narrow
passage, reached the opposite side of the
dome He lighted Bengal light, and a
more beautiful sight, it seems to me- |
never saw. The sides OF the futed walls
and the yawning gulf; the first towering
to an indefinite height, the other descend
ing to where it seemed no soundiugs could
be reached-wbile on one side this curtain
with its exquisitely wrought drapery and
graceful folds reflected the various colors
of the Bengal light-made an impression
upon my mind that will not easily be eff.
faced The Star Chamber is considered
by all visitors as one of the greatest OBJ
jects of curiosity in the cave. It is a
magnificent long hall, with perpendicular
arches on either side and fat ceiling
This last is of dark lime stone, studded
with innumerable sparkling substances
resembling stars. The illusion is perfect;
one can hardly realize that he is not look
ing into the blue vault of heaven Here
the guide takes our lights, and by little
maneuvering, produces quite an artistic
effect. The sky is overcast with clouds.
and the stars are hid from view, but as
the clouds pass on, the stars again appear,
and the heavens are as bright as before
Now a comet appears with its long tail,
and now the light from the rising moon is
seen from behind some jutting crag. The
Gothic Chapel is rightly named 1t is
not as high, but otherwise bears quite a
striking resem blance to some of our ca
thedrals 1t is. however, much more
beautiful when illuminated, especially by |
a Bengal light. The next object of in !
terest was the Devils Arm Chair, in |
which | took seat, of course then |
comes Napoleon's Breast Work, the Ele- |
plants Head, Lovers Leap, Gatewood's |
Dining Table, the Cinder Banks, the |
Crystal Pool, Napoleon's Dome and an !
innumerabse number of other objects of |
interest, of which time would fail me to |
speak more We returned to daylight |
just in time for supper, having walked |
about, under ground, six miles.
Tomorrow we expect to cross the river, |
and 90 to the other end of the cave, which |
is nine miles from its mouth At half
past seven o'clock next morning, we start
ed for another tramp under ground We
were this day under the guidance of both
Nick and Albert, and our company was
increased by gentleman from the east
ern part of the State. Our journey this
day, lay through the Winding Way, or
Fat Mans Misery, and it is difficult to
conceive any thing more distressing to a
feshy man than sight of this Winding
Way 1t is one hundred and five feet in
length eighteen inches in width. and from
five to seven feet in depth, and so very
zig gag throughout its whole length, that
it was with difficulty that "a man you
know of slender proportions) could force
my way through Then came The Tall
Mans Misery, and the Vale of Humility,
and such it truly was to me, for it brought
me down almost on my knees; but Relief
Hall was soon reached, however, where,
after Strengthening my limbs and rubbing
my joints, [ was ready to 60 on. The
Bacon Chamber is aptly named. 1t has
low ceiling clustered with hams and
shoulders, looking, for all the world like
the interior of well-flled smoke house.
Near here are a multitude of domes, the
largest of which is Mammoth Dome
l.
more than foatr hundred feet. and is con-
sidered one of the most magnificent OBJ
iects in the world.
But we must hasten on to the river
In River Hall on our left is the Dead
Sea Looking over steep preclplce,
broad sheet of water is seen eighty feet
below. The first river we come to is the
Styx, which our party crossed by the
Natural Bridge, several feet above the
water This river is the smallest in the
cave, which, after having crossed, we
walked over pile of large rocks and soon
found ourselves on the shores of the
Lethe We here took boat and descen-
ded the river about one fourth of a mile
Throughout the whole distance the cell
ing is about fifty feet in height. On land
ing. lofty and level hall is entered.
which is called the Great Walk, and ex-