The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-06-23

Chamber" but the formation of walls and
ceiling changes from pure white to dark
red which is almost carmine in places.
aSamson's Palace" has huge pillars extend
ing from floor to roof, straight and true as
if fashioned by the hand of man. Adjoin-
ing this is room where the walls are
succeed with coral and what appears to
be fresh popcorn.
An employee of the cave, precedes a
party of visitors and lights up passages for
them. In some places he is compelled to
climb what apparently are inaccessible
points and Chamber over rocks that seem
poised in air so that touch would send
them to the bottom. The first of these
passages on one of the routes into the cave
has been given the name ''Swiss Scenery >
A turn in the narrow dark path suddenly
brings the visitor to point where he can
look away for 200 feet, where nature has
spread for him feast. The broken and
irregular passage is covered with frostwork,
which glistens in the light like snow with
the sun shining on it. Near this is "Capi-.
tol Hall, 300 feet long, and with an aver
age width of so feet, and ceilings 60 feet
from the floor. There is an amphitheatre
which would seat 5 900 persons, and nature
has provided music for the visitors. Hang
ing to the wall is peculiar box formation
which gives out a. clear sound like bells
when struck. The scale can be run by
striking those of different sizes. One of
the guides played 'The Bells of Shandon"
and "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" by strik
ing them with candle.
Bishops Gaze is another point which
is lighted for visitors. One may look up
a distance of 100 feet into the solid rock
and see every color of the rainbow. The
guide who climbed up into this opening
found shorter passage through rooms be-
yond, and by clambering over rocks and
crawling through holes shortened the dis
tance materially. Few visitors cared to
follow him, however.
Fallen Flats" is the name given to
room 500 feet underground and in the
sixth tier of chambers from the top. This
room is 200 feet long by so wide, and the
ceiling is as smooth as that of an ordinary
house. When the reporter for the Tribune
visited it the chief guide invited those in
the party to extinguish their candles and
then snuff them and to hide cigars. This
was done and total darkness followed
There was not a sound to break the per-
feet stiffness. Five hundred feet below
the entrance to the cave and probably l 1000
feet to the top Of the hill overhead and
two miles of narrow, winding passages be-
tween the visitor and freedom gave him
an uncanny feeling, which was broken by
member of the party starting to sing
"Down in a Gold Mine, Underneath the
Ground"
The Woman's Christian Temperance
Union has room dedicated to it in Wind
Cave There is natural altar in one end
of the room on which is planted a small
silk flag with w. C. T. U. streamer
This room was d. Heated by prayer to the
uses of the union by Mrs. Kramer, Presi-
dent of the society in South Dakota. 1t
always is lighted for visitors. 1t is one of
the prettiest rooms in the series.
Climbing up narrow passageway from
this room one finds small lake of pure
water Just above it is the ''toboggan
slide" aim ),G perpendicular, and wet and
slippery from water which sweeps through
from above and furnishes the supply for
the lake. At the top of the slide, almost
hidden away, there is a ribbon formation
which has all the colors of the rainbow.
These ribbons curve outward and look
when lighted up like the window display
of fashionable candy store
The "Garden of Eden" is the crowniug
glory of one route into the cave. 1t is
the last place visited by those who prefer
the shorter way into and out of the place.
Nature has been prodigal with this cham
ber, frescoing its walls and ceiling with
strange and beautiful formations. To
its wonders one must not only
visit it, but he must spend hours in seeing
it. Snowfakes examined under the micro
scope show that no two are exactly alike.
So it is with the "Garden of Eden" and
its formations They appear in all the
varied shapes of the snowflake, though
they are there in enduring rock In this,
too, biologists have no precedent upon
which to base conclusions as to when and
how it was formed. There are crystalliza-
tions in pure white, and popcorn snow
fakes which look as if they had just fallen
on the brown stone. There are stalactites
and stalagmites which nearly touch, and
there is quartz which glitters like polished
diamonds. Candles are lighted and placed
about the chamber so as to show off to best
advantage the chief treasures which it con-
tains, but every foot of space, save for the
floor alone, contains some new and beauti-
full thing to study and admire.
The rooms and chambers mentioned are
only those on short route which runs
three miles into the earth There is
another and even more interesting route
eight miles long, opening into larger rooms
and more extended passages.
The "Fair Grounds" is located on the
latter route. 1t has floor space more
than three acres in extent. 1t is shaped
like the Fisheries building at
the Worlds Fair, with central room
900 feet long and smaller room open
ing off at either end The main room
opens into central dome 100 feet high,
which is covered with white stucco work.
There is blue grotto, which is covered
completely with box work. The room is
120 by 400 feet in size, and is of pecu-
liar blush color which marks walls and
ceiling.
The "Coucert Chamber is one of the
noted rooms of the cave. 1t is eighty feet
square and has a perfectly smooth floor.
Adjoining it is smaller room almost
square, and with an opening as true az a
door. This is to be put to novel use
soon. Chairs are to be placed in it, cur
tain put up over the opening to the adjoin-
ing chamber, and local lodge of Masons
will confer degree upon member 500