The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
WONDERS OF WIND CAVE.
BExU7IFUL MAZE UNDERGROUND
~ SOUTH DaKOT.L


the richest 100 miles square on the face Of the
earth POSSESS in addition 10 their mineral wealth,
one Of The greatest wonders of the world This
Is Wind Cavr In Custer county. twelve miles north
Of the City Of Hot Springs in the southern por-
ton Of the Black Hills. This Is In I'M
nicnsc bed Of limestone a bewildcrinR labyrinth
Of boxvork. staLachte, stalngmite. pop corn,
Rcodc, and frostwork Of glistcning whitcncss
delicate that at the slightest touch II crumbles
in pieces II forms fitting playground for the
little people with whom the superstition Of the
Indians peopled the Black Hills In the days when
they were afraid Of the sOmbre mountains before
the pale face came and the iron horse followed
after. and the spirits Of the hills were driven out
Prof Tforrll Of the Smithsonian Institution says
the formation Of the cave is unknown. Other
biologists incline TO the opinion that il is
tinct geyser, perhaps former outlet for the warm
mineral waters which now come 10 the surface at
Hot Springs and Its vicinity. Some Of the for
nations show the evidence OF having been produced
by water, warm mineral water and some, nota
bly, the trostwork. are 40 delicate that they could
not their existence 10 the action Of water but
must have been formed by gas OF vapor which
CONCEALED II struck the limestone
The prevailing formation In the cave Is what
the guides, for want OF a scientific name have
called boxwork. The pop corn formation, as its
name implies, looks very similar n lot oi we'll
popped corn fastened to the walls and ceilings nj
the cave. In places tho balls are smaller than a
pea; in others they are several times as large.
This formation is usually pure white. without the
hrilliancy that makes the frostwork dazzle the
sight Akin TO the pop corn work Is the SNOW
ball In various parts OF the cave the walls and
ceilings look as though number ui boys had been
throwing snowballs AZ inc walls ana the snow
was IuSt wet enough 70 sph''ef ana SUCK Inc
frostWork furnishes the Chief beauty OF the cave
II is formed In the soitest rock, ana In the upper
parts OF the cave II Ii suspended or shoots up or
out from the base oil limestone III clusters OF uny
white needles formed OF lniinitosinal crystals
reminding one OF pine trees The coarsest OF this
formation Is not larger than needle, and 1t de-
creaseS in size until 1t looks like the finest cotton
Thcreis some OF IN the cave which Is called min
eral cotton that would deceive any one If It wero
away from the cave. There Is some oil 1t hang
ing to a stone beyond the Pearly Gates, which
the guides have called Noah's Beard: that is a
bunch Of line spun white wire several feet long
and white as snow When the calcium light is
thrown IN the frostvork II flashes and stimulates
~, - " " -
IKE diamonds
The cave is formed Of assures or crevices par
.relling one another AT distances of from hO
e'o'n,ns on. '.io'' q" ~, VI 'io'' w
To 800 ieet apart lhese assures range In
heipht from 80 TO 100 feet They are all CON
,.ct.d by aida n.asspss SCARCELY Isrvs knourb
' .'' "' w .i1. .'e 81 '
originally 70 permit an Ordinary sized man 10 ge'
doonen tb..a c,prsrtipe n,sssy.s In ords, "a msLe
Nv, assih,. 10 a'r;,,s r. air,ht
tiers or layers OF these assures the lowest being
roo feet b,lov the entrance The chambers bo va
III oW t. Sn,', -, 81. ',ao,,, ,d 49, =, a;,o
all been lound IN the ASSURES ana range IN size
A recent survey Of the cave disclosed the fact
ie''n' ''u wy VI 'lio ''u VIC 'aD'
pie arithnetical calculation. one can obtain some
idea Of The miles Of cave yet to be explored There
are eight tiers Of assures each assure Is two miles
long; in each tier the assures distant from 50
IN eoO feet over sn,ce .wo n,i,ss wide. nlacins al,
" wv WV w.. " 'f' ''o, 90
the assures 800 feet apart there would be 90 on
each tier. or 10 miles then multiplying by the
number Of tier, the result will he $50 mile. with
', ,,;,. A. 49,, ,,..,,;,,.-
out 'oAnuns inc slde or connecting passages and
i,rs ,ybicb l.,d b.,,,x th, eighth t.r but tb.se
,' 80, -,
have not yet been explored
Wind Cave has been rightly named. In every
moment Of the year the wind is rushing in or out of
ste nd An ~ tbe n, o, reg ~ onn
v.ris az" rom IN. .ntr.nra. M m.ttar wh.ihep
Si 't ~ u, ;, ~, ~ n ~ ~ th ind Z;
any the entrs MOOD nn,tinn ~ he ya cont
IN a small side nnssa re not lar from the ent,ance
ina VI u mnt th MAIN ana n ~ n
tn cav. viii IL in an nncn, INA
,;,,lo e. d,vs he ,,;nJ 10 11ush.J 49,, -; H.
nenir ~ tna n, ,an,a V,, nII ~ tin' hr
"s No 'chsna.a IN thn drioyn ~ =, ,,e th
ar NV In ia.f Na,ch tr hf,".n 90 ~ i,d h,,
i ,nn"i rcsnt ~ g., naihS - t'i m WI h Wv
~ hi;s r IN, Tx h;,,a W la nvhr
one ""S t',n ",H h lou ,Sn
bes .hnva tho cntrsn"e .nd ,ha, ; az ,hs
time he saw ircles on The b,ttum nf he n,ssa sc
indinr ~ The entranc. t%,t Vs., av tot Inc nj
not IN 1gs, than N Lead nsmc Tbcv 40 loi tp,m
IN tbis narneI the cnid crtrent of yirJ az IL rsmc
M H. ravs iIox ii he An,, M, binr ~ ,,s
n;r ~ tho TN 'Ihe evam,r,t;nn naH,s,5 h.. tbe
r,rs,;nf, 81 ~. twn cur,np,s ,v,s 80 r,roa, ,brt
airnan, ~ ranor was for,nnJ ,sh;cb 80 t H., Ton
d. H. ,.a IN, ~ " I.rt.d III IN, A. motnr
hh W. trn fs, ~ Nv w. n 10y IN t =" @
rant frce,in,y nstnntI,-. The drrrnin,, r, ~ CIV
nn l m u,ti' ", M Sps ~, ~ 80 ,m
on" ~ Il, Io,tb SIMON ''''' 'e '''' ~ NV CIV"
'ISn - ~, ,o,, -, ,,,,,I ,,,o,, ho ,, ~ 81
Tho ne,fect nnritv M Tho air in he ay" IL hn,, rv
ewae, md invi,-n,atn~ and uncbrn,T.oh,, n
tamn.rstn,e I'm N W,rn, Lov ~ q, nlorer
49,, - hin ,n'n Az, smto,in, h,,, j., p' IT,
nGnants 10 cor ,ipr,nhie and nacL ~, aorr, nhnrt
drsfts ard cnlds mil Tho ri is over md 10 ut,ns
",t into Tho W. rm ar nroinp Tbc gm;daS ,,,,s ii
a,.ainst III .gecta ram no audden ,st,,,n h"nt
hS staining tourists s,veraI minute in thc ro'm
49, Inc ,rt ,anca hsfo,e n.rn,;ttinr tban, 10 or
nuts;d. Thai Tho cave has nther nn,.ts tor 10
son tant stream nj wind csnnot I've dn,,hted
httcn,nts bsye hecn ,,ada IN, fnnwip,r III, cs nil.
G,ma nertin,, n Lead a. he nmtInt hut al, ui,rb
Ate npts have enled in failure The az n"rers com