The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-09-29
FARMLAND IN MATANZAs
cubans Are Justly Proud OF the Beau-
tiful Caves Of Bellamar--
Natures Witchery.

Caves of Bellamar, the Caves of the
Beautiful Sea. The toilers of Matan-
zas were one day busy at their lime
kiln when suddenly the bottom fell
out of it and their plant disappeared.
Fortunately the men did not go with
it, and when they had collected their
scattered wits they reasoned among
themselves that they had found a
goldmine. Then came the exploration.
Down went the Cuban until his spirit
failed him, and no man who has de-
scended since has blamed him for not
going on until he touched bottom.
Back again in the light of the sun he
had a. wonderful story of an immense
temple, floor, walls and roof all jew
eled with diamonds. This is the Gothic
temple, into which visitors are first
ushered to-day, majestic cathedral
Of nature, where the stalactites have
builded massive pillars and marvellous
ly festooned arches through the cen
turtles. Here, though the temple is
without altar or pulpit, the bishop of
Matanzas held memorable service
in 1869. A thronging populace, sur
pliced choir, and gorgeously-vested
priests unitedJ with the mitred bishop
to send the chant and anthem echoing
through the torchlit marvel within the
hollow of the rock. They talk of that
service yet in Matanzas.
There are nearly ten miles of walk
through the maze of natures witchery
and still not all the recesses are ex-
plored. From the temple you pass
into the gallery of icicles. Thousands
of pendant points of translucent
capitalization CLEAN from the cell
ing, each with an answering stalag-
mite rising to meet it from the floor.
It would be impossible to name the
myriad forms that here are shaped
in ala baster image. Each visitor finds
new licensees which no other had dis
covered, and dull of eye and witless
must that wanderer be who does not
leave as the way-mark of his visit some
wonder no longer nameless. Thus an
American lady, when going through
the caves in the 70's, discovered the
perfect image of pig. At least, a
fair, white alabaster pig it looked to
her, and so she named it; and to-day
your guide will tell you of he, and show
you the American lady's pig.
Among the fairest of the airy crea-
tions that have been fashioned here
by natures mysteriously skilled work
men are the lady's skirt, falling in
soft, sheeny folds of snowy muslin,
with even a dainty futed ruffle at the
bottom, and the virgins mantle, a
robe of delicately-tinted satiny tex
ture, studded with a myriad of glis-
tening brilliants, and in rich, graceful
drapery seeming all ready for some
fair and pure one to throw about her
form. Then there is the Lake of Dab
las, for all the world like garden of
dahlias that had been flooded with
water and then so quickly frozen that
not single yellow bud or petal had
had time to curl or droop. and there
in all their beauty they lift themselves
above the lake. Here are the three
angels, who sit side by side and weep
their faces yelled, their wings droop-
ing. Here also is the vase of flowers
carved. one feels compelled to believe
out of a single dazzling pearl, thing
of beauty that one American thought
to secure when he offered for it So, 900;
but that buttonhole bouquet he never
wore. Cuba has it still.
One splendor more, a frozen water
fall. Sheet and spray and snowy foam
caught in the act; and, as the guides
wave their torches back and forth be-
hind it, every flashing, bubbling par
ticle seems surely falling, yet so ra-
diant is the downpour that it is we'll
called the cascade Of diamonds.-Kan-
sas City Star.