The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-11-07

like a sea serpent. Great chasms
are spanned by slender ladders, and
you go up! up! gasping and painting
for $50 feet feeling like chimney
sweep, trying to get through fue
half choked by tumbling stones. One
consolation however was that we thus
cut off over mile on the home stretch
and that was an item for was too
wesry to get out of my own way by
this time. and when | got to the no
tel at s o'clock took hot salt bath
and went Immediately to he'd fully
persuaded that | would be unable to
rise on the morrow.
In short time real old Kentucky
supper was sent to my room of hut
tered chicken, baked apples, sweet
potatoes, cream biscuits and numer.
Gus other delicacies To- which | did
ample justice and then slept like
Christian till daylight next day.
Much to my surprise i felt like the
radiant embodiment of perfect health
and comfort when / awoke, and had
no reminder of the previous days 16
mile tramp except a slight tender
ness of sole caused from stepping on
the sharp stones.
After an early breakfast, with more
chicken done in the delicious Old
Kentucky style, our party set out at
$50 for the Short Route Of 8 miles.
We had now been reinforced by
bridal couple from New York. The
groom wore exquisite patent leath-
ers that fairly reflected his own hap
py face in their glittering polish but
when he returned the sheen of his
shoes was gone, they were scratched
and mud stained and he stepped as
if he was walking on pins and nee
dies, for they were new and tight, and
patent leather is as inhexible as Fate
and wont yield an inch, The bride
wore dainty French heels and must
have become sadly fatigued by the
unaccustomed achievement of 5 miles
before dinner
For some distance the route is the
same as on the previous day. The
most of the stalacties are found on the
short route. Here quite appropriately
we have the
BRIDAL ALTAR
made by several large stalactites. We
all laugh and look at the New Workers
but they are studying the dome and
gre no sign. Nine couples have been
married here. The first marriage oc-
cured because young lady had prom
Used her mother she would never
MARRY CERTAIN MAN con THE FACE OF
THE EARTH
So she came here and was married
under the face OF the Earth. Trust
woman for getting out of difficulty,
when she wants to.
The pillars of Hercules are colossal
stalactites extending to the floor and it
is said by learned men that 946, 900
years were required to build them to
their present dimensions. In Regis
ter Hall there are thousands of visiting
cards of people from all parts of the
world, fastened in amongst the bosses
and rosettes of gypsum on the walls.
A much more Objectionable method
was taken by travellers to perpetuate
themselves before the use of lamps
When candles were carried many per-
sons would tie them to long poles and
smoke their names on the ceilings in
heavy black letters There are thous-
ands Of them defacing some OF the
most beautiful walls and ceilings OF the
cave.
The dates are mostly 1887 and SO and
all we now know Of them is that they
had candles and their parents had
fools
called one nameless pit the Chamber
of Horrors. 1t was enclosed in
circular wall six feet high and the
opening went far below. II was dark
and Shiny, and the wet dark walls
absorbed the light and gave out no ray
from their gloomy sides. There was a
eeaseless measured drip, drip, like heavy
gouts of clotted blood dripping from the
scene of some secret murder above. 1t
oppressed one Ikea nightmare it was
such moist, damp, disagreeable spot,
and that hideous drip, drip, falling from
the silence above and dropping into the
unfathomed, mysterious blackness be-
low was most gruesome and uncanny.
The extent of the Cave is wonderful
and when we remember that the only
chisel has been little drops OF water
edged by carbonic acid acting on the
lime, we are astonished at the mag
nitude as well as the bewildering
variety OF sculpture. There is one
glorious dome extending for four miles
overarching roadway 40 feet wide and
supported by pilasters and buttresses
60 feet high. In many places the walls
are carved and eorniced where they
join the ceiling in the most beautiful
and majestic manner. In others the
side walls and ceilings are smooth and
white rs satin and look as if they had
been s'scum coated" by some cunning
artisan OF other ages.
niche in the wall of the Gothic
Arcade is pointed out as the Seat Of the
mummy. Here was found the dried
bodies of woman and child supposed
to have belonged to some ancient and
extinct race. They probably wandered
in there for refuge and getting bewilder-
ed, starved to death A Mr.. Baker, his
wife and three children went into the
cave many years ago. Their lights
went out and having no matches they
wandered around in total darkness
without food for several days and
nights.
While digging salt petre in Short Cave
near by, in 1878, some miners discov--
Ell ed relic of ancient times. A grave
covered with fiat rock was uncovered
and found to contain the body OF
woman with all her wardrobe along
with her, a case perhaps OF
"RuLING PASSION, STRONG IN DEATH"
She sat with her arms folded and hands
crossed. She was wrapped up in two
deer skins which were ornamented by
vines and leaves marked in white. Next
came woven fabric, similar to those of
the South Sea Islanders.
The hair was red and closely clipped,
the teeth white and perfect, the nails
long, features regular. There was a
wound in the ribs and an injury about
the orbit of the eye. The height was
feet TO- The weight only IA lbs. A
knapsack, reticule, and pair OF san
dals, all of the woven fibre, lay in the
grave The reticule contained feather
head dress, cap of woven bark, strings
of beads, a necklace of fawn hoofs an
eagles claw, bears jaw, folded skins
of rattlesnakes, thread and twine;
needles or avis, deer skin hand piece
to protect the hand in sewing, and two
whistles of cane. The excellent preser-
walton of the body and articles with it was
probably due to the antiseptic properties
OF the earth and air inside the cave.
A long slender tongue of stone juts out
from one of the upper levels far over
frightful abyss; this is called "She'
from similar place described by Rider
Haggard in his book of that name.
The opening just beyond the Giants
Coffin admits into the Labyrinth, a wind
ing way of may intricacy, evidently