The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1891-09-25

1T this point Should we takes he
passage 70 cur left we would sool.
bewhefe The scenes of Wlchlo's
Division would dazzle cur eyes.
But we are admonished that we
must keep a straight course as we
have already been in the cave
about three hours. So we push
on and in due time we arrive at the
"Fallen Flats" Immense flat rocks
ten to twelve feet long and six to
eight feet wide and two feet thick
seem to be cleaved from the roof
and dropped to the floor. Here
we rested, for the fallen rocks af-
ford a convenient place to sit. To
test the quality of the darkness we
extinguish our candles.
If the darkness and density of
Stygian recesses is any more in
tense than the darkness of that
cavern, no wonder that we hear of
the woe of the lost. The darkness
is so dense that it is oppressive
and it is with a sense of relief that
we saw the glimmer of a lighted
lucifer in the hands of our guide.
From here we soon reached what
our guide called the "Cliff Climb
cr's Delight" and what was it?
Holding high u candles We en-
deavored to see the top of a hole
about two feet in diameter.
We are told that this hole we
must go up through. The climb
was not to exceed fifty feet but
it vas an undertaking fraught
with some danger, but we scaled
it in safety. At the top we I'M
merge into a room circular in form
that seems to have been the home
of some great maelstrom. The
sides have every evidence of be-
ing water worn. The floor and
walls are different from what we
have hitherto seen. Earth covers
the floor, in some places OF the
consistency Of mud.
The walls and projecting por-
tions of the roof are of a soft sub
stance. 1t has the appearance of
being decayed gypsum. We make
a detour around this room, all
the time making elevation until
finally we reach a shelf-like plane.
We turn to III left, stoop and
pass under down hanging rock
and enter the "Garden of Eden"
Whatever of beauty we may
have seen before, it is all eclipsed
by the beauty of this room. Here
we see, in all its gorgeous and
profuse splendor, what has been
called frost work formation.
In this room the calcareous accumu-
%latioas are of pure white or light
creamy white color and in form re-
sembles the accumulations Of frost mp
on the twigs Of a tree on q wintry
morning that has followed a warm
misty night, when the temperature
suddenly fell near morning. Every
jut.ing rock seems. to have been
touched with some mist,c influence
and hung with this fantastic frost
work.
Whatever of hardship we may have
endured to reach this spot, we are am
ply repaid. The temptation to touch
aud take is here strong. But hands of
is the orders.
This beautiful Garden OF Eden if it
could be carried out and transplanted
to Chicago to be on exhibition at the
worlds fair would be worth millions.
Here we rest and look and look and
rest. Our guide tells us that we will
so no farther and WI begin to rctrace
our course, much 10th however taleavc
a place so resplendent with natures
choicest gems of beautiful architecture.
Back to Five points, we are led of a
short distance to our right 10 the lake.
Here a beautiful little body Of water
lies, never troubled by the vagaries of
old Boreas or rejecting the golden
CLINT Of summer sunshine. 1t is pure
and sweet however and we refresh
ourselves by a long draught.
But still another surprise awaits us.
10 the right of the lake is an incline
of about forty-fve degrees-wet from
water slowly trickling down its face.
Our guide after much slipping and
sliding has reached a flat rocky seat
and he calls us to follow him. With
much difficulty we do so. When fully
up we turn around and there just in
front of us is a peculiar picture. At.
tached to the wall and following ITS
course for five or six feet is a stalactltit
formation Of creamy white color but
instead Of hanging pendant it follows
the wall and clings to it clear to the
bottom. There are six of these fo.ma-
tions and they run nearly parallel to
each other, being three-slxteenths to
a quarter of an inch thick and extend.
ing from the wall two and one.half or
three inches; at the bottom two Of them
come together forming a sort Of trough
very like the end of the half of a pea
pod. We have now been in the cave