The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-18
A WONDERFUL CAVERN.
Charles Dudley Warmers Description
NJ lnrAy Cave.


In the vestibule of Luray Cavern, vir-
ginia, is monster pillar, very highly
Huted, about twenty-five feet in d.
ameter, called Washington's column.
All the chambers and most OF the OBJ
iects in the caverns have been named
and generally from their resemblance to
natural or artificial objects. From the
yestibule we enter long narrow pas.
sage called the Vegetable Garden, from
its displays of vegetable forms, very
good limitations of potatoes, carrots, and
the like. We then enter the theatre,
great audience hall, and thence to the
fish market. Here hang along the walls
as if for sale, but perfectly sweet in this
constant temperature, varieties OF fish.
almost perfectly formed, even TO
the white bellies and the
wiggle in the tall one can iden'
.ify the shad, the perch, the mackerel
and the illusion is perfected by tho
trckling moisture, which gives Shiny
look to the objects. There is the Ei6n
Ramble, Enthusiastically ornamented, six
hundred feet long and three hundred in
breadth, and beyond that Pluto's
Chasm, u rift five hundred feet long, ten
broad, and seventy deep, a dive into
subterraneang gloom. From this polntare
wonders on every side. In the distance
is seen suspended in air, projected on
the darkness, a white spectre. We pass
on to a miniature lake, where the forma.
ton Of crystals is still going
on. the Bridal Chambers,
with its delicately velled and stalag-
mites, and its long, trailing arms Of ala
baster; to the Giants Hall with columns
of Egyptian massveness and sculptur-
ings or Grecian fneness. And we here
pass near other objects-Dianas Bath,
Titania's Veil, and the Saracens Tent,
the latter perfect representation ofthe
folis Of conical tent, with the curtains
drawn aside i'm front. Elsewhere Is
throne with a hanging canopy: These
objects require no aid OF the lmagina-
ton to make them out. Some OF the
most striking effects are OF hanging
shawls, scarfs and lambreQuins,in in grace
ful folds, and some of them with bor-
ders striped in colors. lllumined by
placing candles behind them the illusion
IL beautiful.
One of the great sightsis the cathe-
dral, q vast, lofty apartment with glgan.
tic columns and profuse roof orn amen
tation. At one end is the stone organ,
with it's rows of regular pipes. When
these are struck they produce musical
notes. Striking them in irregular sue
cession with stick, the guide plays
DAYS Of Absence" without missing q
note, and lively quickstep with only
the loss of note or two. There are up
right masses OF alabaster which sound
like drums when struck. In one place
is vast fallen column fifty feet long and
tL;clr I hnnO
pended with its great companions, and
the place in the roof where IT broke OF
il still visible. 1t has lain PROSTATE 80
many ages that stalagmite column has
slowly grown up from the drip on
one end of it. Dropping near it is an
angels wing of alabaster whiteness, ten
feet high and seven broad, tapering like
a wing, and finished on the surface with
feather like sculpture.
Everywhere one sees masses OF gigan-
tic glittering columns, the Tower OF Ba-
bel, the leaning Tower Of Pisa, the Sui
tana, the double column, frozen cas-
cade and hundred wonders. There 10
a very good imitation CT al elephants
head and trunk, the long neck and head
of a camel, with the dropping lip
Through the hollow column it is said an
ascent can be made 70 2 chamber sixty
ted by the retreating form o an alabas--~
ter lady in party toilet. Her head is
bid by the jamb of the doorway, but
saws truly visitor, the rounded sh0ul-
ders, delicate arms, shapely waist, and
long flowing skirt and train, pfofusely
ornamented are all there. 1t has been
named Cinderella Leaving the Ball."
Beyond this. by the way of the Bridge
Of Signs, one comes to Skeleton Gulch.
At the bottom Of this, in q narrow
trench are several human bones more
or less imbedded in the calcereous drip.
made ont clearly an arm bone. From
the amount of drip over these bones
they have probably lain here 200 years.
Nobody knows who left the skeleton
here or his object in leaving it here.
but the notion gains ground that these
are the bones Of q characteristic much
heard of since the war, fossil politi.
clan.
One of the minor curiosities in the
floor of one chamber is q birds
nest containing three small white birds
eggs, pebbles rounded by the action Of
water. The guide, who is q man Of
truth, swore that the nest and eggs were
found exactly as we saw them. When
he asked me il did not believe 1t,
told him that / believed anything he
said so long as was underground with
him and he was the only man present
who knew the way out.
| understood the guide TO say that the
lowest point we descended in the cave
IL 2GO feet below the entrance. have
nothing more to say of /: except that l
believe 1t is the most highly ornamented,
fantastic, bewilderingly beautiful piece
Of work known TO man that nature has
any where executed unaided. But then
we know very little more about the
earth beneath us thai. 3.ort heaven
abOve.--Charles Dudley Warmers Lur.
T.