Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-10-03
DAKOTA WIND CAVERN,
One of Americas Great Natural
Wonders.
5000 Chambers, Miles Of Passages
Great Wind Cavern of Black Hills
is owned by the Government.


is owned by the Government.
Twenty years ago cowboy who |
was punching cattle in the southern
part of Custer county, South Dakota |
/ heard a loud noise, such as would be
i caused by the rushing of a current of
! air through small opening, says The
| New York Sun. Though accustomed
to the sounds of the plains and hills
/ this man was mystifed by what he
heard. So he did what any other cow
! boy would have done-investigated.
| Thus was discovered the entrance to
! the great Wind Cave of the Black
! Hills, a cavern or series of caverns
more extensive and more beautiful. If
the government reports may be ac-
cepted as a standard, than any similar
formation in the United States.
When the inquisitive cowboy first
discovered the column Of air that rose
and fell a natural barometer. from a
assure in the earth's crust, the vent
through which ii rushed outward in
fair weather, inwards in days of storm,
was small and gave no promise of the
vast extent of the subterranean pass
ageways and chambers to which it
led. But the news that the cave had
been found, travelled, and in time the
aperture was enlarged by blasting and
drilling. Then the exploration of the
cavern began, and it Is still in pro-
gress. Miles of passageways, scores
of rooms. and many natural wonders
/ have been disclosed already but the
biologists declare that the beginning
only has been made.
Various persons and corporations
have endeavored to obtain title to the
cave but the interior department, APP
propriately. has thwarted them. and
the title now rests with the govern
ment. which will make a national
park of the cave and its approaches.
A. Myendotff. an agent of the general
land office, made a report in May on
a survey of the cave, in which he said
that so far as could be learned the
caverns and passageways extended
one mile to the east, one mile to the
north and from two to two and one
) half miles to the south and west from
the entrance. In general report
Commissioner Hermann of the general
land Office quotes from the surveyors
report as follows:
I'm the attempt to describe the at
fractions of the wind cave one cannot
complete il without an allusion to the
town of Hot Springs. nestled among
red crags of gypsum, on Fall Creek
twelve miles south of the Wind Cave.
, and the beautiful panorama through
! which one passes while driving over
, the splendid natural road from Hot
Springs to the Wind Cave. A park
embracing the whole improved and
? beautified with electric devices within
the cave would make a park of mar
vel The Wind Cave at this stage of
! exploration is in its embryo To I'M
, cover its wonders and beauty to open
T the door to scientific research, the
t work of exploration should be carried
. on Systematically. To estimate the
i: cost of such exploration is not practi-
! cable. The only manner in which
! such work can be prosecuted would
t be by annual appropriations of from
s2500 to 10000"
, Edward c. Horn. who has explored
y the cavern, declares that there are
. 5000 chambers and 100 miles of pass
ages. This statement has not been
{ verified yet. but others who have seen
: the cave believe II will prove to be
$ moderate when the explorations are
/ | completed. plan of the cave was
T sent to Congress. and on 1t were in
$ dictated many passages not yet ex-
! plored, leading to depths beyond
!, which may be caves of greater extent
: than those yet explored.
Among the characteristic beauties
of the cave are the usual stalactitic
and stalagmitic formations, some of
very notable beauty, and much unique
/ "boX-work" of thin intersecting veins
of carbonate of lime projecting from
the walls and ceilings. The cave at
tracted a large number of visitors
over 1000, it is said, in the summer of
| A pf &c ha fOr ol
mission to and guidance through the
cave.
The first room in the cave is the
brides chamber. 1855 feet below the
floor of the Cave House. This room
is about 20 by 30 feet, with rough rag
ged rocks all about and overhead with
many small outlets in various direc-
tons. Beyond it is a prairie dog
and mound, with hole as natural as
possible. Next is the SNOWFALL room
a much larger and higher room. with
walls and ceiling all spotted with a
gypsum formation that looks like large
flakes of snow. Next comes the Post
Office a long room, where begins the
boXwork formation which clings to
the limestone formation all about and
q overhead. Next is Red Hall, a small
ROOM the sides of which are of a
sui lfu SlOnS.
Next Is the, Opera House. an i'm
mense room. grand in its varied form
alton of box-work and varied colors OF
the rocks that form the grand arches
overhead. Then the Devils Outlook
an enormous crevice reaching Go feet
above, showing how the water has
cut and ground the rocks until sharp
corner cannot be found; here cal
cium light shows the grandeur of
n this wonderful opening. There is nc
:. doubt that the cave has sometime been
r filled with water, which has left its
marks all about, and by the depths
e has formed the beautiful frostwork
: but now there are very few places in
8 which any moisture whatever can be
found.
q In Red Hall is found a mineral
L paint. samples of which have been
! submitted to analysis, An explorer
5. of the cave, in describing what he
n saw, has written as follows:
e Moving along from one room tc
another, we come to Capitol Hill, about
: 60 by 100 feet, with it's high dome
q ceiling, in the center of which nature
k has placed a center piece of most
e beautiful box work.
j 'The Odd Fellows hall comes next