Stikeen River journal., 1899-11-11
A CRYSTAL CAVE.
Black Hills Curiosity for the
 Paris Exposition.
The Mammoth Cave In Elk Creek Canyon tO He Reproduced In
 Miniature for the
 Worlds Fair.

If the Paris exposition in the shape of miniature of the Mammoth Crystal ave, which is situated in Elk creek ,anyon. about 20 miles southeast of this '.ty. l. G. Keith, one of the owners of -kc cave, left Deadwood fast night for Paris to sign q contract with the expo ,ition management for space. He has heen given Il room under the t1tiel lower 50N15 feet. with d high ceiling. He will take over five carloads of ma llrial for the construction of the cave, mostly lime water crystals and colored ,uartz 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 hv the Mcbride brothers about l2 years ago. while prospecting f1r gold mine in an old tunnel in Elk trp> l<canyon. which had been eNcavatcd years before by an old prospec1or named Jacobs. One of the brothers noticed d strong current of air bloW- iag out through d hole in the side of the tunnel. and further investigation 5l'encd up a large chamber several feet square. Since the first discovery the owners of the cave have hy,n constant iy opening up new chamh, rs and mall- ing passage ways connecting them. un- iii il is possible now to walk mics un- dcrgraunu and not less than 23O cham herS have been opened up.
 lat Mans Misery is the first cham Der io bc given Il name. |, isn very low, toftu9uS ,'a~-ageway that leaCs into serlo of rpoEs beyond. Mold chamber is q weird place. on account of the great quantities of thick. white mold, ot ,oli- cate texture, very prolific in growth. The next rom is called the Menagerit. so called hv reason of the different images cf animals in stone, the most realistic being the arctic seals. Power tN Flat is q room about GLN.1o feet With Il low e. ;u" The room derives it's name f'nm the fact that the walls are destitute of crystals, being very smooth md WatCr-Worn. Notre Dame is the llrst chaiibtr to show the fire box work ,i the cave. Ii k q delicate wcbwork !rowul~h in color, Il little coarser, per E"ps. than the boNwork of the famous Wind cave. The room is about 6GXl50, with ceiling .>-e lngn. \ distiu- 4Uishod visitor from Chicago had the honor O. naming q large chamber after ( l!k.n,S Gallery, of Chicago. With q little ll>!%inatlon person can see a c%e,,t many heautifui pictures on the W....s -nd ceiling of the room. Whale room contains some more of the menag- trie. There is a perfect image of a whale which is 30 feet in length, with eyes, mouth. fins and everything in per feet order. perched above the whale is tlr American eagle, fife size. with wings out>trttched.
 \ descent of about 65 feet down Rip Nan Winklc' stairway takes the visitor to the second level in the cave known commonly aS the water lcvel. Red tH1a Is passed through. the chamber being noted for it's beautiful red crNs- ta.s. In this chamber is the drip stone. Il mammoth water crystal four feet high and two feet at he base. which ha, been formed by tine dripping of the water from the ceiling to the floor be- low.
 The Abode of the Fairies is he pride of the cave. Here are found the ,,tcdles, Chimes, Cieopatra's Needle. he Bridal Veil and a number of oth,l natural curiOGities. One can easily Imagine the old nursery stories to Gc tiG about the fairies cave with ruLit, ;"I diamonds !.."L-orc. Slab room ia q curious place. Ali of the crystals have i.uIsn from the ceiling to the floor, it .-Iing it bare and smooth. A new chamber has been opened recently Which has been called Klondike room. IL Is reached by a tor1uous passage called ChilkOot Pass, which i, lrJ feet !sn@. Cntil recently the floor of the chamber has been covered with water. h,.t it has now all seeped away, leaving the floor covered with soft water crys. t"ls 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 ;ng 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 passagcways, and it would sem that only a'snall part of the wonderful cave has been dis covered.-St. Louis Globe Democrat