The New York herald., 1878-11-12
AMERICAS LATEST WONDER
A Two Days Exploration Of Vir-
ginia's Cavens.
NATURES ART GALLERY THROWN OPEN
Lofty Chambers, Crystal Walls and
Drapery Of Every Hue.
MYSTERIOUS FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND.
Effect of an Illumination on Weird Fig
ures and Sombre Vaults.

M LuRAY Page County, Va, Nov. 10. 1873.
Since my last communication to the HERALD these
wonderful caverns developing into something
simply enormous. Almost at every turn new caverns
arc being discovered. not singy, but in largo num-
bers. Your correspondent has been climb
ing and crawling for several days past on tours
OF discovery In company with the pro-
prietors and several other gentlemen we
went down into the gorge called the Skeletons
Gulch snd bearing to the left in southcrley direc-
tion. climbed steep hillside. forty feet. and
then continued In straight course two hundred
yards more, having frequently to stoop and Crawl
At the end Of this distance we found another very
steep assent at the top OF which We saw
. hole large enough to drag our bodies through.
which We accordingly did, finding ourselves in
small round chamber, with beautiful spring in
the centre Stasctes Of every conceivable form and
hue were here in profuson. Many Of them had a.
sumcd grotesqne and fantastic shapes. and would
make rare ornaments for the most elegantly ap-
pointed drawing room.
SERIES OF CHAABEnA
We soon discovered that this was merely an ante
chamber for series Of others. and emerged through
. narrow opening into another much larger apart-
ment Of oblong shape. The ceiling of this room was
white the driven snow, the walls were
mixture Of green and orange, and the
dome seemed to be supported by five
large pillars in straight at intervals Of few
feet These pillars all similar in appearance,
being small at the base and growing large as they
ascendcd. The noor Of soft clay. and at every
step dragged heavy load of earth with Looking
mp we square opening in the ceiling and by the
aid Of various stalagmites protruding from the walls
climbed mp into another chamber; in other words.
exception of the pillars but than COM
pensated for these by another wonderful discovery.
In front. running under number OF arches with
magnificent columns on either side, and sur
mounted by gothic roof Of blue and white,
, spring Of water probably thirty feet long
by. twelve or fifteen, and with actual
depth of sixteen feet The immense basin looked -
II cut into solid block Of marble Though sixteen
feet in depth. the pure white bottom was perfectly
disccrnable. l utterly lost for words to describe
Its exquisite beauty and its magnificent surroundings.
We were 10th to leave it, but time pressed and
were obliged to go
BEAUTIFUL SPRINGS
Passing to the right q narrow gallery which
divided the front of this chamber from the entrance
TO the spring we looked down into what we considered
gulf chasm. II proved to be pool Of water
perfectly clear and perfectly round. probably sixty
or seventy feet in circumference. We could
not see the bottom. determined to meas
sure it. We attached weight to long
line and cast it into tho water Upon pulling 1t out
found it measured forty-seven feet, and seemed
upon further examination to be of about equal depth
all around We did not tarry long here as the ledge
which We stood on seemed frail one and for per-
son who could not swim it was, to say the least an
announcement place. Returning through the aper-
ture to the ground floor course taken to
the left and dozen more chambers
wcro found ranging from ten to thirty
feet square. and all abounding in stalactites and
draperics. Several Of them had handsome columns.
and nearly all Of them are were. beautiful little
springs. | would say here that another pcculiarty
OF all these springs besides their being deceptive in
depth ia. that they overflow. You may drink
- much you please from them. they fill up
rapidly but never The rims Of these
basins are thin a shell. and have pinksh hue
hut IL is almost impossible TO break them they
hard iron. When we saw tiers Of springs
like steps examined closely. and found
them oil filling from the bottom and not one Of the
lower receiving drop of water from the upper
ones In fact, have remarked that the lower ones
seem to fill hrst. We enabled 10 discover this
we found some Of these springs formed in tiers.
without water on previous visits. and subsequent
ones, filing rapidly.
REMARKABLE EXPLORATIONS.
After le,ving the rooms spoken Of we emerged into
Z narrow dssure in solid rock. This rock was sew
eral hundred feet square and probably hundred or
more in height. The nssu-c through which we walked
was about three feet wide and, nearly ~ we
could calculate eighty feet high. We walked
with comfort hfty or sixty yards and then
the space became contracted Another fssure dis
sccted this right angles and extended In either
Gir .cton some thirty forty yards. We passed into
the left hand one and found ourselves descending
natural stairway. We soon came to rocky plat
FORM whence we descended again. Walking afew feet
further we reached = small opening, and, passing
our candles through, saw another chamber. We
were obliged to break out the stanctites which hung
down like the teeth OF comb. to get through This
we accomplished in few moments, and crawled into
. beautiful apartment, larger than the others. and
sparkling with . different class Of stalactitos
and formations. Many OF thess were pslo
green others were tingod with purple and blue, and
all were studded with particles that flashed out
various colorcd lights. We examined this chamber
thoroughly but found opening. retrsccd our
steps, An We left the assure came into an
opcn space aboundng in columns and walls OF
rock In the side of Of these walls, about
thirty feet from the ground, We saw by tho light
OF our candles an opening as large an an ordinary
doorway. As thcro we're plenty of fooholds in this
wall young Mr. campbell, proprietor, ascended and
disappeared through the opening. In few moments
he called us, and VIC clambcrcd MP and
in small apartment. throughs which wc
passed into Ave others, all beautiful IN
their interiors. In was grotto with
canopy IL In the shape OF
crown aud in the grotto another pretty little spring
with the usual white basin. In front and ell around
this grotto q network Of white shells and messy
formations. To the right of this spring arch
way, through which passed into another open
space, and hero VIC commenced climbing down
over rocks, mounds and all sorts Of forma-
tions, and reached another portion Of the level
We had left. at the entrance OF which was
circular room. whose foor was body OF clear water
some fifteen feet in depth. We passed around this
LII