The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-11-27
The Luray c.vcrn..

Page county, Virginia, are still being
explored and fresh discoveries con-
stantly made. The New York Her.
aid correspondent describes num-
Der of the new galleries and chambers
discovered. The correspondent gives
the following description of what he
styles "the most gorgeous chamber Of
all ~
At last, through narrow opening,
we came suddenly into the most bril-.
liant room in the cave, and almost
twin in size to the Giants Hallr
proper. The contrast between this
and "Giant's Hall" was complete.
While in the latter everything is dark,
weird and awful, everything here
was light, brilliant and gorgeous. A
scene of unparalleled splendor, of sub
lime grandeur, burst upon us. The
whole scene was brilliant and daz-
zling beyond description. If an err
tist never failed before be would fail
here, for this inconceiyable mass of
splendor no brush could paint or pen
depict to the mind of man. There
were no facilities for measuring this
chamber, as all is parts are not yet
accessible Several bridges aud q
number OF stairwsys will be required.
The formations are msrvellously
beautiful, a number of them being en-
tirely beyond description. There is
en- absence Of springs, bat beautiful
grottos, bowers and palace-like struc-
lures are to be seen at every turn.
In one place Chinese pagods pre-
sented itself; there were four entran-
ces between its columns. Its root
was steeple pointed, and served as a
canopy for the rarest and most ex-
guisitely beautiful structure yet dis
covered. This marvellous formation
was white monument, seven feet
high, twelve inches in diameter at its
largest part, tapering up to q delicate
head and forming in and rising from
the centre Of a pedestal of dark stone,
perfectly round and about two ana
a-half feet in diameter, the whole res
ting on perfectly square platform
five feet either way. This platform
rested at the height of twelve inches
on second platform about seven feet
square, and this in turn on a third,
somewhat larger, and the thlId final-
ly on fourth still larger These
platforms and TIE monument itself
were formed of masses of beautiful
white crystalic particle, unlike any
other formations in the caveru The
whole glistened under 4 lights aud
presented transcendently Leautiful
spectacle We stand in awe 1d al
most in terror before this VIC derful
structure. We have no word to ex-
press our feelings. One can Ouly re-
member that the works Of nature are
beyond tie comprehension of poor
weak mortals. The principal colors
in this gigantic room are light buff
aud pure white. There is not a speck
of dirt or mud in view. Even .he
chasms and ravines have a white
lining. The dome is pure buff, with
thousands of lovely white stalactites
hanging from it. Where there are a
few columns, mounds and monuments
10 other chambers there are hundreds
here; all grand, brilliant and beauti-
full. From gallery on the right q
structure in shape of monster shell
hung out, seemingly without support.
Climbing up into the gallery and ex-
amining it an opening was found
which would admi. man easily. 1t
would measure nearly eight by ten
feet, and is sufficiently high for one
to move about in it without STOPPING.
There must be very large number
of openings from this room, as we
could easily discern many up among
the draperies hanging about it's walls;
but the route at present is so difficult
that the strongest men could not
drag ladder long enough to reach
most of them. With a little more
labor and expenditure these apertures
may be easily reached, and perhaps
other large discoveries will take
place.