The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-05-11
wonderful Cave in Greenbrler Conn,
!. : EFtOm e lGreeF1ret IndPeldsnt.

Wonderful Cave In GreeHbrIer Conn.
.l.-a 74.l -s9 9ty, W. yA.Igt, ~ .7-fus
~ From, ne Greela6rter Indspadsnt ="
tits a strange characteristic Of man,
that, in his eager search for the novel
and sublime he should overlook what
Immediately surrounds hun, We see
persons porting over volumesof travels,
and spAFiDg no mental labor, in hope
OF finding something strange and PEE
cultRr, whose very homes may present
beauties far more striking than they
VIII hnd elsewhere. Doubtless, many
persons of Gfeenbrier, who long for
peep into Mammoth and Weir's caves,
are ignorant of the stores of pleasure
which lie In our own caverns. A few
days since, small party, which 7 WAS
so fortunate as to join, went into a cave,
near7t the residence of Capt, Wm. B,
Reid, near Frankfort, in this county,
and for an hour or more, was highly
entertained. The entrance was unin-
yiting; but, remembering that we must
sometimes .tstOop TO, conquer we
made ourselves as diminutiVe as posi-
BILE, and forced our way. What was
our surprise, to find that We had sudden
~ been transported into an apartment
whose ceiling was twenty feet above us.
Coming from the glare of sunshine,
~ TWAA+S Sg-4A4HOSa4nAet. W Nll6gSEur OllSGLS
in that dim, religious lights" but we
lit our candles, and, as soon as our
eyes became accustomed to them, the
silent inmates arose. First, a dim,
white object, from which came q regu-
lar sound, as of Spirit Tdppimg, and,
with common consent, we pronounced
It a ghost! Knowing that retreat was
impossible, we advanced boldly, and
discovered white rock, Of cylindrical
form, surrounded by smaller ones, up
on each of which fell drop. OF water,
droppings, the rocks form themselves.
A little farther before us, stood u sheep,
complete as though carved from mar
ble. Weltstened for the familiar "bAhl"
but all was quiet as the grave. We turn
ed our steps in another direction, but
found an obstruction In the figure of a
man, standing sentinel over his do
main. We discovered that he was. un-
armed, and with some difficulty, clam
bered around him: As we entered his
chamber, beautifully 'magpiicenty
splendid = burst from all silnulta-
neously. Large columns of solid white
descended from ceiling to floor, and In
some places, long, cone-like stalac-
tites, which had not grown TO the
gronnd, and Sparkling, as If SET with
Tnyrtads OF diamonds. Upon one side
were huge basins, which clumsy man,
with his highest skill, could not have
formed with such symmetry. They
were edged with large sCnllops, and
each one of these notched by small
ones, reminding us of the finest French
embroidery. Each basin was of solid
rock, and flled with water clear as
crystal The water was cold, aud fat
to the tRste-diHerent from the lime
stone water of Greenbrier, generally.
Is there no geOlOgist among US, who
would delight in revealing the forma-
ton of this neighborhood to us, who are
so Ignorant? BY entering this cavern,
and bringing its furniture to sunlight,
he would be spared the fatiguing labor
OF the stone mason of f6cotland.
We now found that we were not the
only ones who had penetrated so far.
On the columns, in black letters, were
written the names Of both ladies and
gentlemen, some in 1928. We felt
that we were treading on holy ground,
for those who had last broken the still
ness, were. now in their ,dreamless
sleep. -,ifIl-,r5fsg g7s5,.1 ~ Ersar
"Four o'clockl', called out one of
the party, and we reluctantly turned
to retrace our steps. There was some
no one knew the way We had entered. |
Visions OF dwelling in that "Iong and |
moonless night" darted through our
confused brains, and we felt that we
were at the mercy of the silent spectres.
In moment some one called ont, 81
see the light % and we hastehed to
catch a glimpse Of old Sol, before he
behind the hills. And
here one OF the loveliest views we had |
enjoyed fell upon US. Thick darkness, |
except as broken by the candle-light, |
surrounded us, and far before us lay |
the mouth of the cavern, through which |
the daylight peeped, looking as one
little star might, IN breaking through |
The darkness of a cloudy night. We |
TOOK second glance at the View, then |
a parting look at eigrfm ghost, as we
passed, and; clamberfng out, found the
upper world just as we left 1t. @,