Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-24

through tunnel under the divide. The
miles, and when the road is completed it
VIII leave stage ride of only ten or twelve
miles through the loveiest part OF the
valley to the hotel
On the other side railroad from MERGED
mas been almost completed along the val.
ley Of the MERGED river on a route recon-
menoed by the government commission APP
pointed In 1905, of which Mai. Chittenden,
who built the roads in the Yellowstone, was
chairman. The track, which Is about sew
enty miles long,. will be finished before
spring and cars will be running from
MERGED, station on both the Santa Fee
and the Southern Pacific roads, by the
time the tourist season opens next summer.
1t will be very attractive journey through
the Sierra forest reserve and the country
that has been made famous by Bret Harte
The traveller will be able to make the ac-
quaintance of THE Two Men of Sandy
Luck of Roaring Camp and see the place
where Bret Harte taught school and Mark
Twain was clerk in a grocery store.
As soon as the snow is off the ground in
the spring the railway company will COM
mence the construction of a wagon road
twelve miles long into the park 1t will cost
100000, and the work will be done under
the supervision of Maj. Benson, and the
government has authorized the expenditure
of $1,000 to complete and repair the con-
Meeting roads on the reservation, so that
next year a tourist can reach the heart of
the valley without suffering the hardship
attended the journey
Secretary Hitchcock has taken deep in
terest in the national park system and we
may expect the same from his successor
Mr.. Hitchcock has done a great deal to
make these Fairgrounds accessible to the
public and Congress has been quite liberal
In its appropriations. but there is still a
great deal to be done before they become
as attractive as the Fairgrounds of Europe.
There were more than million foreigners
In Switzerland during the last summer and,
a 6incr 70 h1-k
10000 were Americans, while, as has been
already stated there were only 2914 at the
Yosemite. Some time or other, however
travellers will be going there by the hun
furnish the money, Major Benson of the
14th Cavalry, who is now in charge, will
get 1t ready for them.
Wind Cave Reservation.
Another park in which Secretary Hitch
COCK has taken especial interest is that Of
the wind Cave In South Dakota. twelve
miles east of Hot Springs, and and twelve
miles east Of Hot Springs, and twelve
where tract of 1850 acres has been
Withdrawn from settlement and set apart
as health resort and playground for the
public. Seth Bullock, the rough rider, and
the Nimrod of this administration, is in
charge.
From surface indications it would seem
that the state of South Dakota is hollow,
for Wind Cave" has been explored for
seventy miles and the explorers have found
no signs of it's limits. 1t Is supposed to be
several hundred miles in extent. The cave
| Is remarkable for several reasons Some of
the Phenomena are unique. 1t was dis
covered In 1877 by a notorious character
known as Lame Johnny" a cripple, who
distinguished himself on several occasions
| by holding up the Deadwood stage outside
OF buffalo Bits show. and ambushing
freight caravans on their way from Lara
ME to the Black Hills. His lack of pru-
dence In one of these adventures resulted
IN what they call out west a "necktie
party. This ended Johnny's career so
| that he was never able to profit by his dis
covery, and Wind Cave" remained unknown
| to the world until 1884, when man named
| Mcdonald, while riding across the plain,
| was astonished at finding a hole in the
| ground from which warm current of air
was pouring out with great force, as If it
were the vent of volcano. There are
| similar chimneys," as the people of the
| nelshborhood call them, at frequent inter-
walls on the prairie, and it is Claimed tina.
| several new ones have been opened within
few years.
Relieves Lung and Throat Disease.
! The cave is divided into chambers, vary
| Ing in size from twelve feet in diameter to
| as many acres. 1t is asserted that 5000 OF
| these rooms have already been counted
! within an area of seventy square miles, and
nobody knows how many more exist be-
yond. The ceilings are low and the geo.
| logical formations are not as fantastic as
| those of Luray or Mammoth caves, but
| the atmosphere within the chambers is Sc
| dry and healing it affords instant and COM
plete relief to asthmatic people. sufferer
| from that disease finds instant relief on
entering the cave, and if he will remain
| there for several days there will be no re.
turn of his trouble for months The same
| relief has been found by victims of hay
| fever, which suggests the ACCESSIBILITY O,
| erecting hotel in the vicinity There is
| one serious difficulty, however There is
| no water within a radius of several miles
and 1t must be piped down from Hot
| Springs.
| No matter how much the thermometer
ana the barometer may vary outside, the
! mercury stands fixed from day to day and
| year after year within the cave, and the
| temperature is always As degrees summer
/! and winter Another peculiar phenomenon
however, is that the cave is not entirely
| without meteorological relations with the
| outside world. When a storm is brewing
| a current of air flows into the cave: when
| the storm is over, 1t flows outwardly in the
| other direction. The atmospheric pres
| sure Is, of course, responsible
| Not only the cave but the healing proper
| ties OF Its dry air were known to the In
| dams, and for centuries members of the
| neighboring tribes, when afflicted with lung
| and throat diseases, sought relief thSre
|
| "Hiawatha1 Given AGAIN