The New York herald., 1878-11-06

formations Scmlclrcle
moss Continuing our researches we next come to
the Imperial Spring, which is situated on the top
OF high gallery nearly surrounded by chasms.
The water in this is nearly six feet in depth and as
clear as crystal The trough basin Is fifteen feet
in length by ten in breadth and filed to the brin
i'm shape ike a small chapel. whose walls
are masses of staactte pillars round and smooth
srLt is another beautiful body of water smaller in
Dimensions. hut otherwise OF the same character.
Making dipression not from our route but from the
regular order of this narrative, will here mention
what conceive to be the most beautiful object in the
and that is the queen of springs-the Coral
Cascade 1t is located in the extreme corner of Gi
ants Hall, and, like the Imperial Spring. is within
the most charming little grotto This gem OF spring
coffin elevated about six feet from the door. and
crowping five semcircular tiers OF smaller basins
errsts @.s which sparkle and glitter in the
light. SURPRISING in lovelness anything ever wit
messed When the main or upper trough overiioWs ,,
leaves them. The main basin is always full. hnne
diaely over it is canopy as II to protect the spring.
and ut the back beautiful sheet of staactites the
very picture of a flowing cascade. This beauty has
been appropriately christened the Coral Cascade
s8aan ~ THE NORTHERN @e
The Giants Hall IN the that has been given to
this chamber because of its immensty. The caverns
here turn northward Before reached 1t the party
OF thirty had broken into squads and had scattered
considerably over this vast room. When we entered
headlight cast its rays for great distance and
so many pigmies they fitted to and fro among the
monster stalactites and columns with which the
uneven roof rises to height Of 100 feet from which
suspended the most enormous stalactites perhaps in
the world. Some Of them are shaped like icicles.
but the great majority of them take the form of
tanned drapery. and others assume the most fantastic
and extraordinary appearances imaginable. For an
immense distance around the most enormous gal
leres hang casting their shadows against the roof
leaving the mind to conjecture what must exist be-
yond. A rough estimate makes this chamber eleven
acres In extent all under one roof but am inclined
to believe 1t is even more than this In places
there great mounds OF earth reaching nearly to
kl,a vh hnd hp Iy frpfa
bridges and when the top the tourist has to walk in
a crouched position. his back often scratching the
rugged bare granite ceiling which here 10 entirely de-
void Of stalacta On the outer edges Of these mounds
great chasns the depth OF which unknown, and
are perhaps, in instances. unfathomabe. 1t is
impossible to convey the fantest idea Of the
magnifcence of the chambers in this great hall. Col
Of stalagha of the purest white varying in size
from six inches in diameter to three feet in height to
fifteen feet in diameter and nifty feet in height are
everywhere to be SEEN The lodges Of the great gall
leries studded all along with every imaginable
subterranean and salactitcsd formation suggesting
to the mind OF tho bewildered beholder hobgoblins
and fantasies are magni&ed BY the great shadows cast
from the constantly moving and rather feeble lights
Of numerous party Even the powerful rays Of our
light for tho apartment but 1t did In wonder
full degree to develop the mysteries OF the and
reveal to gaze sights OF which we never before
had the re1notest conception. r9aa-
OF THE WONDERS
On the route through this hall the visitors have to
stoop and walk under an immense column Of sppar-
ent Corinthian architecture which has fallen from the
dome and stretches itself across the passage. It is
about fifty feet long and ten feet in diameter and is
estimated by party skilled in such matters to weigh
10000 pounds and to have been several thousand
years in the Of formation Many of the great
curiosites from their colossal dimensions must have
begun the OF formation with the creation for
it Is impossible to realize how such immense staac-
ttes could reach their present size from the mere
dripping Of limestone water. Perhaps the most I'M
teresting column double column in the is
situated almost in the centre OF Giants Hall. 1t
il formed of u colossal staagmite rising distance of
seventy feet and imbedding itself in the embrace
of monster stalactite dropping about tho
same distance, together forming grand imperial
column. 1t has been named the Double Column
ground world called the Partition. which is . wall
of transparent salacta six inches in thickness, with
breadth Of thirty feet and height OF fifty feet II is
gem of natural architecture beautifully corrugated
aud 1t in perhaps safe to say that no human hand
could construct anything to compare with it, and
tainly human eyes have its equal above
under ground In another place is q curiosity
now called the Angels Wing. which
Sns about tss ten driven Or tws s .ss Il ns sas
in shape TINT could almost imagine the piumage
real One column of stalagmite which attracts great
or fifty feet has assumed the form Of some twenty
hve or thirty hugo blocks one laid upon top Of the
gradually smaller to the top. Many of the draperics
and curtains. hanging In the most enormous masses
beautiful effect when light Is placed behind them.
red; blue and brown lines. ike ,s grsinsing raining
and all Of them. when struck. emitted the
most charming musical sounds, every note In tho
and draperies hanging from the domes there are
many that are broken off. some OF them
the centre but what was most remarkable the
absence Of the pieces rs broken of. We could not
find the smallest fragment OF the portions that had
fallen. though many Of these pieces must have meas
ured fifteen twenty feet and have weighed several
tons. Numerous theories are advanced as to the
cause Of their disappearance. the most probable of
ally covered by the accumulation Of earth. or that
they dissolved and became portion of the earth.
culiarty OF some OF this earth is that where the own
have been digging IL out to make pnssageways
is not heavier than qunine and is Of light bun
color. ftryN la .0t8 .H
The domes covering the galleries extend in many
instances several hundred feet without any support
and are formed of solid rock. resembling granite.
Others sky blue and others still of brown and bu
color but all Of hard stone. Some of the great gal
leres are half way between the floor and DOME and in
few instances nature has mado provision for their
support in heavy pillars Of stalamite which. rising
from the ground. have become firmly knit with the
gallery These galleries frequently lead of into other
apartments of all Sizes and which from their inaccessi
bity, are only partially explored
The atmosphere IL pure and balmy, the temperature
standing at S. while without the was less
than 40 and very cool. , ere
UNEMPLOYED
Many caverns remain ut present unexplored II
II impossible to tell where they will end. as
1 before remarked. New openings present
been 50 busy trying to make the caverns COM
Portable for visitors that they have had little
no time to prosecute further researches To-day your
correspondent crawled through a new opening with
of the proprietors. and travelled several hun
dred yards through various small chambers and cor
ridors many Of them With exquisite draperies. and in
one OF them spring fully twelve feet square. These
openings frequently occur under huge bowlders.
where one would not think tl>c body of man would
pass but yet these adventurous drag themselves
through and under and rocks and cavities, and
are finally rewarded by finding themselves In other
chambers. The owners of these caves are untiring
and energetic and they deserve to make OF
their great discovery.
A TEXAS TRAGEDY.