Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-12-03
WONDERFUL CAVE.
WOODSTOCK, Va. May IA, 1925.
THE NATURAL CURiOsIslEs OF THE
SHENANDOAH.

UC iOilON ny iutNlCSttuS ASttOi AAN"'
a. intelligent friend was received by the
hlor few DAYS ago, and will belread
with interest by the admirers of the ar
C i'ccIulal iancies Of nature. That
5 Icnand0ah abOunds with subterranean
cuiiosi'ics is evident from the face Of
the tounuS. We know Of several caves
which hale never been explored, aid
y b ch onlN require llltle enterprise 10
uuiod beauties which they certainly
ru,siss 10 lie curious. The speudid
cave described by OUT freud, is cacnlal-
ed iJ excite attention both at home and
abroad, and the gentlemen composing
the exploring expedition, deserve great
arrlausc for llcir adventurous enter
lr,e. Tlcnoxl party which we int n
or T. M. we hope will maxi ad-
..l ,O,elies, calculated to place
H,l'r.l'- Cave in the first class OF the
,urio~iucs Of The valley:
The descent for ten or fifteen yards
is rather narrow and ia at an angle Of
forty FIVE degrees. it then takes a hor-
izunial direction, until We arc brought
at Il distance of abOst one hundred
Yards from the entrance, TO the first
=, ON which, from It's situation, we call
cd tic lobby. The passage approaches
this room about ten feet above the level
of it iioor, md al some places it j,
PERPENDICULAR. but the descent into the
room is down the rock somewhst in the
form Of steps, This room contains
some specimens Of beautiful spar.
Here we tried to take the bearings Of
the room. but found from the proximity
of Minerals or some unknown cause,
that the iu-uuments were rendered
wholly useless. Leaving the room we
proceeded in direction which seemed
TO be west and south west, and down
the side Of the mountain. THIS passage
has som cthing the appearance of a
large stairway. After descending, rs
we supposed quarter OF mile, the
passage became very straight aud
smooth, and gradually enlarged until
we perceived that We stood in front OF
a room. whose dimensions, from tue
lieht Of all our candles, We could not
discover. The entrance here, as IN the
room which we FIRST entered. was ten
or fifteen feet above the level OF the
floor. After few moments, however:
by clinging 10 the projections Of spar,
which here appeared like large icicles,
the whole party stood safely upon the
/ floor Of this great room. Here all the
wonders and magnifcence OF the SUBJ
ttrranean world, burst upon us at once.
We found that we stood in a room the
area Of the whole floor was equal to a
quarter OF IN acre. Immediately before
US. and within few feet Of the centre
Of the room, arose a vast column Of
pillar in a great degree combining ar
chit, clural proportions, and run up
about twenty-five OF thirty feet and
supported the dome Of this immense
hail.
THIS column stands on block or
pedestal about three feet in height, and
lhe shape wele it rests upon 1t, is abpu'
ue thickness Of a mans body. 1t then
,w,lls gradually uutil it becomes, at the
distance of twenty feet from it. base,
about the size Of barrel, whence il
continues of the same size, until il
gradually enlarges into It's capital
where it reaches the dome. Strange tC
tell. this vast column is as regularly
aud beautiful, Auted or grooved as il
mad been done with the chisel OF th'
sculptor.
About fifteen feet from the mali
pillar. stands two smaller ones, abou
ten feet In height; and lust at thei
base and nearly between them, is
mall pool OF basin water. Here tn
whole party sat down and unfoldet
their various bundles Of provisions an'
Refreshments, and sticking their can
dies 10 the different pillars, enjoye
their cool collation. with such appetite
and spirits as were naturally superin
duced Ly exercise and the novelty
:, the scene around us. We perceive
. now for the FIRST time, by the unite
! glare OF all our candles, that the Who'll
t OF the arch Of this immense hall va
hung with the most beautiful stalact!te'
and variegated with almost every pos'
BILE variety OF color. In some place
: it was perfectly white, red, gray
yellow, and in others, u was as cles