Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-09-04
For the SPECTATOR
Weyer's Cave, Va.

L GnlnK the description given III Mr.. j
L. MOhler's pamphlet renders any attempt
of mine to describe it unnecessary, but |
think one or two characteristic features are
worth adding, and a comparison with other
caverns may give u clue to causes which
produced the stalagmite gallery, referred
to on page 8, So.
In approaching from Weyer's Cave de-
pot on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad /,
one trave1ses portion of the Valley OF
Virginia, situated on the branches forming
the north fork of Shenandoah River The
old Blue Ridge in front forming the east
ern horizon, while to the southwest Eliot's
Knob towers above the outskirt ranges of
Allegheny. Soon after crossing the middle
branch of the north fork of the Shenan-
doah, by a gradual rise the steep cliffs
overhanging the eastern fork are reached
there two branches unite few miles lower
down Ito the north) at Port Republic at an
elevation of one thousand feet or so above
the sea. The fall of the valley is here
nearly Is feet to the mile in direction
about north northeast.
Weyer's Cave is above the southern ex-
trenity of the Masanutton hills, which oc-
cupies the middle Of the valley to the
north. In the vicinity are trap-dilzes. The
| dip OF the strata is at very high angle,
| from 200 north to about 300 south, and the
line of upheaval about south southwest. to
north northeast. This vertical dip causes
the most notable feature of the Cave.
The Mammoth Cave of Kentucky is tier
| upon tier of chambers cut in the nearly
horizontal strata of the beds which slopes
SO gradually from the Virginia line to un-
derneath the Mississippi. Luray Cavern
is now hollow chamber inside rounded
hill, the remnant of the old denuded bed
of the valley. But Weyer's Cave, espe-
cially ''Washington's Hail." runs like a
side drive in the Belgian coal-feld horizon
tally through one bed or series of beds of
the nearly vertical strata, bounded to right
and left by side walls of the adjacent and
harder beds. There are several such ''side
drives" parallel to one another and having
their floors at about the same level though
cut through other sets of. beds, which are
geologically above or below those through
which the neighboring caverns run, and in
places through the wall beds are passages
connecting these ''side drlves.'' Thus, the
roof being formed of strata On edge the
surface water percolates freely downward
between the beds, and causes but little de-
struction of the roof, which has all the ap-
pearance of longitudinal granting, except
in the crossways, where it has that of trans
verse girders. In the fiat strata of the
Mammoth Cave the width of the chambers
was determined by the rate of latitudinal
wear in soft strata and the length of time
which might elapse before some deepening
OF the channel gave relief to the sides by
lowering the water level, and if too great
width was thus obtained, some of the un-
supported roof would ia Il in; but here the
roof is like the keyed arch of tunnel, the
sides 1t IS that are of the harder beds, so
the tendency Of surface water would be to
continue its downward course between the
beds till it produced springs at some out
crop of the strata. No Cave would thus
be formed, or, at most, only pot holes at
the softest portions of the softer beds.
These Caves then must have been the
waterways for streams draining much larger
areas than the mere surface edge of the
galeried beds. Such streams have existed
only so long as the open drainage of the
county was at an elevation, which afforded
them also fair share of the water supply
of that basin. The low grade of the floors,
and the uniformity of level in the parallel
and distinct chambers, give additional
weight TO the argument that this was once
and for long time the drainage level of
the Valley, though the present river flows
some 30 feet below the lowest visited Dor
ton of the Cave.
As pointed out in o paper read before
the Manchester Philosophical Society eng
land) in the successive tiers of chambers in
the Mammoth. Cave the streams had each
cut down to a hard strata and continued to
use that level, only drilling few pot holes,
till the lowering of the outside drainage
had allowed the water to escape from the
bottom of such pot holes through some
lower strata of soft beds; so here, the ele-
waited position of outside drainage had, by
discouraging deep cutting, afforded time
for the removal Of the whole width and at
q uniform level Of the soft strata, and even
at places for the formation of shoals and
stalagmitic banks. Afterwards, farther
depression of drainage level outside allowed
OF deeper excavation in the side drives and
OF removal of the rock from under the
hard stalagnite shoals, thus leaving them
as balconies, i. e., ''the galleries." D. g..
This may also be an explanation of the
tables or slOping broad formations seen
hanging to the bottom of stalactites like
some inverted toadstools. Where, at times,
the streams cut into or through the side
walls, it is not improbable that they did so
at less hard places, and such cross-cuts, in
termittent one below another, produced
bridges" of native rock
The water now entering the Cave from
above finds its way between the beds, bring
ing the deposits Of fine clay found in the
Cave and the variedly colored impregna-
tions which beautify its stalactites
One of the most curious instances of light
and shade is repeatedly noticeable in these
rayless chambers. Shiningly white surfaces
in the midst of the darker rocks give the
appearance, when seen by the ordinary
candle-light, of openings in the rock and
glimpses of daylight
G. DARBIsHIRE, F. r. G. S.