The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-06
The Iuray Caves 70 Virginia.


The Tech, the organ of the Massachu-
sets Institute of Technology, publishes
description of the Luray Caves in Vir-
ginia. which have been known to the
public.for the past five years. They
were discovered in 1873. The writer OF
this paper says:
The entrance to the caverns is through
a narrow passage about twenty-five feet
in length, leading into room of mod
crate size, where the attention of the
visitor is arrested by the hundreds of
stalactites and stalagmites around him,
forming all sorts of curious shapes. But
one soon learns to regard these things as
common, and contentedly hurries on
with the guide to see some of the won
derful Resemblance to the things of the
outside world.
Adjoining the grand entrance hall is an
apartment called the fish market, where
the lime has so taken the shape of strings
of fish that the resemblance to our
own fish markets is quite apparent,
though the writer was at a loss to deter
mine the peculiar species. Some, how
ever, better versed in the science
of zoology, unhesitatingly pronounce
them to be a species of bass, perch,
shad, mackerel, etc; at least, SO says
the guide. Winding through various
corridors leading into rooms of differ
cent dimensions, and passing by gigantic
columns and deep gorges, notably the
rift called Pluto's Chasm, about seventy
five feet deep and five hundred feet in
length, through which we are told the
god is supposed to have borne Proser-
pine to the under world-we finally
come to the Giants Hall, which is es-
pecially interesting as containing the
organ and the fallen column. a huge
mass of limestone twenty-five feet in
length, the age of which, as estimated
| by some scientists, is several millions of
years.
This statement may at first seem
strange, but after considering the follow
ing experiment we no longer doubt the
assertion. A glass tumbler was placed
beneath some dripping lime water, that
the time taken to form an incrustation
might be observed, and at the end of five
years crust not more than one eighth
| of an inch in thickness was formed under
the most favorable conditions. The
organ is composed of stalactites and
stalagmites, which have formed con-
tinuous columns from ceiling to floor,
which not only resembled the pipes OF
an organ but to some extent give forth
actual musical sounds, soft and sweet.
| The writer regrets to say, however, that
Yankee Doodle was the tune whose
notes desecrated the sanctitied cathe-
dral of the deceased giant.
The Wet Blanket is, however, voted
by all the most perfect and interesting
| phenomenon in the cave. In dark
corner of the cavern the lime has the
form of large sheet suspended from
the roof Towards the end of this sheet
have been formed, by the precipitation
of iron, two red bands about two inches
in width, which, with the yellow color
given to it by the dripping water, take
on the appearance of q veritable wet
blanket.
OF especial scientific interest are the
helictites-rare formations, which pro.
ject horizontally from the walls of the
cave from two to three inches. These,
the guide-book tells US, are due to slow
crystalization taking place on surface
barely moist from material cOnyeyed.tC
the point of growth by capillary move
ment. 1t is hard to control the desire
to pull off these helictites and otheI
specimens as one passes along. But th'
exercise of this will power is helped in ,
great measure by the mechanic spirit
of this under world, gnomes and imps'
in the shape of little darkies. who dar
from shadow to shadow, behind column
and angle, to watch that we do no harm
to the marvellous handiwork" Their,
is, moreover. further inducement t,
,, keep ones hands off, in fine OF iron
five to one hundred dollars for ever
l specimen broken. Ii is, therefore, rattle
an expensive place for over zealou
specimen hunters; but the writer woul
advise all others who travel South b
the beautiful Shenandoah Valley t
spend day at Luray and see for then
selves its wonders.