Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-18
LOUD GROwL FROM LuRAY.

AOOO 0nVWA ChOM LUhAI.
A Trip % the Cave-whas saw and
DID Not see-Wrcck-Eeaaion and Gen
cra1 Observasions.
Correspondence Of the EVENING stan.
WASHINGTON, d. c., August 16, 1883.
had recently read with much interest PAM
phlet issued by the Shenandoah Valley railroad
company, and also one issued BY s. z. Ammen,
A. NJ. in 1882, giving most glowing descriptions
Of Luray Cave, so on the 18th instant, little
party of US, from Silver Spring and Washington
concluded to engage seats for one Of the regular
excursions given by the B. and o. company each
Wednesday. The train starts from Baltimore,
and leaves Washington at $50 q. m, and it is
supposed to reach Luray in five hours-at halt
past one p. m. There were $50 passengers on
our train-nine cars full We did not reach
Luray until after half-past three p. m.-too
much wreck-reation, car or track, &c.-and the
train usually leaves there to return at o'clock
p. m, and Is expected to be in Washington by
p. m. We did not get back to Silver Spring
until IL p. m. In order to insure promptness
IN securing meals as soon as the train arrives at
Luray. the proprietor of the hotel and restau-
rant sends his agent through the train to see all
tnose passengers who desire meals, to get them
10 puy meal tickets, SO as to secure q real good
dinner-you know %. After we arrived we had
20 wait some time before We could get into the
aln'ng nall at all. and when We had finally got
IN and got seated, it was fifteen or twenty min
utes before we could get fairly "under weigh"
and even then we only had tough, cold roast
beef. boiled potatOes-weli soaked with water
canned peas, bread and butter bad coffee. and
worse tea and no dessert whatever; so we de-
serted, and paid fifty cents to get out Of the
place as soon as possible.
ROuGHING IT TO THE CAVE.
The arrangements to 60 to the cave were very
inadequate. They had only about IS convey
ances in ALL and it was one and one-half miles to
the cave from the station and arough, billy stony
road, so that they were obliged to 90 over and
back three times with the teams to carry all Of the
passengers, and it was after half-past pm
when our party reached the cave. There were
only six guides for the entire party of $50 peo-
pie. so that in each section there were IS per-
sons. Hence, only few persons could see the
guide or hear anything he said after the section
had started. as they all went single file most of
the way. and the track was very winding. Then.
one section of the party often had to wait ten
minutes or more in some Of the chambers for
another section to come back and get out of the
way, so that another one could pass along. The
consequence OF all these delays and bad man.
agement was, we were only able to see about
one-haH OF the usual objects shown.
SUGGESTION OR TWO.
Much Of the delay in the cave could be
avoided, If the company would only put up neat
boards, painted white with black letters. be-
fore each object Of interest in the cave, briefly
describing it; the public could then stand the
paucity and stupidity of the guides much more
serenely; and one waiter to about 40 persons is
only sufncient to produce a very unfayorable
and unsatisfactory impression ON the public
stomach and on the waiter Also
The temperature of the cave is $50, and one
would suppose it would be real cool In there; on
the contrary, the air was close and oppressive,
and in some places SO sitting that some Of our
party had to leave soon after we entered the
cave and 90 back. and the perspiratiOn stood i'm
drops on our faces. Think We should have urned
into petflfied stalagmites or columns Is we had
staid there week or two. There are narrow
board walks and steps nearly all of the way but
they were all muddy, wet and slippery, and
there was no place that was clean at all where
yOu could sit down to rest. The whole extent
OF the cave now open to the public is about three
miles.
THE PLAIN FACTS ABOUT THE CAVE.
The first impressions produced on me, after
having read carefully the glowing descriptions
referred to above, and after having seen the
beautiful cuts in the pamphlets. was decidedly
MISUNDERSTANDING supposed from them that
almost ,chte, like aabaster whereas it is lust the
reverse. They are SO impregnated with the
oxide of iron, and also nearly all of the ceiling
OF the cave generally. that the prevailing color
is rusty brown or yellowish brick color on most
Of the objects, and 1t is only occasionally here
and there. that you see real handsome white
stone pillar or column.
The calcite crystals and cave pearls are pretty
and the helictites Qrom Ok. hesso, to bend or
TWIST, to indicate the cOntOrted line Of growth.
are very interesting and curious: from the fact
that the line Of growth is frequently horizontal
for some distance, and then often upwards. but
seldom dowEwards, they seem to defy the law
of gravitation entirely Then the vibrations of
a few OF the stalactites in the Cathedral Organ
are wonderful, fnasmuch as there appears to be
only very few of them which will give forth
good musical ringing tones in triads-the others
giving only dull, thuddy sounds, without vibra-
tions.
WHERE THE SHINE CONES IN.
1t also requires remarkable stretch ofthe imag-
ination to see what the books and guides want
you to see, and expect you to see, too. or too
% as you please. If soords were horses, then
everybody could ride; but they are poor SUBJ
stitute for ideas,-only faint image at the
best, and how much less for things The descrip-
ton in the guide books reminds me of famous
backing, which was once freely advertised to
''shine' SO beautifully, that water would not
affect it at ALL but only make it look better and
brighter. A person bought a lot Of it, but soon
found it was not at all what it was represented
to be; SO he berated the manufacturer soundly;
but he took the matter very calmly, and merely
that 1.-The shine was all in the adyer-
tisement, he guessed"
The general sameness and dizziness of tone
and color is one Of the principal things which
s'takes the shine off, of the pamphlets, and yet
1 doubt not there are many curious and inter-
esting things to examine at this cave, II more
time and better opportunities were offered by
the companies connected with it.
This cave was discovered in August. 1873, and
is situated in the middle of valley eight or ten
miles wide, between the Blue Ridge mountains
on one side and the Massanutton mountains on
the other. The bed rock is blue limestone and
after the general upheaval took place which
formed these mountains and the valley between
them, which is supposed to have occurred as
early as the lower Silurian period, before any
animal life existed, the process Of excavation