The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-09
THE WIND CAVE.
A Recent Visitor Tells About n
Black Hills Wonder.

81. B. Swain of Marquette one of the
best known mining men of Upper Michigan,
was in Milwaukee the other evening on his
return TO the Black Hills, where he intends
to settle. He tells wonders about large
cave which he visited there, and which al
most rivals the celebrated Mammoth Cave of
Kentucky, says the NJ lwaukee Wisconsin.
1t is called the Wind Cave, and is situated
about twelve miles from Buffalo Gap, on the
Fremont, ElllhOrn and Missouri Valley d.
vision Of the Northwestern Railroad. 1t
was discovered SIX ears ago by j. Bingham,
and now belongs to L. Is. Moss and j. ID.
Mcdonald, who have greatly improved il,
and intend to build summer resort there.
Guides are necessary to any one exploring
the cave. The entrance said Mr.. Swain,
us marked by monument of limestone
about twelve feet high and twelve feet at
the base. The first descent is by a series of
steps blasted in the wall of the cave and
short ladders, a distance of about fifty feet.
AT this depth there are a succession of in
Vulnerable large grottoes, called the upper
chambers. New ones are constantly dis
covered. A peculiar feature If this cave is
the draught of air. 1t does not seem to be
controlled or affected by the changes of the
wind, but the current changes several times
in twenty-fOur hours; sometimes 1t is draw
ing or sucking inward and at other times
blowing out ihe pressure IS strong enough
to carry ones hat Ill or out, as the case may
be.
Proceeding into the cavity l saw a num-
Der of large passages and ErOttoes, all deco
rated With stalactlte formations of snowy
whiteness. The different chambers have
been given names, like the oven, the bridal
chamber, the well, which is a hule $50 feet
deep; the prairie dog town, where there are
several mounds with holes in the center,
closely resembling the dog towns Of The
surrounding praires; the church Steeple aud
Others. Then comes a long and tortuous
passage, where one has to crawl over the
cancels back into the postofficr, large
room, 70 feet long, % feet wide and Is
feet nigh. The stalacttes here form
series OF brown boxes edged with white,
along the wall Then comes the cata-
ract-room, fully 30 feet high, where
the stalactiteS take so many fantastic
shapes. Next is Roses misery, a narrow
assure, where we had TO lie fiat on our sides
and draw ourselves through by the projec-
tons on the rocks. This is called after a
man named Rose, who was stuck here until
he nearly persisted. In one place the lime
water falling from the ceiling has produced
shapes called the elephant and the calf,
which the visitor will recognize. provided
his imagination Is vivid enough. A narrow
passage leads to what is called Lovers Re-
treat, a little Off the main passage; this
room is 40 feet long by Is feet wide, IS feet
high, beautifully crystal.ized in diamond
ti0ns forming natural seats.
From this room, through the main
passage, We enter Monument Hall. This
room is fully 100 feet long aud from 5 to Is
feet wide, with many projections from the
floor from two to six feet high and resenl-
bling monuments. The walls and roof are
crysta Lied in the forms of boxes ard snow
flakes This hall extends an unknown dis
lance, but it narrowS down too much to ad-
nit Of entrance. My guide told me he had
been some two hundred feet further than |
went Here found a strong current OF air,
and there is undoubtedly another opening
to the surface.
IF. ON this point we went back to the
Oven, near the entrance of the cave, from
which we crawled through long passage to
the stalagmite room, with stalactite and
stalagmite from floor to roof, with crys.alliz-
alton of frost and boXwOrk. From here we
made half circle through narrow passage
into small room, whence we assembled
sort OF corkscrew passage about sixty
feet long, entering beautifully crysiallized
room about fifteen feet in diameter called
the parlor. From this we went through a
passage said 10 be 1000 feet long. three
feet high, four feet wide. THIS passage
gistens with crystalliZatiOns in all forms.
We then entered large room about fifty
feet by twenty-five feet high, beautifully
crystallized. On entering the cave there is a
cold draught, and one needs heavy clothes
but after dropping about fifty feet we passed
into the dressns-Toom where we left our
surplus clothing. At last we climbed up
forty feet almost vertically, and were aston
ished to find ourselves at the foot of the
hill. Omaha Bee.