Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-07-22
Large Enough to Take In the Cele-
brated Mammoth Cave of
Kentucky.
In the Cave is Seen q Grander Throne
Than Was Ever Planned
by Man.
Some Time 1t Must Have Been a
Charnal House for Wild
ANIMALS.

In the deepest Businesses of the mysteri
Gus Ozlrk mountains, eighteen miles
southeast of Galena, Mo-, is what is per
haps the greatest and most wonderful
natural formation In the world. The fam-
Gus mammoth cave of Kentucky has Ion 9
been looked upon as the greatest marvel OF
the kind In the known world, but it.
greatest depth is only mae miles from tie
entrance. Hidden away in the O1arks is
cavern which extends ovr thirty miles,
and has ramifcations which, when fully
explored, will undoubtedly show cavernou,
chambers and openings extending more
than 800 miles.
The existence of this cave has been
known for about ten years, hut is DO sition
makes it SO difficult cf access tat 20 ex-
ploration has ever been made which will
tell Of half of the wonders to be seen IN
the underground palace. The worl pal
ace is used advisedly, for the Interior of
the cave is lined throughout with the
purest white marble and variegated onyx.
Stalagmites and stalactites adorn the wall,
and tops and bot of these magnif e
rooms, with fantastic forms and odd
shapes which give to the whole an air of
some olden palace. These formations are
OF all shades, from the purest translucent
pearl to the dead white of marble and the
striped biG cks and browns Of ONYX
Occasionally hes come from S one
county to the outer world some tie of the
wonderful marble cave, and these Stol ies,
according to the Philadelphia Press, wer..
Ct such fantastic depletion that they were
treated with dleies tec,, ana ono who tod
his tale was received with IN iu5uiA 4
smile. So persist however, has be-
come the story, always with the SAT-
strange concerts OF formation, and ii wa
determined to make an expIorati ion Of he
cavern as fully as the nature of things
would permit. 1t was q feeling that =
wild goose chase was bsing made that thu
exploring party lett Calena for the pur-
pose OF seeing those wonderful things 81
often talked about. Blu it was with the
feeling of awe that that same part return
ed to tell Of the beauties and wonders ~
that mighty caven. Tue meager detail,
which have heretofore reached the Gu er
world have not told one half o. the magnl-
tic nee TO be found in Marble Cave.
Deep in the heart of Wilderness ridge,
the highest peak of that highest ridge II
the Or trk Mountains, is f Dark Peak. On
the extreme summit OF thiS elevi'ed PEAK
is an immense crate-hke depression tx
tending almost perpendicuIarly down for
distance of 200 feet into an amphltheater,
in the center of which is narrow, split
ike opening. To reach this opening a
hundred or more steps have been cut In the
deep side of the crater, and then the ex-
plorer sees at his feet yawninq abyss ex-
tending down into deepest darkness. Des
cent is made into the abyRsmll depth by
means of a series of rope ladders, and, GO
ing deeper and deeper at last he finds him
seif at the bottom, $50 feet from the en-
trance, on a level floor, and can just see the
daylight streaming through the opening
far above him.
Now, as the eye becomes accustomed to
the darkness and the feeble light of the
torches penetrate d:mly the recesses Of the
cavern, it is found that the entrance leads
directly into most magnificent chamber
Magnificent both as to size and decoration.
This grand amphitheater is almost circu-
lar In form, 700 hundred feet In diameter,
while the ceiling, 225 feet above, appears
to be held in place by immense columns OF
onyx and marble.
On all sizes are to be seen exquisite
forms standing against the immense walls
as if carved by the hand of an artist and
the imagination can depict the varied
forms of soul pture as seen in the galleries
of the old world. Some of these rival in
massiveness and splendor the heroic
statues OF the world, while others bear all
the delicacies of carving of the flowers
which sdorn the entrance of the cavern
Giant columns rear their heads to the roof
their bases standing ON peaestles of in
crusted marble and jasper. INTERVIEWING
among these majestic columns can be seen
delicate tendril-like veinings which ap.
pear to be some beautiful vine turned tc
stone.
Athwart the wall, crossing and recross
ing, can be seen what at first glance ap
pear to be lunches of beautiful flowers
showing all the varied-tints of the rain.
bow, but which examination shows to be
delicate demonstrations across the chalce-
dony and onyx, forming tendrils anc
leaves as perfect as if formed by the hanc
of nature in the fora of the open air.
Here. amid silence profound, the ex-
plorer is lost in wonder and amazement
and this scene alone repays we'll all the
labor Of OF reaching the por. But there
ale more and grander beauties to be seer
In this cavern of the Ozarks.
From the grand amphitheater there ex-
tend FIVE immense galleries leading tt
other chambers which equal and in some
instances surpass the first great room at
the foot Of the descent. From an open
ing off to one side there trickles a little
stream of water so cold that it is as if i
came from an iceberg. Following this
to its source the explorer reaches thu
spring room, the walls of which are al
white as pure jasper can make them
Here the temperature is constantly at AZ
degrees Fahfenhit, and tn moisture,,whick
is in the air Of the larger rooms snt
passageways condenses on the alabaste1
walls and trickles constantly down il
streams, which form the rivulet which
runs into the grand amphitheater. Thit
condensation of itself is one Of the mos
remarkable curiosities of the immense
cavern. So great is the supply that it il
estimated that twenty gallons per minute
pour off the walls Of the small, barrel
shaped niche, called the shower bathroom
and run down into the the circular Sprine
Of Youth. This water is 60 pure that il
leaves no deposit whatever, and is really
distilled by nature just as it by science
above ground. This shower-bath room
and spring-room rivals in beauty Of
design any chamber decorated by art in
the known world.
Following this the throne room is reach.
ed, and here in solitude is grande1
throne than ever built by man or designed
by human brain. The great white throne
stands alone In the middle of magnif-
cant chamber with lofty ceiling, full 800
feet above. From side to side the floor
measures 200 feet. while from end to end
it is $40 feet. The great white throne, a
majestic ovate stalagmite, stand in the