Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-06-11

that it furnishes a good position iol
the music, whenever balls are given
/ in these submundane regions. The
ladies' are accommodated with a
convenient Dressing Room, thc ON
~ opening TO which communicates
directly with the Ball Room.
You leave this room 10y a gradual
ascent of forty-two feet at the south
ern extremity. This acclivity is
called The Frcnchman's Hill, from
the Observation-Disclosures Some
years since, a French gentleman
visited the Cave, accompanied on
ly by the guide they had safely
gone through, and returning, had
reached this hill, when by some ac-
cident both their lights were ex-
tinguished, and they were left in
Egyptian darkness, without the
means of rclighting them. Fortu-
nately, the guide, from his accurate
knowledge of localities, conducted
him safely to the entrance-a dis
tance of more than five hundred
feet.
Another gentleman by the name
of Patterson, has immortallzed his
name by attempting the same feat,
although it was a complete failure.
| Hearing of the Frenchman's adven-
ture, he sent his company ahead,
and undertook to find his way back
without a light, from the Ball Room
to the entrance. He succeeded in
ascending the steps, but had pro
ceeded only a few PAGES farther,
when his feet slipped from under
him, and he was laid PROSTATE in
an aperture, where he lay unhurt
until his companions, alarmed at
his protracted absence, returned
for him. His resting place is called
Pattcrson's Grave, to this day.
From the French Hill, long,
irregular passage extends, in a y.
W. direction, which is denominated
the Narrow passage. This passage
is ffty.two feet long-from three to
| five feet wide-and from four to
eight high. 1t leads you to the
brink Of a precipice twelve feet
high.
Natural indentations in the face
of this prccipicc, afford a cOnye.
nicnt means OF descent, and these
natural steps have received the
name of Jacobs Ladder. To cor
respond with this name, as in Solo
mons Temple, everything is named
after the Patriarch Hat rock op-
posite to the end Of the Narrow
| Passage, is Jacobs Tea Table and
a deep, inaccessible pcrforation in
the rock 10y its side, is Jacobs Ice
| house Descending the Ladder,
YOU turn 10 the left, and pass
through a narrow opening, still
continuing to descend though less
pcrpcndlcularly, to the centre of a
small apartment called the Dun.
geon.
This room communicates immc-
diately with the Senate Chamber,
over nearly half Of which stretches
n thin fiat rock, at the height Of six
or eight feet from the floor, forming
a sort of gallery, which probably
suggested the name which has been
given to the room.
Senate Chamber communicates
by a high, broad opening, with a
much larger apartment, called Con
grcss Hall,-an appellation be
slowed rather on account of its
proximity to the last mentioned
room than from anything particn
larly appropriate in the room itself
K is long, and like the Ball Room
runs at right angles to the main
path, which winds to the left, as
YOU enter. Its course is nearly y
and S. and a wall, perforated il
many places, runs through its whole
length. Instead Of pursuing the
customary route, we will turn to the
right and explore the dark recess
that presents itself
The floor of Congress Halls yer!
uneven, and at the northern ex
tremity rises somewhat abruptly
IF you climb this ascent, and pas
through one Of the perfOrations il
the wall above mentioned, yOu cal
see through the whole extent of th'
other halt of the rOOm,-but canno
, traverse it, on account Of two o
three deep pits that occupy TIN
whole space between the western
side of the room and the wall.
Turning to the right of the open
ing through which you just passed
your eye vainly attempts 10 pene
tratc the deep, dark abyss that II
presented to view, and you hesitate
to descend. It's name-The Infer
nal Regions docs not offer man,
inducements to enter it; in addi
ton to this, the suspicion that j
contained fixed air, for many years
deferred the curious from visiting
it, and consequently it has not un
til recently, been thoroughly ex
plored.
In the spring Of 1888, ! determln
ed at all hazards to explore thi'
room-for doubted the existence o
any bad air, as | had never detect
ed any in the course Of extensive
researches in almost every part OF
the Cave. Ny brother and the