Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-10-14
WONDERS OF WIND CAVE.
Continued from last Ueek.)
BIT CAVE

WONDERS Or WxNO CAVE.
Continued from last Week.)
pY CAVE cANEM.
The proofs are three in number:
LIST. The original position of the
sediment Is undisturbed.
End. There are cracks in it similar
to the bottom Of a pond he'd, proving
that it dried and hardened since the
water left it.
3rd. There are depressions in the
sediment showing that tiny streamlets
flowed through it. These depressions
are not SO deep in the upper three tiers
of chambers as in the lower four,
proving that the lower the water
subsided in the cave, the faster it re-
coded from it, unquestionably theapar-
lures Of its outlet was enlarged by ITS
continuous force passing through it
and wearing away the stones, of which
we have ocular demonstrations at the
Minuekahta Falls. Before the entire
motionless body Of water had receded
from the cave, the original outlet was
cleared Of the debris which choked it.
Now let us resume our journey, after
my having claimed your forbearance
for my depression from the main sub
ject. We take a few minutes walk
through an open passage into another
peculiar shaped room (%unnamed); the
heighth is about twelve feet but the
area is too irregular 10 describe. Its
p POPULARITY consists of a we'll defined
evidence Of the chemical decomposition
of the rocks in the cave, box work
being on both the floor and ceiling Of
various colors. Passing along a pass
age thirty feet wide and fifteen feet
long we come to Marble Palace"
which Is the fourth in size in the cave;
the area of this room is about two
acres; the formation of the ceiling has
an appearance as if plastered, being a
stratum of white flint; the walls &
pure white, marble-llke limestone,
streaked with darker interlineations
of colors; the floor comprises a mass Of
huge white rocks. some of them weigh
ing many tons and covered partially
with cave sediment.
From the north end Of this room we
pass along through a short passage in
to cascade Pavilion" 1876 feet long,
sixty five feet wide and eight feet
high. The ceiling is composed Of q
delicate white box work about n foot
in depth; the floor is very smooth;
there are no walls, the ceiling and
floors both slanting from the center
and meeting at each side of the room.
The northwest end of this room has
the appearance as If it has dropped
| down and we walk on the stone which
has fallen INTO the "Parlor," forty feet
long. twenty-five feet wide and eleven
feet high. There is no other room
having the same feature as this one,
the floor has the deceptive appearance
of being covered with an elaborate
brussels carpet; the walls are a very
pretty light blue box work and the
ceiling is the same
From here we take a passage which
at first ascends up an incline about
thirty feet and climb straight up
through a narrow crevice about twenty
feet, into the Ticket Office length
eighty feet, twenty feet wide and
fifteen feet high. Near the center
of this room we look upward and catch
a glimpse of the Pair Grounds
which sets US all longing to go there,
it being SO much talked of and praised.
From the north end of this room we
come to what appears to he a mass
of loose rock. but on getting closer We
find a hole leading up through them
aud are bewildered by a seeming un'
ending space into which we land
which the guide informs us is the "Fai,
Grounds" discovered March 90. 1892
This is the largest 70 in the cave, in
fact the largest in any cave, cavern OF
grotto in the world. Please allow mt
to again digress and make a few re
liable statistical comparisons Of dimen
sions with other caves.
"CLief City," Mammoth Cave, prob
ably two acres.
Star CHAMBER" Mammoth Cave
probably three.quarters Of an acre.
1.-The Elfn Ramble," Luray Cave
two and one-fourth acres.
.Rothrock's Cathedral Wyandott'
Gave, 1000 feet n circumference.
"Senate Chamber" Wyandotte Cave
one and three-fourths acres. All esti
mated by H. G. Hovey, author Of "Cele
brated American Caverns."
"Eair Grounds" Wind Cave, aetna
measurement, three and one-quarte
acres, estimated by ALVIN Mcdonald
proving it to be the largest yet dis
covered.
Having given comparisons of size
will now contrast the difference q
formations of same rooms with "Fai