The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-11-14
THE LURAY CAVERNS.
Exploration of Ivondrous Caverns ia
Virginia.
Correspondence Of the New York Herald.
LrRAY. Page County. Va. Nov. 4.

Nf'N''NN''NN
LuRAY. Page County, Va, Nov.4,
The exploration of the caverns which
take their name from this little village,
and which are now destincd to become
famous rs one of the worlds wonders,
sill continues. Each day-ainost each
hour-develops some new wonder, and it
remains an open question whether the
beautiful mountain county of Page is not
the upper crust of Il vast succession of
subterranean mysteries. On every side
of the already discovered and explored
caverns is found passages and outlets to
as yet unknown regions, and most of
which are 80 far impossible, owing to the
lack of means and the absence Of neces-
sary machinery with which to operate
and open them up. 1t is more than
probable that the proprietors, with an
their operations below to the limits of
the thirty-eight acres which they we're
lucky enough to purchase when one of
them, Mr.. Campbell, first discovered the
rabbit hole," at the base of Cave Hill.
And, by the way, it is more than likely
that the fortunate discoverers and adven-
turous explorers will encounter consider
able trouble in maintaining their right
and title to the cavernOus property which
hey bought at commissioners sale, for
even now the former owners are exhaust
ing all the legal talent of the county in
an endeavor to regair possession of it.
or course the lawyers will encourage
them in this effort AS long as there re-
mains chance TO get retainer and n
prospective big fee.
THE CAvERNs.
Tho uou J;scoyor;o, ,ro 1o,,+ulJ
IL knob or spur of the Massannutton
range, about one mile or little over
west of this village. The entrance,
which has been sunk to depth sufficient
to admit Of putting in an ordinary door,
is on the east side of the hill, and The
main caverns, after running north for
about four hundred and fifty yards turn
off in q northwestcrly direction, extend
ing probably over mile as far as ex-
plOred. The descent to the door is some
thirty feet in daylight, and as many be-
low III the darkness when standing on
the floor of the yanlted and extensive
ante-chambcr, as it has been appropr:-
ately called. This compartment is about
eighty by one hundred feet, with the
rugged ceiling ranging from thirty to
forty feet, and is decorated with masses
Of 5tainciites ahd large column in the
centr0 reaching nearly to the roof IL by
rs feIt in extent. 1t is very handsome,
but as if designed for the purpose of an
ante-chamber, does not compare with the
gorgeous draperies and magnificent spec
tacles in the rooms beyond.
THE SOUTHERN TIER OF CHAMBERS.
Excepting the faint ray of daylight
that penetrates from the doorway, the
darkness is intense, and candles, the only
artificial light yet within the means Of
the prOprietors or the resources of Luray,
are brought into active cc,nisition. Each
visitor, guide and manager is furnished
with dip" and the party starts on its
tour of explanation. When l first went
i'll the party consisted of about thirty
persons, all natives but your correspon-
dent, who caused considerable sensation
with the locomotive headlight which was
kindly furnished me by Colonel E. T..
Smith, one of the superintendent of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. A loco
motive headlight had never been seen in
the Luray Valley before, and this avant-
courier of railroad. WHICH they have
been vainly expecting for years, was
hailed with delight, not only as good
omen OF future railroad. but as curl
osity scarcely surpassed by the caverns
themselves Leaving the antc-chamber
and proceeding to the left through low
arch, the party passed successfully through
an entire suit OF beautiful chambers re-
splendent and dazzling @ith stalacta of
every possible shape and color. Iii many
instances these chambers resemble grnt-
toes, and the floors are us much objects
of curiosity rs the walls and ceilings,
from the fact that the stalagma is just rs
grand and beautiful as the stalacta. The
main curiosities, however, in this range
are the blacksmith's shop, so called be
cause of the close resemblance of two
small stalagmites, located near an appa-
rent CRATE for furnace, bear to anvils.
ened incrustation, evidently the result of
snme mineral in the earth above, in the
white stalactites strengthens the illusion.
In another chamber is IL small statuette
which the enthusiastic imaginations of
the natives have tortured into q r-cael of
Napoleon. [ cannot say that the like.
ness IN this instance is as Scca as that in
the case of the anvils in the blacksmith $
shop. Next Is the "Oratory," where the
huted columns of an immense sheet OF
stalacta surmounted by canopy looks
exactly like an organ in n church, the
c"iors only differing, and being more
brilliant in the light Of our candles than
can possibly be described. Then comes
'arched passages leading to four unex-
piored rooms beneath this range. III
another chamber Is an exact picture oil
an eagles wing, and all of them are GOV.
cred with the most brilliant stalactites oil
every. color. At the further end of this
tier ia large chamber, in which is a
curiosity named the Leaning Tower, and
which also has miniature lake with
clear water. The Leaning Tower is O
h'ge stalactite fifteen feet in diameter
and some twenty-five long, which has
broken away from the dome and NOW lies
IN an inclined position. From the pc
eu'iar formation at its top this may have
happened some thousands of years ago
ms ended the southern range, and re-
turning to the ante chamber, where two
muscular mountaineers were employed Il
carry the headlight, we set forward t.
explore the wonders 10 the west ant
northwest.
THE WESTERN RANGE.
The route in this direction is impedet
oy chasms gullies and hills; but witt
singular ingenuity the proprietors hav,
already, brdged over the former, an,
made he ascent and descent of the latte
easier easier by comfortable wooden starways
but an immense amount of labor has ye
10 DC expended to make the complete triI
shFongh the caverns as expeditions ant
N'e us The average tourist and visitor vii
require. a guide with n candle is tn,
leader, the headlight. next, and the part,