The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-11

the place, while they have no serious consequences.
party OIL colored individuals OF very inqulring
company with several strongly built black bottles,
for which while on the way they showed great al
lection. One OF them became venturesome. and
ON THE EDGE OF THE "BorroMLEss PIrJ
Inis was While Howe was yet proprietor. When
the negro fell he made great splash in the water.
but found footing on leuge OF rock, and was gal
lanty rescued 1Ahas since been discovered that
the pit has bottom, and It IL no longer exhibited
as being very wonderful. Every visitor who passes
throws stone into 1t, and this has gradually
A vast deal OF genuine fun Is enjoyed by parties
OF girls and young fellows who explore the cave.
Most OF the young ladies throw on conventionallsm
with their fashionable garments and become unre-
STRANGELY improper In their demeanor. The first
step to be taken Is preparation Tor the journey into
are attred III sailor costume, with loose panta-
looms, strong shoes and glazed CAPS. Some
s9o very pretty nn mus seI
sad TO relate, are like the phantOms OF their
former selves. The chance II is customary to
to fear OF the horrors OF the subIerranean
Journey which 1t IL imagined might at first well
cause the velvet cheek to pale and the gentle form
to trembe with apprehension But q strange
factbut, nevertheless true-is that the ladies are
reputed to show more pluck aud perseverance in
exploration than their masculine superOrs, and,
sets the charitable explanation OF the mysterious
things mentioned above. Each Of the party Is pro-
THE GUIDE CARRIES TORCH.
The first mile OF the way most frequented by
u
oil stone steps Tor q distance OF twenty-five ieet
and pass through stone arch. The cavern opens
Saa eVs ana AZ air rSI soasr
we proceed, but produces no discomfort and
seems pnrer than that OF upper regions, Az In
vault upwards and become almost invisible. The
walls are decorated with pendant sta!actltes and
the roor with solid stalaRmites some of which
have the appearance OF pQsts'driven in the ground,
and are still imperceptiDy but surely growing to
THE "BnIpAL cHAMpERu
has all to itselfa peculiar interest. It 10 wide
and lofty cavern, ut one side OF which is recess
their summit is spot on which were solemnfzed
the marriages OF two Of the daughters OF Howe. His
thought 1t was the most fitting temple for such
ceremony. Portions of the courtship. IT
but s is not ushenc She wea
dings were very brilliant. The immense and
gloomy hall was lighted up by a hundred tapers,
gathered In the main portion OF the cavern, while
the bridal party, the ofnclating minister and the
parents OF the bride stood in the gallery which
have described, visible to all the spectators below.
TIE words with which the knot was tied rolled in
lul anu sol mn articulat on through the great cav
ern and were taken up by the echoes and answered
back. wonder If they didn't seem rather ominous
to the bridegroom, thus banded about by internal
voicesp However that may be, the fiddle and
banjo were shortly afterwards put in motion, and
the toes and heels OF oil present meandered over
the slippery floor OF rock IN time with
WHAT SEEMED A SUPERNATURAL ORCHESTRA.
The distant soundiess chambers grouped the melO-
dies with seeming Joy, and gave them Lack IN new
and deeper utterances so that a thousand lustru-
ments seemed played upon at once. banquet IN
these sombre and ghostiy walls followed the first
dance and then the pleasures OF Terpischore were
renewed with tenfold more hiarlty until old Earth
groaned hdeously IRON her bowels at the needless
Dissertation of her thoracc tube. No other mar
riages were ever consecrated in the "Bridal Cham
ber," although many lovers take advantage nova
days OF very convenient nook In the wall to seal
their vows over again with guilty Kisses While the
guide with goOdly intent goes abstractedy and I'M
observingly forward. In the "Haunted Castle" you
discover in the pale light your resemblance to
ghost. "Music Hall' is lofty chamber, where
roll through the dark spaces like the roar Of near
artillery The most disagreeable human voice
here IS musical. and seems like that OF
THE END NAN IN THE CHOIR OF THE ANGELS.
Stalactite formations through this portion of the
cave are very requent and line, and are named from
their resemblance 70 certain OBJECTS Prominent
washing TOMS hood, and 'Mashinetoh's epauet.h
stretch 81 water quarter Of mile long, whose bot
tom IT places sixty feet below the surface Is always
perfectly perceptible by the light of a torch. The
ferry boat Is rude scOw, made OF planks. Our
Charon is our guide, q good natured being with a
slightly cadaverous face grizzly unkempt beard
giant frame and bronzed, bony hands, His name
Is Martin Hager, and has travels and adventures
background of the darkness in the bold relief of
the light OF q torch looks grotesque and almost
unnatural and you feel an ICY tremor when you set
your foot upon the damp bottom OF his craft, es
pecally II you wear thin shoes.
The lake winds through picturesque masses OF
rock arched overhead and decked with fine spec:
mems OF the sta actte formation. A few rods
from the outer shore Is
AN IMMENSE NATURAL PIER
supporting the roof and composed of solid black
marble. After the landing at the other end on
plymouth Rock'' we walk along narrow beach
for distance beside the silent tide of the River
StyX when here stretches almost across the cave.
Further on Is small stream that goes in Rhosty
ear with uncouth and supernatural noises. 1t dis
appears at length, having channel perhaps hum
dreis oil feet unoerneath the avenue trod by man.
The incongruty OF the associations aroused Dy the
names given TO various portions OF the cave Is
ludicrous. From the ''Stygian LAX e" we land on
plymouth Rock" aud then journey beside the
"River styx" through the Devils Gateway" the
"Museum," the geological ROOMS" the Giants
Study" the "Pirate's Cave" until we come to the
'Rocky Mountains"
THE s'DEvIL's GATEWAY
il STOPPING passage which has recently been
and the descent from 1t is made by the ''lndians'
Stone Ladder" "Uncle TOMS Cabin" standing
by the waysde, IL gigantic stalagmte the sides
OF which are corrugated so as to resemble the un-
even surface OF logs. The "Giant's STUDY con-
tans great masses OF iaen rock, which resemble
immense volumes lying IN dsordered heaps. The
"Rocky Mountains" are extremely difficult of pas
sage, but when that trbulatiOn is over we descend
'yALLEY OF JEHosAPHAT,
where is q clear pool OF sweet water and cup set
nene 81 te and arauE taken at s
lies through the "Winding Way" the most curious
subtcrranean passage i'll the world 1t is extreme
"
tons which have been taken that after walking Tor
about twenty minutes the traveller stands within
very lew feet Of the point from which he started.
1t is very narrow, admitting but one person at a
time, and in some places even this IL very difficult
1t is magnilcenty adorned with crystals hanging
in the form OF stalactytes. The kissing Gaten is
formed by two large formations Of stalactitcs
and stalagmites, between which the process OF
kissing is often innocently INDUCED In by the i'm
proper young ladies whom have referred to. 1t
is said by tradition that kiss stolen given here
never fails OF having happy result The EYE OF
the Needle'' IL, as NAV be imagined, very narrow
passage. former guide, whose name was Camp
bell was the unfortunate cause Of many pun, dis
respectful towards a certain ancient and reverend
book; but he, poor fellow, has since gone to his
count to answer for puns and other mis-
demeanOrs. At the emu OF the wind
Ing WAY" is a large and lofty chamber
from which open three passages, none OF which
have ever been July explored. Many visitors never
go further than this point, but OF those who 40 1t Is
asserted that the gentle sex are IN the majority.
So much for curiosity lnordlnate that even caverns
4 <t,l l.