The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-09-12
MISSOURTS MARBLE CAVE,
FEATURES THAT RIVAL THE
GREAT KENTUCKY CAVERN.
A Giant Stalagmite Containing n
Chamber 80 by 40 Feet, i'm
Which is n Pool of Water.


cayerns is well known, but comparatively
few people are aware Of the existence oi
such mammoth system of subterranear
passages as are to be found in the Marble
cave, the entrance to which is situated
on the summit of the Roark Mountain, in
Stone County. eighteen miles southeast
OF Galena, two miles from the Taney
County line, and three miles north OF
White River. 1t is true, nevertheless,
that Southwest Missouri can boast of a
cave containing a chamber 150 feet
high, a stalagmite 800 feet in diameter
at the base, / 80 feet high, inside of
which, sixty feet from the base. is n
chamber thirty by forty feet, lake fif-
teen feet in diameter, and a natural
petrophone if a new word must be
coinedl, on which musical airs can be
played; a chamber filed with the re-
mains of animals, etc.
The entrance to the cave is at the bot
tom of basin shaped like the crater of
a volcano. The remnants are visible of an
enterprise started some time ago for the
removal Of bat guano, of which there
are thousands of tons, from the cave. but
which failed because the transportation
was worth. From windass at the top
of the crater a rope hangs down. BY
holding to the rope we reached the bot
tom of the crater. Next, a twenty.foot
ladder, almost perpendicular, and not
fastened at the top, leads to a platform.
From this dizzy height a ladder sixty
five feet in length rests upon a hill in
the amphitheatre, as the first chamber of
the cave is called. The ladder is made
by splicing together four long pine trees,
and, although il is absolutely safe, one
cannot descend it without fear and trem-
bling, especially if he allows his gaze to
rest upon the depths below. From the
bottom of the ladder further descent of
one hundred and-fifty feet is made, which
is so steep that the hands must aid the
feet in going down. About thirty feet
further to the southwest the bottom of
the amphitheatre is reached, from which
the scenery is sublime and indescribable.
Two hundred feet above, the roof
spreads out like dome, and 800 feet
above and to the northeast the crevice in
the rocks, revealing the sky and admit
ting flood of light, looks like rift in
a dark, lowering cloud. The sixty-fve
AOON Aoa0Si 10 NlSlblt, duU Au6
visitor is thankful that in descending he
was unconscious of the great depths be-
low, but henceforth he breads the de-
scent with an emotion akin to horror.
In portions Of the amphitheatre the eff
fects of an echo are startling. The con-
cave walls send back an echo many times
louder than the Original sound. The
whole amphitheatre resembles theatre
in its general shape, the resemblance
being heightened by stalagmite called
the Great White Throne, situated in the
centre of where the stage should be. 1t
is $50 feet in circumference and fifty-five
feet high. The top is shaped like a
dome, and two-thirds up there is fringe
of drapery extending around it, making
a beautiful scene. The throne inside
may be reached by a winding passage
among the formations. The next passage
to the right leads to stream of water
forty degrees in temperature, and blast
of wintry air. This ice water is pecu-
liarly refreshing after the violent exer-
else of tour through the cave.
The next passage is remarkable one.
1t is 200 feet long, about the size of
barrel and almost perfectly round at the
top. At no point of this passage is there
room to turn around, and on returning one
must crawl backward The passage is as
straight as an arrow. 1t leads into an
animal burying ground. The exit was
SO choked up with the dust from decayed
animals that the chamber could not be
entered. The bottom of the entire pas
sage is filled with dust which, when
stirred up, is suffocating, and hence
great caution is required when exploring
this portion of the cave. The chamber
is flied with dried-up carcases of coons
Of all kinds, 'possums, foxes, and various
other wild animals, some unknown to this
zone, but no stencil arises therefrom, the
only inconvenience being the sutTocation
caused by the dust when stirred. There
is hole in bluff down the mountain
side through which these animals are
to have entered
No idea of the distance travelled over
can be formed, but the proceedings
everywhere are fraught with labor aud
peril. Now we are crawling fat in the
mud next we are straddling with hands
and feet achasm of unknown depth, and
then we are descending a slippery series
of stones. After two hours wandering
our guide said we had Travelled two miles,
but had not taken in half the explored
part of the cave. In one portion of the
cave is the registry room, the walls of
which are adapted to the carving of ones
initials. A passage from this is called
Lost River Canyon, mile up which NAV
be seen Springstead's Throne, forma-
tion 35 by 35 feet at the base, and COM
posed of beautiful statuary and drapery.
The most wonderful feature of the
cas- e, and probably the largest crystal
lied formation in the world is Blondes
Throne, so named from the discOverer.
IL is reached after numerous and peril
Gus descents and ascents, terminating in
a fiat crawl through mud foot thick.
On account of the recent rains the floor
Of the chamber containing this wonder
is covered with water shoe-mouth deep.
Blondes Throne reaches from the floor
to the roof, a height of 130 feet. At tho |
base it is 300 feet in diameter, but it
grows smaller higher up, like a churn.
At a height of 100 feet. cupola
connects with the roof, being a stalactite
Sixty feet from the base
there is a chamber inside about thirty by
forty feet. and in the center a lake tif-
teen feet in diameter, containing water
from two TO four feet in depth. The
water is clear and cool, and is supplied
by drippmgs from stalactites above.
The only inhabitants of the water are
white, eyeless water dogs. The cham.
Der and lake are Telched by easy pass
ages Around the chamber are numer-