St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-09-04

pulpit HdtV lISluthOiy OCSu
preached there to audiences during the
past fifty years, to audiences seated OH
| logs which are as sound now as they
were when first placed there a half
century ago.
Next we were conducted into Grand
Arch, so feet high and go wide, when on
| our right, lay an immense rock, about
4S feet long, known as the Giants Coffin,
from the fact that it is as perfectly
formed as any burial case could be. On
the ceiling, nearly over the Giants
Coffin, is the perfect figure of an Ant
Eater, composed of black gypsum.
After passing an acute angle, we saw
on the ceiling several more dark gyp-
and the group is known as the Giant,
Wife and Child. These last were of
cloud-like formation.
| The Star Chamber, which we next
entered, is one of the most interesting
places in the Cave. 1t is about 500 feet
| long, 70 wide and 60 feet high; the cell
ing is covered with black gypsum, stud
ded with numerous white points, which,
by lamp light, closely resemble stars.
In one corner, IL large white piece looks
like comet. Our gnide here took all
the lights, left us, passed behind the
rocks, and the rcceding shadows passing
| over the ceiling looked precisely like an
| approaching thunder storm. Finally,
| Mat and the lights entirely disappeared,
when feeling of awe Overcame each
of us, and we realized how terrible it
must have been to the various persons
who strayed away from their parties,
| had their lights extinguished, leaving
them to grope in utter darkness. In
almost every such case, the dread OF
falling into some OF the many chasms,
or of never being rescued, drove them
crazy. No person unacquainted could
find his way out of the Cave, even with
a lamp. When our guide finally re-
appeared from the lower passage-way,
far on our left, the distant light was IA
good representation of sunrise.
As we did not have time to traverse
the whole length of the Main Cave, we
here retraced our steps, but at some
future time hope to see the points of
interest beyond, namely, Procotor's Ar
cade, Kinney's Arena, Wright's Rotunda,
Nicholas Monument, Fox Avenue, the
Black Chamber, Fairy Grotto, Solitary
Cave, Chief City, etc. This terminates
what is called the Short Route.
The Long Route, which is nine miles
long, can be entered near the foot of the
| Giants Coffin, but our guide, to save
time, took US in by Martha's Palace,
which we reached 10y passing a steep
pair of steps, called the Steps of Time.
The Palace is 40 feet high and 60 in
diameter.
Next we passed through the Arched
Way, which shows it was once the
channel OF a river, and then reached
the Side Saddle Pit and Minerals Dome.
The Pit is 80 feet deep and 90 feet wide,
and the Dome, 30 feet to the left, is a
| rock 70 feet high and 10 wide,
We passed over the so-called Bottom
less Pit, on a wooden bridge, called the
Bridge of Sighs, and when our guide
threw a light to the bottom, 175 feet
deep, we realized the aptness of the title
Of the bridge. Near this Pit is Shelby's
Dome, 60 feet high.
Then we passed through kercler's
Hall, 40 feet in diameter and 90 feet
high. and long low archway, only four
feet high, named the Valley of Humility,
we stood before the Scotchman's Trap.
in the rocks, which we descended by
| ladder, and Immediately over the open
ing hangs a huge rock which looks as if
it might fall at any moment and entrap
the party. In this lower cavern, the
water has cut fantastic shapes in the
rocks, forming, among other things,
an immense Shanghai Chicken. A little
farther, we with difficulty passed very
crooked and exceedingly narrow pas
sage, so yards long, properly called Fat
Mans Misery. The water has here cut
this crooked channel from to s feet
deep in the hard rock, and in some
| places man crowds through with
difficulty, and the whole distance it is
quite awkward to push through.
Great Relief, which we next entered,
is from 40 to 60 feet wide and from . to
30 feet high.
| The BACON Chamber received its name
from the masses OF projecting rock which
look like hams.
Here we found considerable dampness,
and Green River was swollen, and Echo
River which is the Cave portion of the
former, had risen so high as to cut off
much farther progress in that direction.
| When the water is down, the voyager
passes The Dead Sea, with water 20 feet
! below, being Is feet deep, 30 wide and
| so long; the River Styx. Lake Lethe,
the Great Walk, to Echo River, which
| they descend thrce-fourths Of a mile in
boats, when the journey is continued
by land, where some Of the prettiest
scenes of the Cave are viewed.
We much regretted that we could not
proceed farther, but retracted our steps
to the Main Cave, hen we. turned to
the left and entered the Gothic Arcade
by ascending steps 10 feet high. Here
! is located the Seat of the Mummy, a
niche where a dried up Indian woman
and child were found; the Post Oak. a
large stalactite which extends from the
floor to the ceiling, and the Register
Room, 800 feet long, 40 wide and from
8 to is high, on the white ceiling of
which many visitors have written their
names with cllarred sticks.
The Gothic Chapel is a lovely spot.
the. ceiling befng Supported by grand
There was a great deal more beyond
which we did not have time nor strength
i then to see, but intend to do so at some
future day. All of us were delighted
| with the grandeur of the place to which
no pen can do justice. AS we returned
| toward the surface of the earth, our
good -natured guide related many an
ecd0tes of. the place. Among other
| things, he told us of q dutiful daughter
/ of Kentucky, who, after promising her
mother on her death bed that she would
| not marry a certain young man on the
| face of the earth, came to the Cave with
| him and was legally welded by a
| minister.
| We found we had walked about FIVE
/ miles, during those four or five hours,
and all We're astonished that we were
| not more fatigued. As we regarded the
surface of the earth, it seemed as If VIC
were entering a hot 0ren, so intOlerabie
1 and disagreeable was even the mid
| night open air.
| The following day We resumed our
| Journey to Cincinnati, near the oil re-
gion Of Pennsylvania, and direct to
| Niagara Falls. What we saw there, and
in this beautiful city Of Baltimore, as