Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-12-04


and inspiring beauty, we had never before
seen sequaled. The rays lighting
up the various tints of the turn
ing leaves Of the mighty forests
of the mightier mountains was indeed
sight magnificent TO behold.
We now proceeded to the upper cave,
which is nearly mile up the river IRON
"Moonshiners' Retreat" and is In Preston
county. The entrance to this upper cave
or breathing Cavern, as We named 1t, on
account of a current of air continually pour
ing out at the mouths about one hundred
yards up the mountain side from the right
bank OF the river, and Is about large
enough to admit man of ordinary size, II
he will crawl on his hands and knees, and
in some place lie fiat on his stomach and
work along as best he can. We all crawled
through this low and narrow passageway,
which is 50 or 40 feet in length, when we
reached the first room. We named each OF
the rooms, and the first one
Hyde Room.
This room is circular in shape, about
50 feet in diameter and the roof is about 10
feet high. There is a small stream oi clear
ice-cold water passing through the room IN
which we noticed small fish. To the LETT
of this room, as one goes in, there ls hole
in the roof, about two feet in diameter, and
by winding up through this hole we come
into
Shaffer Room.
This is the smallest one we explored.
II is eight feet in diameter and the root
eight feet high. Water is continually dripping
forming stalactites and stalagmites ofconsid-
erable length and height. Wherethe water
has trickled down the sides ofthe room for un-
known ages, formations ofthe most grotesque
and fantastic shapes present themselves to
view. Some of these formations so much
resemble large bunches Of ripe bananas that
the explorer almost unwittingly reaches
forth to pluck one from the stem. We next
come to
Greathause Room.
which was named in honor of one OF our
guides to "Mooushiners' Retreat" This
room is fifteen feet wide. seven feet high,
and seventy-fve feet long. About the only
thing of Importance in it Is spring
of excellent water. We pass out OF this
room into
EiIdaw Room,
which is circular in its shape with dame
ter of sixty feet There is a tremendous
rock in its room which occupies fully
tbree-fourths of the space. From the
fat top of this rock to the loof is four feet
From the floor to the roof in the wide rock
around the rock, is eight feet. After leaving
his We 90 into
White Room,
which is also circular in its shape, with q
diameter of 60 feet The roof Of this room
varies from FIVE 20 fifteen feet in height
the greater portion being from ten to fifteen
feet. In this room we discovered great
punches of bats hanging from the roof
Some of these punches were larger than the
ordinary wooden bucket, and it is wonderful
wonderful how they can hang as they do. 1t was
with some difficulty we kept one OF our party
from placing a lighted match to one oI
these punches If he had done so, we
should very likely have had time of it.
We leave the bats TO their darkness and
enter
Eleanor Room,
which is fifty feet in diameter and measures
sixteen feet from floor to roof There is a
great boulder, of most peculiar shape, in the
center ef this room. In the left-hand corner
as it is entered, can be found the
most beautiful formation we discovered
1t is small room, probably four feet in
diameter and elk feet high. 1t is perfectly
round and the roof is in the shape of a
dome. From the center of this dome is
hanging a beautiful stalactite and on the
| floor stands the stalagmite. The whole
room, as viewed from the light looks like
polished marble. Whether or not it is too
beautiful and sacred to be entered BY man
We do not say; but it cannot be entered,
The only way its beauty and symmetry can
be seen and appreciated is to set a light in
side the room and then put your head in
and look around. The only entrance to this
castle is door, or window, of the most per
fec: Gothic shape, but not large enough to
admit the body. After viewing this inter
esting formation, we pass into
Fortney Room.
This is the last room we explored. 1t is
seventy-fve feet long, fifty feet wide and
thirty feet from floor to roof. This is the
longest room discovered and it is the
greatest distance from the mouth Of the
cave. We here retraced our steps, came
out of the cave safely and were soon on our
way home.
Our time was lmitel else we would have
made further explorations We have since
learned of the discovery Of larger and more
magnificent rooms. There is every evidence
of an immense cavern here. Nearly the
the whole mountain is limestone, and in
such formations are found the most exten,
sive and magnificent csverns Of the world.
There are strong indications Of rooms both
above and below the rooms visited.
1t is the intention Of the same party to
take another trip, when they hope to have
no limit placed upon their time, and will be
able to make a more thorough exploration
OF this cavern, and the result will be sent to
the REGISTER, if desired.