The National tribune., 1900-12-27

varied caverns the writer has seen in this
country.
A dozen years ago. when the great
boom-waye swept down the Valley, max
ing fortunes on paper over night for the
native laudmlderS and creating new
towns like a string of beads all along the
line of the railroad. Il manufacturing city
WAS planned here upon the broad valley
plain in front of the Cavc-hill 1t was
called 'Shcndun." but the railroad au-
thorities wisely kept the old sign Of The
GrottOcS" upon the station building. Shen-
dun arose and fell. Its inception was born
in the brain of Maj. Jed Hotch kiss, of
Stanton. once Typographical engineer to
StOncwall Jackson, and well-known fig
ure in the Valley. When the boom" had
swept past it left at Shcndun heap OF
ashes where the hotel had stood and Il
group of sad-looking factory buildings be-
side the track and solitary secondhand
strect-car stranded i'll the midst of the
fields which had so recently figured us
choice commercial and homestead sites mt
prices that would make Washington real
estate men mad with joy.
Down beside the South Branch is the
little grist-mill that has ground along com.
fortably these many years, and which in
cidentally operates the dynamos which
illuminate the temples of the Shendun
Grottoes. In the delightful Virginian
sketches to be found over the signature of
Porte Crayon' in Harper's Magazine
some 40 years ago. the Weyer Caves were
first brought to public notice, although
their existence had been known since the
year 1901, and they had been long a IA
vorlte point of local resort
The ground plan of the GrOttoes indi-
Gates four distinct groups of chambers
In the first series are the Entrance Hall,
sSSt,atuary Chamber, Solomon's Temple,
Throne, Great Cataract. Shell Grotto.
Pantheon. Lawyers Office, and Weyer
Hall. Included in the second group are
the Armory, Shield of Ajax. Balustradc
Passage, Tapestry Chamber, Cathedral
Chancel. Drum Room, the Dungeons. SEN
ate Hail. Crystal Spring and Spar Room
W., In the third group are the Theater,
Spring GrOttO, Diamond Glen, and the
Organ and Choir.
This group includes also the Dining
Room, the Wilderness. Natural Bridge.
jefferson Hail. Tower of Babel, and the
lovely Garden of Eden.
In the fourth group are the Grottocs
Ridge. the Oyster Shells, Coral Ridge and
the Thinking Spring.
These names are given in detail in or.
der to suggest the wide variety OF The
strange and marvellous formations which
enrich these chambers of silence to n
greater degree than those Of any similar
group of caves in the world.
~ "h5 dso the WrlJer $1,000 at the nor
tai of the GrOttOes. The farm-lands of
the Valley spread away in front far into
the purple distance under the shadow Of
old Massanutten Mountain around whose
Hanks surged the battles of Port Republic
and Cross Keys. These fields, consecrated
by. the struggle of opposing forces. are
pointed out to every passing traveller.
Measured by the standards of human
tlme their fame will endure, but in the
distant ages, when their location and tba
heroic story of the fight shall have faded
from the annals of the world. these silent
cathedrals of darkness shall be known
and people will marvel at their wondrous
beauty. Created through the still slow
processes of nature unremitting for mil.
hon of years, they compel the reverence
OF brlef, tranSitory man, for as they have
existed, like hundreds of those grottoes
yet unknown, they will continue to the
end of time ''