The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-06

ices and triclkling streams which grow
into splashing cataracts and run into
lakes.
The beauties of the rock formation
inside Wind cave are said to equal
and in some instances to surpass those
of the Kentucky cave. The various
passageways extend in all directions.
Several of them have been traversed
for miles, and others which promise to
reveal beauties and wonders unequaled
by those already familiar to the visit
ors have not been penetrated.
Special Officer Meyendorff, of the
United States land office, recently made
an investigation of the Wind cave, in
company with the agents of the geo.
logical survey. In his report Mr.. Mey-
endorff said in part:
ITO do justice to this wonderful evo-
luton Of nature which created this cav
ern, to describe it's grandeur, grotesque-
nesses and beauty would require the
researchful mind of profound student
of geology and the pen of a poet. Be-
reaved of BOTH and limited in space
and time, I will simply say that it is
one of the greatest wonders of the
world.
"Some one aptly likened it unto a
sponge. 1t IS an oval piece of sponge
several miles in length, depth and
breadth, with cavernS big enough to in
close the Congressional Library, and
most artistically decorated with ferns.
grasses and feathers of pure white lime
and gypsum and studded with glisten-
ing gems of crystals of the same forma-
ton.
The cavern known as Fair Grounds
is fair illustration of it. 1t covers
about one and one-fourth acres and
is about forty feet from the floor to
the ceiling. Those who visited the yell
lowstone National park and the Mann
moth cave of Kentucky all accord the
Wind cave only a Second place to the
Yellowstone canyon and the geysers of
the former and declare the Wind cave
superior, in point of attractiveness to
the Mammoth cave"
Edward c. Horn, Phi. D., who made
somewhat of study of the Wind cave,
claims that there are 5000 chambers
and 100 miles of passages.
The report of the geological survey
says:
We keep winding and descending
until we reach the first room, the
Brides Chamber, and we are 155 feet
below the floor of the Cave house. This
room is about twenty by thirty feet,
with rough, ragged rocks all about and
ovel head, with many small outlets in
various directions; but as we move
on we find an almost perfect prairie
log and mound. with hole as natural
as possible. We are now in the Snow
ball room, much larger and higher
room and ceiling all. potted with a
gypsum formation that looks like large
flakes of snow.
Next comes the postoffice, long
room where we begin to find the box
work formation all about and over
head, From here we pass on to Red
hall, a smaller room the sides of which
nd r
saw some OF the mineral paint, of which
you had samples in exhibits sent from
Rapid City.
From here we enter the Opera
House, an immense room, grand in it's
varied formation of boxwork and var
led colors of the rocks that form the
grand arches overhead Then the
DeyIPs Outlook, an enormous crevice
reaching sixty-five feet above, show
ing how the water has cut and ground
the rocks until a sharp corner cannot
be found. Here we lit calcium wire
and threw the white light up above us
to see the grandeur of this wonderful
opening.
There is no doubt but this cave
has at some time been filled with water
which has left it's marks all about, and
by the deposits has formed the beauti-
full frostwork we shall see later on. but
now there are but very few places you
will find any moisture whatever.
Moving along from one room to an
other. we come to Capital Hill, about
sixty by 100 feet, with it's high dome
ceiling, in the center of which nature
his placed a centerpiece of most beau
tiful boxwork. The Odd Fellors5 Hall
comes next, with the three links in the
ceiling, formed by three holes cut out
by the rushing water. The goat stand
ing in a little side opening looks very
natural
Then we reach the Stone Quarry,
where we find great slabs of stone of
pink tint, broken away as straight
as IT cut and piled up ready for a large
building.
Then we reach the Garden of Eden.
where we find the frostwork, being
down in the second tier of chambers;
here the boxwork is coated with a pure
white frost and the edges are trimmed
with little white balls like popcorn and
long frost petals white as snow and SO
delicate that breath will almost de-
stroy 1T. Noah's beard hangs from
little point Of rock in this frostwork
about an inch long, and from it are long
strings like fine siler wire fully two
feet long.
Words cannot describe this place,
SO we will go down Corkscrew Patch,
winding trail going down quite steep
around deep, dark hole, and we are
on the brink of Dante's Inferno. Amid
continuous change of formations and
constantly changing scenery we find
Monte Cristo's palace, the Assembly
room. the Fair Grounds-an immense
room: 200 feet long and from forty to
sixty feet wide, with great domes near
the center"