The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-12
Che g%Mtuiaslnek
oMou Nos. aS and 81 Poartoopth street,
The Excursion Of the Educational Conven.
ti0n OF West Virginia.
Correspondence N me AltalilaeeT,

Rome and die" l will not say t
anyone, see Lursy Cavern and die, but w
say to everybody; See Luray Cavern ant
the beautiful valley around it before yor
die, AS merry a party US ever took thu
cars left Mountain Lake Park this morn,
ing at $3.50 and at a little past 2 p. N. ar
rived at their destination, being the point
from which / now write. The excursion
was composed OF 100 or more ladies and
gentlemen, mostly members Of the IVES
Virginia Educational Association, aud wal
under the supervision Of .. Il, Dudroy,
travelling agent OF the b. 4 0. railroad,
ard right royalty did he perform his part
OF the work, After partakinR OF a good
dinner in waiting for us at the restaurant,
We were taken through the cavern Ia
parties Of ten or more. | was prepared to
see o natural wonder, but had f0Ened no
conception OF the magnitude, and espe,
cially the beauty, Of the place. Over the
entrance Is erected a substantial and we'll
arranged building, and from this we enter
the cave, scarcely knowing that Wo are
leaving light for darkness, as the dark-
ness is made lighter than day by the fine
electric light used throughout the cavern,
Descending a stairway for a short distance
we come to the Grand Entrance, S0xl0O
feet in dimensions. This alrlkes the be-
holder with q feeling OF awe at the gran.
deur that bursts upon his vision, Beauti.
tul staiaCIltes hang pendant from the high
ceiling while here and there the slow.
growing stalagmito is raising its head. II
would take q good many letters to give a
complete description OF what we now see
in rapid succession after leaving the grand
entrance, but in this | will only mention
points that interested me most.
The flower garden or potato patch ls it
Ia called by some, comes next in order.
Here we seq grouped together what one
might take for natural flowers and Vegeta,
bles combined Of every hue aud tiLt,
The amphithOatre is vast in extent and
we'll deserves the nane given It, Passing
through the Amphitheatrc wo come to the
Natural Bridge, u beautiful formation
which was no doubt formed just "a 1t now
stands and Is a wonder 10 itaelf. The fish
market Is pointed out Dol after passing
this bridge and ia ono OF the B.rangest
views perhaps in the Whole cavern, It 10
a perfect representation Of iSh hanging as
II for s9ia in market. On being asked
what kind OF fish they Were, the guide re.
piled "RoCk." Rock bass was suggested.
We next entered u large expanse called
the Elm Ramble, from which We passed
TO Pluto's Cavern. This cavern Is 500 feet
in length and rs feet from floor to root
Looking up this the -apeCLer ls beheld,
which Is said to be 40 feet in height, ~
feet Of hlch is visible in dim outline,
having very much the appearance Of a
veritsble ghOstship. Near by we find the
Crystal Spring with its pare llmpid water,
no mineral taste whatever,
The Skeleton gorge or StoneWal
avenue is tho finest scene yet behelu
and wonderful from the fact that at Its
bottom are the outlines OF q human skele.
ton imbedded in tho solid formation,
How We are led to wonder how 1t came
there. As TO It's being q human skeleton
no one can doubt. Whose then ia 1t, OF
what sort Of MANI How came the man
10 wander into this dark abyss? How
long did he live after losing his way?
What horrors must have been endured
until death relieved him Of his agony.
These thoughts and many others come
trooping up to ill the mind as one gazas,
But we must hasten on. We pass the
Swiss cottage, a beautiful little grotto,
having the appearance Of q cottage In fact
Brands cascade, ladieS' toilet, imperial
spring with snow bank Bloping into the
water are very beautiful. We pass the
extension Of PlIto's cavern. Again be.
holding the spectre to our right we behold
the mammoth tooth four ieet in length
with fangs two feet in length; 0berin's
grOtto, hali.mOon bracket, q beautiful rep.
resentation Of breakfast bacon, with
streaks Of fat aud lean, all are passed
rapidly as we hurry on for our walk Is a
long ono for the short time in which We
are to make II.
We paGs an old Indian wigwam, frozen
fountain, Diana's bath room, but put
pause 10 admire the fallen column, which
Is one oil the most wonderful things in the
entire cavern. Our guide informed US
that II has taken 1000 years 10 form the
connection that joins the fallen one to the
one standing, 1000, 600 years to form the
entire column. One OF the party asked
him who made the calculation, but got no
reply. The organ room was visited aud
much admired, more perhaps than any
one thing, and 1t Is wonderful, being a
splendid representation Of the pipe organ,
~stalactites forming the pipes. Our guide
played us a tune, striking the pipes with
a wand. But we must pass rapidly the
beautiful representation Of the angels
wing, rotunda OF the National Capitol, Sar-
acen's tent, Giants hall entrance to the
ball room until We stand In this Cornmo.
dious chamber, 260 feet beneath the sur
face and the lowest point OF the cavern.
The ball room is Cemented on the bottom,
and although 1t has not been used for the
purpose OF dancing, Y would accommodate
many couples. Many other won.
defiul things w0 pass, such as
the Empress column, hollow column,
40 feet In circumference, statuary OF every
kind and shape, but We are hurried again
to the grand entrance and from thore to
the open air after having spent about two
hours under ground. Tho temperature OF
the cavern Is 90 Farenheit, while that Of
the air outside was well up TO 000, 80 any
one can imagine the sensation experlen.
ced on coming into the open air. l
have not tried In thfHhrief sketch TO give
q description Of this wonderful work Of
nature, / cannot do 1t In a newspaper
article. Alta future time l may ate mpt.
/ wish 10 give your readers Just a slight
idea Of the extent Of tho cave, and the
wonderful beauties Of thsscenes presented
10 those exploring It. am satisfied
that II people had tho least idea Of what Is
to be seen there, Thousands would go TO
where ten now 60. Our guide informed
us that an average Of $4,000 people visit
the cavern every yenr. cIose my des.
Cription by saying as l did In the begin.
ming, "st6 Lufay before you de-"
l was surprised 10 hud such q thriving
little town as Is Luray, the county seat Of
Page county, II contains at least 1900
Inhabitants ant 4! &c iiast "a pretty as a pic:
tufe. The scenery from the veranda Of
tho hotel from which ! wFlto ~ simply
understandable, 60 1 will not attempt Il.
hut the whistle sounds the conductors
"all aboatdW Is heard. Wetake the train
At GAO r. VI. and are whlrled down the