The Republican journal., 1899-03-02
The inner depths; and on coming out. un-

less you nave some extra garments to put
on, the great change of temperature is
likely to produce a chill, which may end
in tedious calentura, the local fever which
is worse than ''seven- years ague."
Through narrow opening, down you
climb as into well, by steps cut into the
porous rock, the cimmerian darkness re-
lieved a few feet ahead by the, guides.
each carrying two tallow dips, while the
proprietor, similarly equipped, brings up
the rear of the procession. Formerly
lanterns We're set at intervals along the
winding passages, but these disappeared
during the four years when nobody was
allowed to enter. When some enterpris-
ing American has "deyeloped'' this
curiosity shop Of nature, and the world
comes trooping this way to see it, cleo
trio lights will illumine the whole interior.
disclosing the wonders of stalacttes and
stalagmites, crystal lichens, sheets of deli
cate tracery like the finest lace, magnif-
cent columns and arches, and other
strange formations. At the foot of the
stairs you cross wooden bridge-over
what abysses can only be imagined in the
darkness-and presently you enter the
"Gothic Temple" where thousands Of
company of ghosts, and millions of beauti-
full crystals merge in the gloom of unex-
plored depths beyond. Place the candle
behind any of these crystal columns, and
its transparency produces an indescriba-
bly, lovely effect, the colors varying from
purest white to amber, sea green, violet
and rose. While this temple far sur
passes in richness and splendor the
temple of the same name in Ken
tucky's Mammoth cave, it does not
equal it i'll size and solemn grandeur,
being only about 300 feet long by $50 feet
wide. But there are many other "cham-
bers'' in this Titan suite, thousand
feet underground all peopied with figures
that become in turn gnomes and fairies,
as the light falls upon them. Some of
the more prominent objects have been
named, such as columbus mantle,'' the
"Guardian Spirit" the Sacred Altar"
the ''Virgin' cloak" and the ''Fountain
of Snow Water is falling everywhere,
sometimes in single drops at intervals
in other places pattering steadily like a
| lakelets of unknown depth, in which the
water is icy cold, Notwithstanding the
warm, close atmosphere, and cascades in
crystal which look as a rushing, roaring
torrent might if suddenly frozen. The
| fantastic and curious figures are as end :
| less as the drops of water which formed
them in the slow course of ages. Some
suggest pagan deities, others the little old
men of the mountain whom Rip Van
| Wrinkle saw, and others Egyptian mum
mies-eXcept that these are hundreds of
centuries older than Egpyt itself Many
of the columnar formations resemble palm
trees though they antedate the palms
above ground by geological era or two;
| and others might readily support some
| vast temple of the under world, and when
lightly touched they give forth clear mus
ical sounds. a second series of caverns,
OF even greater wonders, is far deeper in
the earth, and is reached by ladders
standing almost perpendicularly. Then
the way leads through corridors of gray
ely earth to lofty Chambers beyond
which are fearful precipices and black
abysses, The stalagmites are colossal in
in these caYerns, all covered with crystal
moss and liehens, in tracery SO delicate
that ii resembles frost work on window
pane, while the stalacttes might be the
inverted spires of cathedrals, mosques and
minarets. Space forbids the telling of
half we saw in several hours rambling
underground; and all we saw is probably
but foreshadowing of greater wonders,
to be disclosed by future explorations.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.