Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-06-22


Is really an end of the cave, any more
than an end of the earth. Notwith-
standing the ground we have ,Iav-
ersed, we had left many vast avenues
UNEMPLOYED, and careful search
would no doubt lead TO further dis
coyeries.
We retraced our steps slowly along
Elindo avenue, stopping every few
minutes to take last look at the
bowers Of fairy blossoms. After
reaching Wasbugton's Hall we no.
,iced that the air was no longer still,
but was blowing fresh and cool in
our faces. Stephen observed it also
and said: "rhere has been
heavy rain outside" Entering the
pass Of FL Ghor again at Martha's
Vineyard we walked rapidly forward
without making halt TO its terminal
ton a, Sillimon's avenue. The dis
lance is reckoned by the guides at
a little more than a mile and a half,
and we were Just forty minutes in
walking it. We several times felt
fatigue, especially when passing the
rougher parts of the cave, but the sem
sation always passed away in some
unacountable manner, leaving us
fresh and buoyant. Tie crossing Of
the rivers was accomplished with
some labor but without accident.
accompanied Stephen on bis return
through the second arch of Echo
River. As | sat alone in the PROV,
gliding under the low vaults of rock
and over the silent, transparent dark
ness of the mysterious stream,
could hear the tones OF my boatman's
voice gliding down the caverns like a
wave, flowing more and more family
until its vibrations were too weak TO
move the ear. Thus, as he sang there
were frequently three or four notes,
, each distinctly audible, floating away
at different degrees of renoteness.
, space Of eighteen inches between the
/, water and the rock. We lay down
on our backs in the muddy bottom OF
The boat and squeezed through to The
middle branch of Echo River, where
we found the rest Of the party, who
had gone round through Purgatory.
After again threading Fat Mans
Misery, passing the Bo,tomless Pit
and the deserted chambers, we at last
emerged into the Main Avenue at the
Giants Coffin. Ii was 6 O'Clock and
, we had been ten hours in the cave,
, but as my party proposed leaving on
, The morrow, | determined to push
my Journey little further and TO visit
{ the Chief City at the end OF the Main
, Avenue. This was the principal OBJ
! ject Of curiosity before the discovery
{ of the rivers, but is now rarely'visited.
, | took leave Of the party, and with
= Stephen for guide started off alone.
e We passed the Star Chamber, beyond
4 which no path has been cleared in
+. this direction. The floor is covered
t with loose rocks which have fallen
a from above, and walking becomes a
very rough and laborious process. A
: portion of the avenue is called the
, Salt Room, from the crystals of pure
. glauher salts which fall from the cell
5 ing in flakes, and cover tho floor
: like n light snow.
Just one mile from the Star Cham
I Der rough stone cross had been
= erected, TO denote that the distance
+? has been carefully measured. The
c floor here rises considerably, which
a contracts the dimensions OF the ave-
e nue., although they are still on n
: grand scale. About half mile fur
e Their we came to the Great Crossings,
: where five avenues meet. In the
S dim light il resembled the interior of
!, a great cathedral, whose arched roof
Z is hundred feet above It's pavement.
Q Turning to the left al right angles 10
our former direction, we walked
e (still following the Main Avenue)
/. some ten minutes further, when the
j passage debouchcd into spacious
: hall, with cascade pouring from the
: very summit Of its lofty dome. Be-
i yond and adjoining il was a second
II hall, of nearly equal dimensions,
# with another cascade falling from its
# roof. We TUNED again to the right,
finding the avenue still more irregu-
q lar and contracted than before, but
had not advanced far before its CELL
{ ing began 10 rise, showing a long
/ slope of loosely piled rocks, lying in
: strong relief against a background
Of uniathonable darkness.
: | climbed the rocks aud sat down
: on the highest pinnacle, while Ste
C phen descended the opposite side of
: the slope and kindled two or three
D Bengal lights which he had saved for
c the occasion. Ii needed stronger
!. illumination than our two lamps could
S afford to enable me 10 comprehend
0 the stupendous dimensions Of this
c grandest OF underground chambers.
e | will give you the figures, but they
J. convey only faint idea Of its colos-
\ sal character; length, 500 feet;
/ breadth, 800 feet T; height, 100 feet
Y area, between four and FIVE acres
il Martins picture Of Satan's Council
IS Hall in Pande,nonium would hardly
d seem exaggerated if offered as
!. representation Of the Chief City, so
g far and ,snishing is the perspective
of its extremilies, So tremendous the
a span of its gigantic dome.
: | sat upon the summit OF the hill
until The La Il fires had hurnad nnf