The Red Cloud chief., 1898-11-25
AN AMERICAN BLUE oRorro.~
a Beautiful Cavern Located Besids Lsks
MIN cw asks.

a Beautiful Cavern Located isesids Leks
Min ncwask
Many of the beautiful phenomena
seen at the celebrated blue grotto OF
the island OF Capri are reproduced ON
n mall scale In q cavern at Lake Mkn-
newaska, New York, says Science.
This lake Is situated on the Shaw
angunk range Of mountains, at an els-
walton OF about loo feet: II lies In .
basin, excavated In glacial times, about
half a mile long and less than a quar-
ter In width and OF depth reaching
seventy feet. The rock on all sides
Is q white quartzite known MS Shaw
angunk grit. which rests upon shale.
but no outcrop Of the latter IL vlsibls
at the lake. The quartzite Is compact
TO granular and contains In places
pebbles OF white quartz; It ia very free
from f~eldsbathic admlxture. so that IL
yields to the water very little soluble
matter. Bare cliffs rising to the height
OF 100 feet bound tho east side Of the
lake. while the western banks are well
wooded. The cliffs are vertical ana
frlnged at their base by the usual
talus, which, however. ls made up OF
blocks Of unusual size. The cavern
Is formed by several huge rocks over
hanging the water, 80 AZ to form q
comparatively dark hole, and the space
between the under side Of the sloping
rocks and the water varies from about
two feet to not more than two Inches.
Tho caver faces the southwest; II IL
very irregular In shape, and at n
point the roof and walls ~reverberate
In response to n deep bass note. The
water Just at the entrance OF the cav
ern Is thirty-three feet deep and two
or three feet away forty feet: It II
very transparent Mt considerable
depths. AS the rocks overhanglng SO
close TO the water the optical effects
can only be seen by n swimmer and II
was while swimming along the shore
that l discovered the American blue
grotto three years ago. AS one ap-
proaches the mouth of tho cavern the
blush color OF the water IL notice.
ablo, but the beautiful effects are best
seen by entering the opening and look
Ing outward toward tho light. Tit
water varies In color from Nile green
through turquoise blue and sky blue
to deep indigo blue and In all these
shades exhibits the silvery appearance
when agltated characteristic or the
grotto OF Capri. A body immersed In
the water has q beautiful sllvery sheen,
similar to the reflection Of moonlight
The water has these colors ut all
hnnrQ lint fhnu arA Of rnnOpot xuhQn fhc
sun is IN the zenith; late In the after
noon the slanting rays of the sun entei
the opening and light up the cavern
greatly diminishing the optical effects
The water retains the characteristic
color (but without the silvery sheen|
on cloudy days, and even during rain
but especially strong when fleecy white
clouds bar direct sunlight. The rela'
tion between tho different hues. greer
and blue, to the aspect OF the sky
whether clear or overcast. Ia not cvi
dent. Another pleasing phenomenon
must be mentioned. Just below tn
water line, where the rocky sides ar
: Tapped by the waves, the white quarts
tie exhibits q brilliant siskin- greet
, hue; this bright color Is limited to
, space about three or four inches belov
the level Of the lake and to certat
walls Of the cavern. The bare arr
immersed In tho water partakes Of IN
, green color when the light Ia relecte
, at one angle and Of the silvery blu
color at another angle. The interior sir
, Of the caver is not easily given. bu
the face Of the overhanging rock
measures about forty feet, and It
surprising that SO small q yer ca
produce such a variety Of fine effectl