The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-08-17
MAMMOTH CRYSTAL CAVE.
The Hack Hills Curiosity in Mintn-
tare for the Paris Worlds
Fair.

The Black hills will have a curiosity
ut the Paris exposition in the shape OF
cave, which is situated in Elk creek
canyon, about 20 miles southeast of this
city. j. q. Keith, one OF the owners OF
the cave, left Deadwood last night for
Paris to sign Il contract with the expo
sition management for space. He has
been given room under the Eiffel
tower 50X75 feet, with high ceiling.
He will take over five carloads of ma
terial for the construction of the cave,
mostly lime water crystals and colorcd
quartz rock, which will line the inside
walls of the cavern. The Mammoth
Crystal cave made great hit at the
worlds fair exposition, later at Atlanta
and recently at Antwerp.
The Mammoth Crystal cave was first
discovered by the Mcbride brothers
about II years ago, while prospecting
for a gold mine in an old tunnel in Elk
Creek canyon, which had been excavated
years before by an old prospector
named Jacobs. One of the brothers
noticed a strong current of air blow
tunnel, and further investigation
opened up large chamber several feet
square. Since the first discovery the
owners of the cave have been constant
ly opening up new chambers and max
ing passageways connecting them, I'M
til it is possible now to walk miles I'M
foreground and not less than 200 cham
bers have been opened up.
Fat Mans Misery is the first cham
Der to be given name. 1t is very low,
tortuous passageway that leads into u
series of rooms beyond. Mold chamber
is weird place, on account of the great
quantities of thick, white mold of deli
cate texture, very prolific in growth.
The next rom is called the Menagerie,
so called by reason of the different
images of animals in stone. the most
realistic being the arctic seals. Power
ty Flat is room about 60X250 feet, with
low ceiling. The room derives its
name from the fact that the walls are
destitute of crystals, being very smooth
first chamber to show the fine box work
of the cave. 1t is delicate Network.
brownish in color, little coarser, per-
hapS, than the boXwork of the famous
Wind cave. The room is about 60x150,
with a ceiling 80 feet high. A distin-
guished visitor from Chicago had the
honor of naming large chamber after
Callin's Gallery, of Chicago. With a
little imagination a person can see a
great many beautiful pictures on the
walls and ceiling of the room. Whale
room contains some more of the menag-
erie. There is a perfect image of
whale which is 80 feet in length, with
eyes, mouth, fins and rything in per-
feet order. Perched above the whale is
the American eagle, life size, with
wings outstretched.
A descent of about 65 feet down Rip
Van Wrinkles stairway takes the visitor
to the second level in the cave known
commonly as the water level. Red
Flats is passed through, the chamber
being noted for its beautiful red crys-
tails. In this chamber is the drip stone,
q mammoth water crystal four feet
high and two feet at the base, which has
been formed by the dripping of the
water from the ceiling to the floor be-
low
The Abode of the Fairies is the pride
of the cave. Here are found the
Needles, Chimes, Cieopatra's Needle,
the Bridal Veil and number of other
natural curiosities. One can easily
imagine the old nursery stories to be
true about the fairies cave with rubies
and diamonds galore. Slab room is
curious place. All of the crystals have
fallen from the ceiling TO the floor,
leaving it bare and smooth. a new
chamber has been opened recently
which has been called Klondike room.
1t is reached by tortuous passage
called Chilkoot Pass, which is 165 feet
long. Until recently the floor of the
chamber has been covered with water,
but it has now all seeped away, leaving
the floor covered with soft water crys-
tails called popcorn crystals, which
makes the room the most beautiful in
the cave. The crystals can be crushed
in the hand, and it will be an interest
ing experiment to watch the slow hard
ening, which may take years or only
months.
Other places of interest to be visited
are the worlds fair grounds, Ribbon
room, Cathedral, Diamond Field, and
others. New chambers are being dis
covered and connected by passageways,
and it would sem that only small part
of the wonderful cave has been dis
covered.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat
The Modern Bow.
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