The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-13
=. thew had been distorted into all sorts

| myriad shapes, grotesque and CHASTITY
, For how many ages has this Ice beer
here? IL is the slow accumulation or tn'
waters from the melting SHOWS OF winter
which nermeate hundreds OF feet, to be
again frozen I'm this subterranean cham
her and form q miniature Arctic region
into which the warmth OF the surface
| never penetrates. These ice caves are
! numerous In the lava bed region. many
OF them being OF extensive size. and some
present remarkable phenomena. our
guide told us OF one in which was a well
with steepiy inclined sides and of I'M
known depth. In the winter this de-
creases and becomes hot. until In mid
winter Il becomes a boiling spring. AS
the spring approaches ii gradually cools,
the volume OF the water Increasing, until
in midwinter the we'll Is filled to the top
with n mass of ice. In our tour OF the
lava beds we had seen so many remarka-
BILE things that we accepted our guide
story as gospel truth. the more so as he
proffered TO lead us to the cave and show
us the well, which at the time OF our
visit was I'm its condition Of summer
frigidity
Pushing along over a country full of
seams and crevices, we halted at point
! about fifteen miles south OF Tule or
| Rhett Lake, where our guide informed
| US there was an opening into the under
J
depression, or rather a miniature valley,
on one side OF which was a perpendicu-
lar cliff Of lava. AT the base Of this was
an opening less than three feet In height.
| Entering on hands and knees, we pro-
| ceeded for about hundred yards. when
! we came to a circular chamber about
sixteen feet in diameter and eight feet in
height. In the walls of this room were
openings which led to other caverns to
r.rIf o1, lie u.
tering one Of these, having as nearly as
we could judge a northeasterly trend, we
followed 1t for some two miles without
its coming to an end. At intervals other
caves branched off In all directions and
at all angles. In places the walls and
ceilings receded, forming vast halls, the
floor. galls and ceilings all honeycombed,
until one felt that he was in the midst or
a vast sponge.
Passing through one Of these halls we
came to a narrow opening, where we were
again compelled to go on all tours. This
led down a steep declivity, and at the end
OF 100 feet opened suddenly into another
vast hall. There was less Of the lava
character in the formation here, the walls
being Of obsidian. What the ceiling was
like 1t was impossible to tell It was so
far above us that the light of our torches
could not reach il. From the floor up as
obsidian columns. Out Of this chamber
were six distinct openings, each leading
to other caverns. Following one Of these
we were led off through a hall for forty
feet and found ourselves in another |
chamber like the one we had just left,
but smaller. A central column Of OBJ |
sidan seemed 10 be supporting a DOME |
shaped roof over our heads. The cell |
ing was apparently a mass Of lava bowl |
u 81
seemingly ready to fall without Il mo-
ment's notice Passing along this the
passage narrowed for some distance, and
at last entered a grand hall which we had
no difficulty in recognizing as the one we
had left a short time previously-the
Hall Of the Pillars" as we named 1t.
Entering another Of the numerous open
ings out Of this Chamber, we moved eau
tiously for some 40 feet on an incline
Here we were stopped by a perpendicu-
lar drop Of some feet, which we de-
scended by the aid Of ropes provided by
our guide. We were now in huge cham
Der Of solid obsidian with glass floors,
walls and ceilings. Hanging from the
ceiling were masses CT glass stalactites,
while huge festoons OF glass were hang
Ing like drapery from walls and roof.
of glass. This cave was first explored
some five years since by Clarence Cor
nell, but its extent is not yet known, as
no one has ever attempted to follow 1t
through all its sinuosities.
The floor Of the chamber we were now
In sOped away to the northward, and at !
It's lower end we found lake Of water.
Like all the chambers we had found. this
had several passages leading from it I'm
different directions. How far it extends
is unknown. 1t is, however, known to
pass under Dry Lake and in places sew
eral galleries. one above another have
been found. We had been underground
now for five hours, and the impossibilty
Of finding the end was apparent. 1t was
therefore determined to turn our steps I
towards the outer world once more.
The time Of our party was too limited
Tor the work, and as we had no other I
incentive than curiosity, which we had
satisfied with our days rambling in this
cavern, we pushed on the next day ten /
niles in a northwesterly direction and {
reached the most wonderful ice cave vet {
discovered in the lava beds. It's entrance I
$ narrow, and the passage for some
distance very narrow and very steep,
out ii widens out into an immense cham I
Der which has been followed for two
niles without reaching the end. Walls (
cot and floor are a solid mass of gilt q
ering ice, the floor undulating, and APP c
)ears TO have have been frozen when the I
n dlci WAS III IHOllOn. Huge 1ClcleS hang ?
rom all projecting points, and the effect :
n the light Of our torches was grand :
beyond description. How far this cave I
extends, or how long this mass Of perpe- :
ual Ice has lined its interior, or how II
hick the ice walls are, no one knows. c
NE cold here was most intense, and we Q
id not care TO prolOng our stay. .
number Of other caves were visited /
" our party, a very large one at Double :,
lead Mountain, between Tule and Clear .
axes. This has been explored for a =
reat distance and is OF remarkable ex- -
ent. The country is all cavcrnous, in -
act, and it would be impossible for one :.
o take them all in. Besides the ice caves u
here are others, the walls and floors OF q
'hich are so intensely hot that no one !.
as been able TO penetrate them. II
Nor are the caves the most striking Il
'onders Of this wonderful region. In all a
arts mammoth hot springs are found
etching forth torrents of boiling water. Is
lere are great underground rivers, which Ia
ave been explored only by the Indians a
ore is Medicine Lake, a sheet Of water 81
eputed to possess curative properties e'
nd TO which the Indians have betaken m
from time immemorial for IN
s healing es
Part Of each day this lake In which Ia
o living thing has ever been found is al
He'd with a gelatinous, sponge-like sub II
nh lob III \.