Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-02-21
THE WONDROUS CAVE OF LURAY
1.-The American.l

THE American.
For nearly three score and ten years
Luray was one of the most obscure towns
in Virginia. Situated in the midst Of the
magnificent Shenandoah valley, its inhab-
itants, simple and industrious people,
knew little or nothing of the great world
beyond the lofty mountains which sur
rounded their homes. The discovery of
the caves five years ago in the vicinity of
the town has made Luray one of the most
famous places on the American continent,
ranking with Niagara Fails, Watkins Glen,
the Natural Bridge, and other great
natural curiOsities which abound in the
United States. There is local tradition
that Peter Ruffner, a descendant of one of
the early settlers of the Shenandoah val
ley, while hunting wild game, disappeared
and was not seen for two or three days,
mouth of a cave led to his discovery. He
was alive, but half dead with hunger and
fright. 1t was not, however, until the 18th
of August, 1878, that what are now known
as the Luray Caverns were discovered and
partially explored by Andrew j. Campbell.
The mouth of these caverns is about 32O
PAGES northeast of the cave which was ac-
cidentally discovered by MIR. Ruffner. As
soon as the discovery was made public,
artists and newspaper correspondents Wis
tied the place and the wonders of the Lu-
ray Caves were spread far and wide. The
arrangements for seeing the cave are now
very complete. In September, 1881, they
were lighted with electricity, which en-
ables the visitor to examine the marvellous
beauties which are spread out before him
with perfect ease. Descending stairway
of solid masonry sixty feet, the visitor finds
himself in a lofty arched room forming the
ante-chamber to the cave He is at once
astonished by the bewildering array OF for
nations that surrounds him in every di-
rection. On the right is the original open
ing through which the first discoveries en-
tered 1t is now closed from without.
Specimen avenue" extends 100 feet to the
left, so called because visitors were formerly
allowed to carry off specimens OF the for
nations, practice which is now prohibited.
A natural "Blacksmith's Shop" composed
of two anvils and a heap of cinders, next
attracts attention. Proceeding few steps
further, the washington Pillar" is seen,
magnificent stalagmite of white carbonate
of lime, rising from floor to ceiling A
basin formed by dropping water lies at the
foot of the pillar, gigantic monsters stand
out of the surrounding walls, while huge
brown bufaloes depend from the ceiling
Descending eighteen feet between a petri-
fed cascade and a fossil-hower garden, a
lower floor is reached From thence the
bewildered visitor wanders into vaulted
chambers and labyrinths, each pos
sessing a separate beauty of its
own. At every step a rare and
novel scene delights the eye. Stalactites
hang from the lofty roof in bewildering va
riety and enchanting lov!iness, while from
the floor forest of staiagmites rises in
myriads of formations. Drop by drop dur
ing unnumbered centuries this crystalline
substance has been falling, assuming fam
tastic, grand and beautiful shapes, such as
gnomes, statutes, fluted columns, bridal
wells, towers, angels wings, urns, etc.
One of the widest and most striking
features of the caverns is PlutO'S Chasm,"
an awful gulf, one hundred and forty feet
deep and nearly five hundred feet long On
the back of the chasm stands ProseTpine's
Pillar" brown and white column, while
half way down the gorge appears another
column, resembling spectre waving its
arms One of the most remarkable torma-
tions is the " Fish Market" displaying rows
of stalactites closely resembling catfish and
black bass, which are wet and shiny, and
seem to offer tempting dish for an epi-
cure Passing on through the cavern, a
magnificent hall is entered, of oval shape
and surprising every thing made by human
hands Its lofty roof is fretted by count
lae i,, lalic In, tho
center of this spacious apartment large
pillar or white rock of great beauty arises,
while in every direction strange and ghost
ly forms of purest white CLEAN in the light
like SO many half-fnished statues in an
artists studio. Still advancing, the visitor
sees limpid streams, ,diminutive lakes snowy
cascades and crystal springs and pools. In
the ''Naiad's Bath" a double column
stands, one-half of which is stalactite
reaching from the ceiling to the floor, and
is fifty feet; the other portion of the col
umn is stalagmite, which rises from the
floor to a distance of thirty feet; it is
formed of successive stories, rising one
above the other and subdivided into dimin-
utive columns A little further on the at
tention is attracted by lofty pillar called
the Empress Column" 1t is thirty feet
high and composed OF beautiful flutings
and carvings; it is dark at the bottom, but
becomes white near the center, and ter
inmates in delicate pink tint. Other
pillars in this immediate vicinity support
turban-crowned sultana and an Indian
squaw. The Comet Column" and the
Hollow Column" also deserve mention.
More conspicuous than any of these is an
exact representation of the dome of the
Capitol at Washington, erected on a mass
of fallen stalacites. In the Round Room"
stands symmetrical column seventy feet
in height and of various cOlOrs. Leaving
this portion of the caverns, the Ball
Room" is entered-a spacious apartment
100 feet long Here the young people of
Luray occasionally meet ito chase the
glowing hours with flying feet" In pass
ing the "Ball Room" various glittering
figures are seen. Among these, the most
striking is cinderella Leaving the Ball."
her flowing garments and fragile figure at
tracing great admiration.
ChicagO's New Educational Move.
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