The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-06-23
descriptive atitles.
The wonders of Wind Cave.
From the chicago Daily Tribune.

Wind Cave, in the Black Hills of South
Dakota, only recently discovered and not
vet fully explored, is one of the most re-
markable works of nature known. In a
region where nature has been particularly
lavish it is the wonder of wonders. Ten
years ago its existence was unknown. To-
day ninety-one miles of chambers and pas
sages have been explored, and there are
vet innumerable routes which have never
been entered. Last year 5000 persons
visited the place.
The cave lies in the midst of the most
romantic scenery in the West. 1t is
twelve miles from the nearest railroad
point-Hot Springs, S. Don the line
of the Burlington road, and is reached by
mountain road which winds back and
forth across the hills, giving the tourist
glimpse of peaks fifty miles away at one
minute, and next dipping down into val
ley where the stage in front is lost to view.
The road skirts the foot of Battle Noun
tain, where the Sioux and Grow Indians
fought battle to the death less than
score of years ago. Further on the stage
coach passes within close range of Buffalo
Gap, through which the white sand of the
"Bad Lands" may be seen shining in the
sun eighty miles away. Harney's Peak,
the highest point in the Black Hills, raises
its head 5000 feet above sea level and
looks no more than ten miles away, when
in reality it is forty-fve as the crow flies.
and at least 100 as the road runs. Man
has done little to mar the beauties of nature
in its wild and rugged form. Aside from
the road itself and two or three homes of
ranchmen there are only cowboy paths
across the mountain sides. All around
are hills with dark and stunted pines, look
ing now as they have looked since the
DAYS when the world was young and
history was being kept in sun-baked bricks
along the River Nile. The Indian is gone
and the buffalo has made his last pilgrimage
through Buffalo Gap to gain the shelter Of
the hills against the coming of the winter,
but the hills remain as they were and as
they will continue.
Two hours is sufficient for the four-horse
coaches to take the visitor from the resort
hotels in Hot Springs to the entrance to
Wind Cave. You have been told the story
of the way in which Wind Cave got its
name before you started on the trip, and
so when you hear the sound of rushing
air, which comes up from the bottom Of a
deep-lying gulch, you know the journeys
end is nearly reached. When the day is
sunshiny and no storm is brewing the
winds rush outward from the caves en-
trance; but let the weather change and the
air get heavy, and the wind current is re-
versed and it rushes in with the same noise
that accompanied its outward flow.
The three buildings about the entrance
are in keeping with the surroundings.
They are the Office and hotel, barn, and
small building which covers the entrance
to the cave, built of logs and undressed
lumber. The original opening, hole Sx12
inches, has been discarded for new en-
trance blasted into the solid rock. A trap
door covers this, and when it is opened
the cold air rushes by one and gives ner-
vous person a shock that may result in
abandoning the exploration.
Rough wooden steps lead down from the
trap-door, with two landings to rest the
visitor, to depth of 155 feet, where the
first passage leads off into the bowels of
the earth. 1t is through the solid rock,
and while there has been much blasting
to open the way there still remains many
places where one must stoop to keep his
head and the roof from coming into violent
conjunction. There are several smaller
chambers into which the passage leads, but
the first room of any considerable dimen-
sions is the 'sPost-O Office, half mile from
the entrance and $50 feet below the floor
of the cave house. This name was given
the chamber because of peculiar box-hke
formation found in it resesembling the
boxes in Post Office. This formation is
new to geologists, and, so far as known, is
found only in Wind Cave. Visitors are
invited to leave their cards, and thousands
Of bits of white pasteboard lie in the boxes
around the walls of the room. Some are
yellow with age. There are still enough
not taken to give one to every visitor for
some years to come This room narrows
into a passage and broadens out again,
making practically two rooms, but it is all
"Post Office.
The "Bride's Chamber is a room near
the .Post Office" Its walls and ceiling
are pure white, and there is an autecham-
her, also in white @Lincoln's Fireplace"
is hidden away in one of the passages. 1t
opens into chimney which has natural
draught, though where it leads has never
been discovered. The formation of this
resembles unpublished onyx.
One Of the striking peculiarities Of Wind
Cave is the varied character Of the walls
and ceilings. From pure white the sur
-. i. = L. 80 -. Ll--. ILL