The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-04-08

flame, throwing strange pale luster upon 'h1
vast rude arches, and bringing out the Jagged
walls in vivid relief against the pIc'ou"u
d,rLncss ON either hand. Passing on from
/ tho church we intrude into Gothic sliiages
and on through to Grand Arch, IN Wh'c" We
are shown the Grants Collin, or, as II ", Mns ~
DAYS zone by called, The Steamboat I"'H 70
Ian immense rock some lOity leei '""o ~.
nhout twenty feet wide, and shaped 8" As 10
resemble Coilin-cn the dome above nay w
seen several images resembling animaS'
Passing many objects of interest," ana
lbooutifully shaped staiactltes, we naich on
w,rd-anG soon enter the Star ChtMutr'
,hIch is sixty fee; high and seventy ieet IN
Ieno,h. Here our guide had prepared
genuine surprise for us. Taking our lamps
| from MS. he told us to sit down, and he would
soon return.
Presently tAc ceiling began TO grow DARKER
and the whole became "A sheet OF un'aryIng
Iblachacss, which reflected light like acloudy
sky. All at once few stars began u SllW'
mer, then more, and more, and armament
as far off, and vast apparently as that which
arches over the outer world, hung above our
heads 1t Is impossible to describe the ell
feet of this mock sky. The fascination Is
wonderful; YOU look upward seventy five
feet. and your reason vainly tells you that II
| il bu, a crust of black oxide of manganese
sprlnkled with crystals of gypsum; but you
see il in The tathomless heavens, with Us con-
s,eIlaiions twlnkllng IN illlmitGble space.
You think Yourself no longer upon tbs earth
! but IN a thunder riven gorge OF the noun.
tains of Jupiter, looking up at the strange
Ornament of that darker planet. Byskilliul
management of his lights our guide produc-
ed the appearance of thunder clou! rising
and gradually spreading over the sky. The
stars are lost, and the comet" cleaning on
lie horizon, disappears, and all IS wrapped
| in shadow.
Then the clouds break away, aud the stars
seem to twinkle with more bright and
frosty lusirc after their observation.
As the footsteps Of our guide become more
indstiuct, the faint glimmer of his lamps
fades into nothingness, and presently there Is
not even the ghost of a glimmer and all Is
darkpess-s0id, substantial darkness Dark
As chaos before space was, or form was, or
before the Lord said, Let there be light,'
l"Aud there was light IN the Cave--tor pres
emily "old Mat" pokes his heal above the
rocks, and the glimmcr Of his lamp. rcsem.
blcu the rising sun,
| Retraclng our steps to the Giants Coffin, we
wind our way towards the river Styx. Pass.
| ing on we come to what Is called the Bottom
less Pit, u frightiul chasm one hundred and
seyenty.five feet deep, down which We hurled
stones which were several seconds in reach
Ii ing the bottom, with fainter and fainter re-
verberatiOns below. Crossing this is the
Bridge of Slghs, aAd directly over il Shelby's
Dome, towering upward sixty feet or more.
| With the blaze of a bengai.light and our
lamps we are able TO discover the shape OF
the top The sides are as smooth as II hcwn
by a stone cutter, and worn into deep grooves
| l,,,t 81, -ata nj
A stairs called the Steps Of Time leads Us
to the Winding Way, place thirty or forty
feet high, and barely wide enough for two
persons to pass This brought US to another
bit. along the brink Of which we walked,
climbing up u ledge, and at last reached q
window like opening. Leaning over the wal
our lamps disclosed to US a vast hal, the top
of which vanished into darkness, and the
bottom of which we could only conjecture by
the loud hollow splash Of water-drops that
come up out of the gloom. Ia front OF us
hung gigantic rock, with singular fringe
of stalactitcs The length Of this piece OF
Limestone drapery was about one hundred
feet. Kinding Bengal-lght, we were
able to take in the dimensions OF this
dome. We beheld tho oval arch hundred
feet above our heads; the floor studded with
the stalagmitc pedcstals as far below; while
IulTeClIS III iIUhb 'ioAi 'hS
center of the dome, the veil Of some sublerra.
mean mystery shone rosy white, and seemed
to wave and swing pendulons in the awful
space. We were thrilled with the exceeding
subllmity Of the picture, and thought to our
selves that the wonders of the cave had moi
been exaggerated If indeed told Of all
!. Continuing on our way we passN apolcon's
. Breast Works, Fulcan's Shop. Elephants
Head aud the Pillars OF Hercules, neal
which We find the Lovers Leap snd the Dev
IFS Coolng-tub, places of great beauty and
with wonderfully shaped NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
After taking drink from the Devil's Cool
ing.tub we tumble into the Waller OF humili
ty, and wind our way through Fat Mans
| Misery into the Halls of Great Relief Fa
, Mans Misery is winding narrow passage
which meanders through the solid rock ant
no man weighing over two bundled and fifty
, pounds can get through it, As none Of oul
lparty came within the scope of prohibition
: Except Mr.. Lyon, and after little rolling
we braced him through we managed to &c
f through and took rest in the Halls of Grea
Relief.
al Onward we went and soon viewed the Deat
! Sea, n gloomy pool Of transparent waite
| which Is reached by a narrow path around I
projecting rock bridging a deep PIT. Thu
/ path is only eighteen inches wide, and falls
e step would precipitate the explorer hundred
feet below. A short walk through soft nut
/ brought us 10 the River StyX, which is inhat
tied by eyeless fish. They are about 81:
inches long Of the form of catfish or bull
!, head, nearly white and translucent. The.
are without eyes, or even sockets for them
!. They are often called blind fish Branchin!
1 off from the river We stopped to gaze OF
the Holy Sepulchre, 4 scene suited to awake
associations af sn'amD iptprpat 81 stricken
c heart.
2 Clevelando Cabinet surpasses anything
4 ever saw, and the most imaginative poet
), never conceived or painted a place of sue
4 exquisite beauty. Were the wealth O
c princes bestowed on the worlds lapidarie'
!. with the view of rivalng this chamber, tn
e attempt would be vain. 1t is perfect arc
n Of about fifty feet span and about ten fet
high. It's encrusted from end 10 end VIII
n the most beautiful formations in every vari
IS ~ and torn The base of the whole Is ca
4 tn Nns