Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-09-30
WONDERs OF WIND CAVE.
MIND CANE. s. ID. Semi. IL. 1892

interest yonr numerous readers | send
You u detailed description of a route
never yet described by any reporter.
viz: The Colosseum Route. There
are certain (~perlaps uninterestine to
some persons) statistics ard COMPARE
sons t,,at | find it necessary to make to
prove the reliability of certain state
ments made in this letter. but will
only ask those persons who are at all
dubious TO refer TO the different auth
critics given.
Having donned our uniforms we
star. NIie wind at the entrance going
in about thirty miles an hour.) and
take the "sSampson Palace" route as
far as the Confederate Crossroads
and then we take the Castle Garden
route. both OF which have been des-
cribei before. The first room we nter
is tie Scenes of Wicklow" and on
taking Il passage to the east leads to
the route we intend taking, u and a
half miles from the entrance. We
ascend about forty feet and find our-
selves in the "l'airy Palace heigbth.
seven feet: length, thirty feet; width.
fifteen feet. There are three different
formations in this small room: the
primary ore is a very delicate stone
(lecompo>ed core.) of a l.ght yellow
VITA Il pink formation of delicate frost
! trees. about two 10 five inches iii length
and crystaiized popcorn work ali
hanging down from the Getting. in
some instances almost touching the
floor, which comprises ceiling and
walls. The ioor is a brown sediment
airy rock which being a dark color
! makes a beautiful contrast. We pass
ON through an unnamed room INTO a
passage and from ;l!sGc. into the 'liar-
,lcn OF the GODS" which is one of the
principal beauties of the cave. not in
IN" bat in scenery; length l25 feet:
hNght.. fifteen feet: width forty feet.
iigIYg 4 very irrsgalsr room. an aver
.ge estimate cal on'y be- siven. The
most peculiar attraction OF this room
IS tie c%e!l:iia. which is composed of a
,erir. of perfect arches suspended in
mil air. placed IN al ambiguous Shapes
and forms, reSiirg ~ bases aisc sus-
pended. of yellowi>h white stone. Tie
ias:de Of M arches are pure crystal
! ligel white s%i!icatc OF lime, while on al
projecting points is q reddish brown
.~eA.Heut. Tie wells ave q v%ar;ovs
iMeslags Of pink. venetian rel preaomi-
/ rating wslh pare white iaiesapegsad.
Inc floor i, of light drab colesed sand
The oui-cesenbl4 Is reeaF!-'s beau.
riful in iint, and -l.alt~ of cslos.
'iaeYa are aiso s%cvelal other shapes be-
si:e> arclps. sae!i as animals. .,t..iges.
.low,es. vgss'&aleS. nc. We lrave this
>|ins"!ariy ~hsanmsui room aaA las irg
taraggl q Vassase Of aioui 100 feet
ue come TO ;re ~ wei GaGden, ~
\ 80 fue-. s feet ligli. oil Irregular
shape. T..e iuor is composed Ct yei-
icwi>h white with yellow ,ss!.s o.
daisies. and ii Is wi!h no stretch cf
imagination hat tiey are shus cal ei.
/ The celliny is Of a dark SMOKY %eelarsl
SION. ihe walls .s TIE Same color only
mach lighter. From here we climb
II, IA icy inci.Me caliel ~@A,ids, APP
peari.as on an angle Of forty-iva
/ degrees. and we arrive at "Msn,mo'd
Fails - feet high, 4 feet wide. with
irisgulAr Intervening iedges OF black
Hint store covered with stalaciitss.
s%ta,asn.ires and pillars of a beautiful
valiow.sh brown water formation
whiei gives IL the appearance Of a
frozeu waterfall. We here imagine
ourselves g%ra~s-bopHaYs and squeeze
iqroush a narrow hole and find onr
selves al the edge os an apyss of whici
we cannot see tie bottom. This sigh
strikes che NTH a terrible awe fcl. fea,
OF falling into. 1t may Lo the "bot
tomiess pit but The guide treasures u
and leads Us cautiously AID CAREFUL.
to tie left Oh TINS dreadful hit gran,
rlasm ir,o spilgrim's Progress,
w!ic!l. after climbing aboul tlir v-liv
feet up Il very stony i~ncline. Lands II
into 4 Come shaped room. 20 feet i;
diameter at the bottom and thirty fee
high. The whole formation is cot
giomerate Of white sandstone. ara
iin,cstoa.f, black flint, milky agate an
a clay color with 4 red oxide of iron
Ms we descend through a passage "
zee Il ledge OF about a foot thick. Z
9 fine soapy yellowish sea clay: on rul
ling ones finger ovcr it. feels as if
a.