Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-08-02
A VISIT 10 PENN'S CAVE.

'aeng the pice ,sque bOenoS OF
Pennsylvania, PENIS Gave in Centre
county, can we'll be placed at the
head. Not for its variety end extent
Of scenery, but for it's exceedingly
beautiful and impressive views Of an
underground cavern. It is not be-
cause this cave is not attractive that
so little Of it is known to the outside
world. The scenes impressed upon
the mind of one who has seen it will
ever remain as q sacred remember
ance among the many curiosities Of
the CID Keystone State. If after
reading the little description my
reader should be impressed with
desire not to be satisfied until the
pure air of Penn's Cave should be
breathed, and glass or more of the
clear, cool water drunk and every
cavern, chamber and grotto examin-
ed. my labor will not be in vain.
PENIS Cave has an attractive loca
ton; four story building, q beauti
full summer resort overlooking the
little village of Farmers Mills to the
east, and Penn's creek, surrounded
with beautiful oak groves and wide.
spreading landscapes to the north
east. Mr.. Long who bas lived here
for twenty five years, seems to enjoy
his pleasant home and takes great
delight in explaining interesting
facts of the cave to those who come
to see it. Guests are Hospitality en-.
tertained and the best accommoda-
tiop given to make their visit pleas
ant one.
A few rods west of the building is
the cave which you enter by descend
ing a fight of seventy six steps or one
hundred feet This entrance on
both sides is beautifully ornamented
with various flowers, ferns, moses
and over-hanging maple. linn and
wild cherry trees. At the very
mouth of the cave is large plat
form from which you get into boat.
The sublimity and awe of the gigan'
tic rocks parity covered with NOES
and fern overhanging the mouth Of
the cave, one hundred feet high, is
alone worth ones time to see. Here
the water is ten feet deep, thirty feet
wide, and twenty-five feet from the
surface of the water to the roof OF
the cave. As you glide along in this
boat with torch at the head you
can clearly see every stalactite and
staIagmite in every shape and form,
banging from the rocks over head or
extending upwards from large rocks
along the sides. Some however arc
dark, being less pure than those
formed of pure calcite, which are
white. The largest stalagmite along
the left side az you enter is ten feet
high; another about five feet has the
form of Q beautiful fountain. The
most interesting are those arranged
like the keys of an organ and by gea
tie tapping produce different musi'
cal tones. All are constantly being
formed by water perforsting the por
ous rock from above. Near the mid
die Of the cave is the highest place
thirty five feet. At this place to the
left is large chamber, one hundred
= and City feet long called dry cave
Here also is the narrow channel si1
feet wide from the right side to
large rock on the left, which may
have fallen from the roof giving en-
. trance to the dry cave Passing
} through the narrow channel you vii
find several large and few small
4 chambers on both sides, some thirty
, feet others only three feet in diam
eter. At the end of the cave which
is thirteen hundred feet from IT.