The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-09-29
THE ROANOKE TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER %, 1895
A WONDERFUL CAVERN.
RivalinK Luray and surpassing tho Mann
moth, of Kentucky.

RivalinK Luray and Surprising tho Mann
moth, OF Kentucky.
To THE EDITOR OF The THINKS: FIT.
teen miles from Radford, on the New
River division Of the Norfolk and
Western railroad, near the confluence
OF Montgomery, Pulaski and Giles
counties, stands huge wooded bluff,
which like sentinel guards the river
on the north and Is called Spruce noun
tain. In the southern portion of this
mountain there Is an entrance to an i'm
mense cavern, which could be plainly
seen from tho cara but for tho trees and
overhangiDg brush. For sughs that is
known this cave has never figured in
song and story, not even In the local
press.
The mighty hand which channeled
New river as this point, lined is with
oeetliDg crags and towering escsrp-
ments. Evidently some CONFUSION of
nature later separated the rocks in
Spruce mountain, forming q cavern of
ample proportions; one which when
brought before the eyes OF the public
will constitute one OF the wonders of
Southwest Virginia.
Is has been explored for the distance
OF mile and contains some enormous
chambers, rivsling in grandeur and
beauty the CaverDs of Lursy, and the
Mammoth Cave, OF Kentucky. The
property has been optioned by DR.. O. @.
WinRo. OF Newburn, and 1t ia proposed
to bridge the river at Berton, o distance
OF 500 feet, and construct cable bridge
from the opposite side to the mouth of
the cave.
The first room, 3Ox40 feet, will be
made reception apartment, and the
second, 40x70 feet, ballroom, the whole
to DO illuminated by electricity. After
passing through the ballroom, the en-
trance to the third room is called the
bulls eye" being the smallest on
francs between any of the rooms. In the
third room the formations commence,
consisting ct glitsering stslsctites and
hooded stalagmitea, resembling Egyp-
tian gods. In the centre Of this room
there la u spring, whose waters are az
pure as those that flowed from the Cas-
lillian fount or gurgled from the base of
Hippocrene.
Other apartments follow, filled with
columns more besutiful than Doric.
Gothic or Corinthisn architecture.
In one room amid magnificent forms-
lions requiring centuries to build stands
q huge corrugated pillow called Lots
Wife,
As we proceeded room after room
opened up in imperial spendor and
calcareous pendants like icicles, vel
lowed by ten thousand years, hung
from the ceilings, form d by the magic
hngers OF the drops" unique and beauti.
ful. Cuffs almost fatGom less open ,heir
mouths here and there, down which the
loosened rock plunges until it's far-off
echoes becomes fainter and fainter like
the dying roll OF thunder In the distance.
In gazing upon these wonders shouRhts
wild, drear and shadowy swept over nv
souI,iike spectera Ger the wizards mspic
glass or thunder clouds DER The blue
waters OF the oeep.
One room nearly three-four tbs OF a
mile from the entrance deserves special
notice. 1t la about 100 yards long with
rugged and broken ceiling varying
from fifty to seventy feet high. This
mas been named the organ room, as at
its further end there Is a splendid burst
OF stalacntes resembling pipe organ
or probably moro like froz an water
fail. The overhanging form ations are
mostly fat, hollow and wrinkled and
when struck give forth melodious
sound like chime Of BELLS This Is
truly marvellous chambe and an the
writer flashed his light at the ceilings
above he was reminded OF one of Dore's
pictures Of Dante's Inferno without the
"hery blasts Of hell with restless fury
driving the Spirits on"
Nearly mile from the entrance a
stream crosses the cavern. It rises in
the heart of the mountain and is sup
posed to empty near the residence OF j.
Z. Good win.
The writer did not go as far as the
guide (Mr. j. j. Cook would have me
go, for damp orders and visions OF
Stygisn pools and entrances closing be-
hind US made us forbear. We were glad
to get back in the open air; 10 see the
river flowing through castells.ed noun
tains, and thinking in regard to the
cave OF the beautiful lines OF another:
Centuries like shadows have come and
pass and not sound was in this realm,
save when a. intervals in the long lapse
of ages some huge mass Of overhanging
rock fell laundering down, it's echoes
sounding through those corridors
moment, and then dying in hush OF
silence such as brooded DER the earth
when 1t was chaos" e JETRR
Salem, Sept. IS.