Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-12-03

prOacnea Hltiilu cikhtOch ihN'N" S' s
which was in the water. From the
point Of this hanging spar there ran
stream Of water, about the thickness OF
a large thread, and fell exactly on the
top of the spar iu the centre OF the
spring. and Is, in fact, the source from
which the spring is supplird. Both Of
these .talactites have the appearance ol
clear glass or pieces Of ice.
To the right of this spring behind the
pillars. and little above it through the
solid limestone rock or wall ofthe room,
was a small. smooth opening jnst large
enough to admit the body. This open
ING is perfect, level. and nfter sliding
about ten feet we came into room'
not 90 large. but IN point OF beauty lar
exceeding ANYTHING which we had seen
The whole interior of this room is s
complete lustre of surface OF shining
.par. In this room. about three feet
and half from the door, Is complete
waiuscot of chair board. with all iis
mouldings and carved work in complete
relief. and extending 10 one entire AMI
unbreken ci,cle around the room. In
the centre OF the hnor arose three can
dlesticks Of q mammoth size-these
caudlesticks arose from The floor OF the
room, with various swells and diminish
es r, sembline carved work, until they
reached the exact level Of the chair
board or wain .coiing Of the room, when
the spar which resembled the candle.
seeming to be set in complete socket.
run up about two feet. As if to make
the COPY more exact and the resem
blance more palpably striking. the can
dle-stlck seemed 20 be Of dusky or
bronzed color, and the candle or Spas
arising from it Of a clearer white
From certain emblems which it con
tanned, We called this room Masonic
Hall.
One fact here presented itself too
palpably to be mistaken: this room had
evidently heen at one time filed with
water. 10 the height of the chair board,
which by gradual petrlfacilon had been
FORMED. and which at once accounted
for its being 30 perfectly level and reeu-
lar. The candlestiCks too, had been
formed in the same way. BY the drop
ping of the water from the arch; which
being as We supposed, Of greater specl-
fc gravity than the water into which it
fell, gradually formed the large spars
that resemblcd the candlesticks. even
with the level Of the pool, after which
the spar became Immediately small and
clear. resembling a candle. The petri
faction on the wall ot this room, WAS in
beautiful waves and folds. resembling
drapery. At one end Of the room a
larpe spar resembling bed post, stood
out in a beautiful relief from the wall.
aud large folds and waves Of drapery.
resembling curtains, seemed to bide The
rest Of the bed.
Here then. our admiration and as
tonishment were at their height our
feeling, had been wrought up to de
gree ofalnost painful intensity. Here
we stood. hundreds of feet hrneath the
surface of the earth and full half mile
from the first misunderstanding upon
spot and breathing an mosphere whi'h
had not been disturbed since thecreation
Of The world. \ place in which the hu'
man voice had never before been heard,
and on whose beauties the human eye
had never rested. There was in truth,
an awful sublEltJ in the state Of our
feelings, superiuduced in part perhaps
by the consideration Of Kind Of con-
tingent danger to which we were ex-
posed the falling OF an arch-or the
rolling of rock into some Of The mar.
row passes which We had to retraac.
would have shut us up in eternal dark
ness in this mysterious region Of Won
ders.
Why nature should display those
various and astonishing beauiies only
for herself. and place them thus in re-
cion Of darkness and danger. is mar
vellous and incomprehensibe. Or why
she should thus, IN a capricious or
whimsicle mood. groSp together objects
the least resembling each other in their
nature and uses, is equally strange. \
btdstead, drapery and candlesticks-a
conch shell, birds foot, and a human
heart-strange and mysterious associa-
tions we cannot describe or cOmpre-
hend them and all we could do upon
viewing them, was to exclaim, won
derful wonderful"
From the room last described, we re-
turned to the mouth of the cave, and
found that We had spent nearly four
hours in examining It's beauties, without
however, discovering their full extent.
We determined to defer further search
until some further occasion.
This cave is situated on the lands OF
Mr.. I.aac Cofi'man. and was first DIS
covered and partially explored in the
following manner: Mr.. Ruiiner. who
was nearly as much celebrated for deeds
OF sylvan prowess as the renowned
Putnam, in passing this cave some
twenty years ago, conceived the bold
and hardous design Of entering it alone
and without light. He accordingly
placed his rife scross the mouth, TO
denote To his friends if they should hap
pen TO see it. that he was in the cave.