The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-08
WIND CAVE IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
AMERICAS MOST WONDERFUL "
DERGHOI PLACE.

Eight Hundred and Eighty NiIeS of
I subterrmnenn RoGds-Eight stories
OF BeViIdering Labyrinths OF
[ Hidden Passages More Than Two
/ Miles saunre-PrObabIy An
cicnt GeSSer-W ind Always RuShes
; in at Main Entrance, Although Ii
/ Does Queer Tricks in other Places.
WhiStIing Hole Led to- the Caves
I Discovery.
/ Copyright 1909. by the S s. Mcclure Coz
( Chicago OCT. 6.-The Black Hills of
South Dakota, described as the richest one
l hundred miles square on the face Of the
earth. possess in addition 10 their mineral
richness. one or the greatest wonders OF
the world. This is Wind cave. in Gus
Ter county, Twelve m .es north of The city
OF Hot Springs, in the southern portion OF
the Black HIS
This cave is in an immense bed of lime
stone-a bewildering labyrinth of box
work staiacftes stala gmites. popcorn.
seodes and frost work Of glisteniug white
ness so delicate that a. the slightest touch
il crumbles ian pieces. A fitting play
ground for the Little People with whom
the superstition of the Indians peopled the
Back Hills in the days when they were
afraid Of the somber mountains before
the pale face came and the iron horse fol
lowed after, and the spirits of the hiHs
were driven out
Trof Merrill of the Smiths onian Insti-
t,,te saws tbo er,,,+ i1,,, % ne, ,..,,,o j. mr.,
-. . - -.
: 'iNi P'O'O7i9'9 '"0'iNN " '''N
/ opinion that it is an extinct geNser-pei-
/ maps lormel outlet Tor the worm mln-
eral "atf's which now come 70 the sur
/ face at Hot Springs and vicinity. some
or the formations SHOW the evidence OF
ha9mg been formed oN Wattr-a warm
mineral water; and some, notably che froat
work. IS 50 delicate that 1t COLD not owe
It's existence to the acton - water but
must have been formed by a gas or Napor
which conGealed as il strH-k the lime
sJ"ne.
The prevailing formation in the cave is
what the guides. for want OF a scientific
narue, have called boN-Wcrh.
Beautiful Formations.
Tho non.corr formation as ite mama i'm
plies. looks very similar TO a lot of we'll
popped corn fastened 60 the walls and
ceilings of The cave. In places the balls
are smaller than q pea; in others they are
several tunes as large. ms lOlfnatiOn Is
usually pure white without the briliancy
that makes the frost work dazzle the sight
Akin 10 the popcorn work is the snow
ball. In various portions of the cave the
walls and ceilings look as though a NUM-
Der of boys had been throwing snOWballs
at the walls and the snow was just wet
enough to spatter and slick.
The frost work furnishes the cher
beauty of the cave. 1t is formed in the
SOftest rock and in the upper parts of
the cave; il IS suspended or shoots up or
out, from the base of the limestone in
clusters OF tiny white needles formed OF
infnitesimal crystals. reminding one of
pine trees. The coarsest of this formation
Is not larger than needle. and II de-
creases in size until 1t looks Like the finest
cotton There Is some OF IL IN the cave
which is called mineral cotton that would
deceive any one if il were away from the
cave. There is some of 1t hanging TO
stone beyond the Pearly Gates, which the
guides have called Noah's Beard that IS
a bunch of fine spun white wire several
feet long and white as snow When the
calcium light is thrown on the frost work
It flashes and scintilates like diamonds.
10 Miles of Passages.
The cave is formed of fissures or crevtces
paralleline one another az a distance of
from fifty to three hundred feet apart.
These assures range in hight from
thirty 70 over one hundred feet.
They are all connected by numerous side
passages scarcely large enough originally
to permit an ordinary sized man TO get
through; IL has been necessary 20 widen
and deepen these connecting passages N
order TO make the cave accessible TO tour
e. 4; s:ss 4 as : en-. S; :,