The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-05
MAsONs IN a CRYSTAL CAVE.
a Natural Temple 200 Feet Down in
the Earth.

From the San Francisco Call.
The sixteenth session of the Masonic
Grand Lodge of Arizona, which has just
closed at Bisbee was unique in the history
of Iatter-day Masonry. Its mystic rites
and ceremonies were performed in a tenn
pie of surprising beauty and magnificent
dimensions, in the building of which the
sound of hammer or trowel was never
heard Two hundred feet below daylight,
at the end Of a half-mile of windings
through narrow tunnels in the very heart
of a great limestone and porphyry noun
tain, Is the wonderful temple-a cavern
of unknown proportions and of exquisite
natural adornment far beyond the power
of man to initiate.
Two years ago some dust-begrimed
jewellers in the upper levels of the now
great Copper Queen mine, drifting their
dark way into the depths Of Mother Earth,
came suddenly upon this chamber and
were struck dumb with establishment by
The partial vision of a seeming opening
into earth's inferno. The pickering light
of their tallow dips, glancing on the many
hued carbonized lime drippings of centu-
ries. showed them limitless rift that was
shadowy and weird. Within the week 1000
visitors from many parts of the world
traversed a long maze or well-lighted and
roomy tunnels, leading them into brill
iantly Illuminated cavern, that has
thousand glories, and is said to be more
beautiful than any other cave yet dis
covered
The Grand Lodge Of Free and Accepted
Masons the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch
Masons and the Grand Commandery of
Knights Templar of Arizona, accompa-
MED by Gov. NJ. II. McCord, eX-Gov. N. o.
Murphy and several other territorial ofii-
lett from
abroad, held their annual conclave in the
cavern on Wednesday. Since the Masons
Of antiquity performed their mystic rites
in the innermost chambers of the pyra-
mids or the secret recesses Of the Chaldean
crypts no lodge Of the ancient and honor
able brotherhood has been so wondrously
and behttingly housed.
Between the time OF its discovery and its
dedication to the symbolic mysteries of the
blue ROOM the great cavern has been Wis
it'd by none but those connected with the
management of the Copper Queen Con-
solidated Mining Company, and its exist
ence has been almost unknown to the outer
world.
Hereafter, at intervals which do not in
terfere with the work in the mines, the
cave will be open to tourists. 1t has been
artistically illuminated with incandescent
lights scores of which are hidden behind
green and pink tinted fireworks of trans
lucent lime formations or pendant from
large white stalactities until the effect rs
dazzling in the extreme ana can only be
compared with the tabled beauties of
Aladdlns cave of the Genil.
The main chamber of the cavern Is fully
100 feet in diameter either way and there
are numerous galleries that lead to still
unexplored cavities. One Of the latter ends
abruptly in a chasm that has no precepti-
Bile ending. Rocks cast into this chasm
/ give back no soundings. With occasional
intervals of the rough limestone and por-
| phyry all the walls Of the cavern are COW
| cred by a thick coating of carbonized lime,
, over which an immense flow Of water has
coursed for ages and left behind it the del
| icate tracing Of ripples and wavelets. The
! galleries seem to be carved out Of solid