Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-04

cess of marble with translucent walls.
Sometimes 1t 10 called 1.-THE Virgins
Shrine" but there is the Virgins Cloak"
which is even more BEAUTIFUL in its forma-
ton; There is also ;The Mantle of Co
lumbus" and then the BosQue" or grove
a thing as crystal trees could be. then 1t
might be real grove, though the shade
OF the arbor would be- lacking. There are
icebergs without number and the cascade.
which some persons insist on calling Mag
ara. though 1T has nothing Of the Niagara
about 1t. vivid imagination might see In
the cascade rather the unrolling Of great
marble parchment than the suggestion OF
a waterfall. u
1 do not know how many statues and
sentrtes there are, but the one which Is
designated THE Russian Soldier has
Convolvuli," or shell-lfke formatio are
very numerous. One which hangs from
the ceiling and is called THE Wasp's Nest"
Is aptly named.
The grand organ when seen at dis
lance Is more natural in it's suggestiveness
than on closer view. The echoes are not
strong and the tone is not that of the
quickly dies away. More suggestive is the
splashng of the water, which is heard con-
stantly in several dark recesses. 1T has
been going on forever" the guide wills
pers. A stone thrown, at random in one OF
the deep cavern pools strikes with a de-
tonation which shows that these pools are
not shallow
Leaving Their Marks.
The American visitors are leaving their
marks in another way Some of the most
beautiful formations are scrawled with
lead pencil, lampblack or whatever means
the vandals could devise to deface the
crystal surface by writing their names and
other details Of family history. Pencil and
brush never were put to baser use. The
advertisements of lager beer and cholera
mixtures have not yet appeared. but no one
can tell when this kind of delightful Sur
some awe in the presence Of natures won
ders. "Ah, those Americans" signs the
Cuban guide, whose glib and oft-told tale
has not destroyed his own sense Of what
Is grand Perhaps when the American
company gets the caves it will take steps
to check this Dissertation, or, at least, to
restrain the expression of this kind Of
Amerlcanism to the visitors register.
The Return Journey.
In time and distance the caves have an
ending. 1t Is not a solid wall. and there
are recesses and caverns that might be ex-
plored which are not safe for visitors. So
the return journey is begun, and it affords
fresh disclosures Of wonders which have
been passed unnoticed. Possibly the grand
arch. with its projecting sharks teeth, will
be one of these. Or it may be the ap
preaching pillars. This is where the stalac-
tite and the stalagmite have yet failed to
fern n united column, though the space
which separates them is only the thick
ness of a sheet of paper. Two years ago
tried the experiment and was Interested
this time to know whether the union had
taken place. But the magnesia is still fl
tering through the limestone and the drip
ping water has not yet cemented stalactite
and stalagmite.
When the return journey is begun the
visitor is apt to be in a deep perspirat ton.
The air Is and thick and the def.
cheney of oxygen is apparent. He then
learns that no insects are found in the
caves, not even the omnipresent mosquito,
while the lizards, which are seen at the
surface never penetrate deeper. The re-
turn trip is pleasant from the fresher i'm
preston Of the sparkling surface of the
crystals The iridescence Is not binding,
yet a careless shifting of the candle and
the walls become a myriad of diamonds.
Then the impression changes and they are
melting snow flakes of crystal.
Back Toward Daylight.
Going back toward daylight it Is well to
take the left fork in the road. That is, to
make the last third of the journey by a
different pathway from the one followed on
descending into the caves The left fork
has fewer of the crystal passages and
vaulted chambers or deep recesses. The
shelving gravel takes the place of the
stalactites, and 1t is a toilsome pull uphill
through narrow and STOPPING passages
There is compensation In some views which
are come upon Unexpectedly, where the
crystals alone are encountered in unique
and fantastic forms
Moreover, there is the privilege of going
through THE Devils Threat" 1t is long
throat, with teeth projecting from above
and from either side, and has to be trav-
ersed in STOPPING posture. But the SEN
sations novel. and when the throat
w.dens into the mouth something more is
appreciated of the grandeur of the caves
1t is only in climbing up by this way that
the dome-like entrance is appreciated. with
its great column pillar, huge enough APP
parently, to sustain an ineXhaustible
weight. The entrance is really an ampfli-
thea ter. Then there are also the catacombs
OF pits, which one may look down upon
only after he has found that they are not
bottomless. They are gloomy enough for
real catacomDs.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.
Copyright, 1901.