Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-04
A WONDERFUL EXHIBITION OF CAVE FORM
ATOMS.

WONDERFUL EXHIBITION OF CAVE FORM
ATOMS
THE SPECIMENS FROM LURsY IN THE NATIONAL
AUSTRIAN INTERESTING DisPLAY-PEcu.
LIARlTIEs OF CAVE Observation-Disclosures
AND srALAGMlTEs.
The variety of the formations which exist in
TINS now celebrated cave is almost endless. and
| the wonderful shapes and forms have already
gwen 70 II reputation which is rapidly becom-
ing national No other cave in this country
possesses such diversified features, and it can
only De compared with the celebrated grotto OF
Auelsoers IN Carniaia which cave is represented
iii the National Museum by two stalagmites.
each VI winch is about six feet long. Although
Tue removal OF specimens from the Luray cave
ihisht appear like asacrifice it has been the wish
Vi the proprietors Of the cave to represent its
formations In the National Museum on account
oi the lnstructivcness of the specimens, and
because they regard the cave as one of America s
so. winch. If possible. should be repre-
se.eu III lts museum. Therefore. in connection
MIN the constructions of passage-ways thu elgh
Tue cave win the Cooperation of the curator of
tne Natlonal Museum specimens have been cx-
nao.eu DIT .hose points where their removal has
uI !aue, not TO represent the endless diversity
oi ihltatiye forms which the cave contains but
rather to illustrate all
THE IRREGULARITIES OF CAVE FORMATION
anu the principles upon which they depend.
Inc simplest variety of cave formation is made
ny the percoiation of water through the over
lying strata. where it becomes saturated with
carbonate OF lime, and running through an
aperture in the roof of the cavern it deposits it's
salts III the form commonly taken by icicleS.
IN! me wafer which does not evaporate while flow
ing over TINS stalactite drips from it's end on to
the moor OF the cavern and the floor is thereby
covered with smooth deposit of carbonate of
l Illile, ana stalagmite grows up from this bot
TOM toward the stalactte. This formation is
represented in the specimens sent, by stalac-
.te three leet long. and a smooth portion OF the
oase Oh the cave from which very beautiful
white stalagmite ascends to a height of three
feet.
THIS VARIETY OF FORMATION
is subject to endless diversity: sometimes the
stalactltes are grouped together in the most
beautiful forms, and so little water drips from
the end that it does not flow over the base of
the cavern, but eyaporates entirely upon the
stalagmite, and gives to it very peculiar and IL
regular shapes which are however. often ofrare
beauty 10 represent this, specimen composed
Oh group OF several ciclelike stalactites. three
ana a-half feet in length, is accompanied by
taiaSmte fivefeet in length, which stala gmiteis
iiiOco iSliai Ill lOFll. Inc pOlnuS upon
which the drippings of each of the stalactites
ieii, are represented plainly by peculiar forma-
lions which have been thus produced. and the
whole effect of this stalagmite is both remarka-
Die ana beautiful. Contrary to the ordinary
form, this stalagmte is much larger at the top
IMAM at the bottom, and it illustrates an interest
ing form of growth
Another form OF a stalactite is produced when
the water which percOlates through the roof of
the cavern Is SO small in amount and enters the
cavern so very slowly that it all evaporates upon
the roof OF the cavern or upon the sides of the
stalactites. Under these circumstances no sta
laSmite is formed beneath, and the stalactites
assume strange and fantastic forms which are
endless in their diversity. This is represented
by large mass which resembles
A PETRIFIED BANK OF MOSS,
and Is covered with most beautiful forms
Another peculiar style Of formation is pro-
duced when large number of little stalactites
close together upon the roof of the cavern. drop
Their waters upon the base of the cave and thus
produce extremely complex stalagmites, often
composed of innumerable points and concretion-
airy structures, the forms Of which are still fur
ther complicated by the scattering of the water
as IL strikes. This formation is represented hy
most peculiarly formed stalagmite which
weighs zoo pounds; and by a second ridge-hke
form which was built up by the drippings OF a
row of stalactites and which weighs several
hundred pounds.
ierhaps the most beautiful formation Of all
which occurs IN the cave is the so-caled
''DRAPERY FORMATION
water, Which comes from a crack in the cell
ing or which flows along upon the roof for lit
Tie distance before dripping, may give rise
to the formation of thn fiat, or wavy stalactites
which resemble the folds of drapery and which
are very common in Luray Cave. These often
cOmplne themselves INTO most marvellous forms
OF beauty. This is represented in this set of
specimens by staactite which is three feet
wide upon the top and which falls in the form
of folded draperies and attains the length Of
three and half feet As this drapery grew. the
point from which. the water dripped upon the
corresponding stalagmite was constantly vary
ing, and the result was that the cor
responding staagmite grew diagonafy up-
ward from the floor of the cave, it's apex being
always beneath the point Of the staactite All
the other stalagmites grew vertically. This is
very beautiful and instructive specimen. and its
parts. ike all the other specimens. will be placed
together in the same relative position which
they occupied in the cave. When these speci-
mems are placed together, space will be left be-
tween them in which the twenty smaller forms
can be arranged in such a manner as to illus
trate their method of occurrence: These smaller
forms represent the various other STYLES of cave
formation. There are stalactites. which, accord
ing to the processes before described. have as
sumed very peculiar forms. some of which have
grown in curves. and have even grown upward:
there are the cOncretiOnary forms, which are
found in the pools of water there are the crys-
tails, which form upon the base of the little lakes:
there are the smooth cave pearls, which form in
the agitated waters.
Carbonate OF lime. as is well known to min
eralogists, crystallizes in two distinct forms
one OF which is in its normal form. hexaponal
and is called calcite; the other is rhombic, and
is called aragonte.
IT Is A STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCE
that both of these forms of carbonate of lime are
abundant in the cave. They are combined in
some of the stalactites, and specimens are found
upon the floor of the cave which contain both
species in well crystalliZed forms. Toths differ
ence in crystalliZation some of the peculiar fea.
lures OF the stalactite and cave formations are to
be attributed, and these different crystaizations
are well represented among the specimens sent
to the museum. 1t is believed that when these
specimens are placed together they will form the
most COmDete and beautiful eyhihitiona Of coo