The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-24
(Coutinued From Yesterday.)

-
Certainly" she replied, IF you will
go down those three little steps to the
right my daughter will bring you a
light and show you the way"
rs It under ground?" l asked with
some surprise.
"oh, yes" she aid, smiling affably,
quite underground
And then she disappeared, shutting
the door. She evidently had no inten-
ton of proposing a shrimp tea, so ]
descended the steps indicated and
found a closed door. which, however,
was speedily opened by a fresh
faced, intelligent looking girl, who in
vited me in and then proceeded to
light n wax taper. The little room
in which | found myself was a kin
of shop, where views of Margate, shells,
baskets and other trifes were on sale;
among other things. photographs of the
"Grotto" I had come to sec, | KAN
incd one of these with increasing Won
der. rs it really like this?" l ex-
claimed. mot possible."
"Oh, it is much better than that
said the girl. smiling. You see, It is
difficult to take a good photograph OF
tho place, as it is SO dark. If you will
come this way, please, | will light the
gas as we CO."
And, with lighted taper in hand, she
went down a fight of rough stone steps,
I followed her, and in a minute we were
In the subtcrranean temple, miscalled a
Grotto, and which, as my guide lighted
the gas along 1t, proved to be one of the
most beautiful, fantastic and interest
ing relics of the ancient days that ex-
lists In England or anywhere else. | had
expected nothing like it. | had no idea
there was such a place to be seen any
where, least of all in Margatc, and l
was fairly bewildered at the fine archi-
lecture INT artistic proportions of the
beautiful temple in which l stood. 1t is
spaciously and fundamentally planned;
a long, winding passage, with en-
quisitely designed archways here and
there, leads to the eliminating point,
q square room with the fragments of
an altar at each end. An enormous
column. as thick and as handsomely
rounded as the centre column In Roslin
Chapel. supports the roof; but the Won
der of 1t all, apart from its architec-
tural construction, is that the walls,
the centre column and the affairs arc
covered with shell panels, designed by
the brain and worked by the hand of
man. every panel different in design
and all beautifully executed. Here a
sunfiower. with leaves and buds all eX-
quisitely worked out in shells of differ
ent form and size. covers one panel;
next to II, a rising sun surrounded with
~triangles, stars and crescents-one par
ticularly beautiful panel has upon it a
full blown rose with leaves, thorns and
buds. all perfect. Two hearts, II
within the other, a sword or dagger
half-drawn from its hilt, a. starfish,
rings entwined and all sorts of emblem
atical signs, form centres for these
wonderful s~hell-panels. each panel hav-
ing a different and more or less clab-
crate border. The great centre olumn
Is a perfect marvel of shell work, some
portions of it being as finely worked as
Florentino mosaic. The shells used are
the usual ones found on the seashore,
M are bedded in common clay.
Utterly unprepared as | was for such
a marvel of art and beauty, l said to
my guide:
what is the history of this wonderful
place? Does any one know anything
about t."
VERY little is known" said the girl.
at was first discovered in 1884. The
foundations for a school were being
laid just above here, and one of the
workmen let his spade fall. To his SUR
prise ii dropped through a hole and
disappeared. A small boy was then let
down through the hole to look after the
spade, and when he got TO the bottom
he found himself just close to the centre
columns of the Grotto. Afterwards the
entrance was found and cleared of
stones and rubbish. SO that people could
walk through. The piece of and on
which it is has always been private
property, and the lady to whortit now
belongs allows us to live here for Il
small rental and MAKE what we can by
showing the Grotto. as long as we take
good care Of it. She had the gas aid
on all through the place as it is now.
A great many people who have seen 1t
have said II ought to be written about
in the papers, but no one has taken
any particular notice of il yet"
on further inquiry | heard that
Frank auckland. the naturalist, had
paid many visits to the cave,
purposing TO write a book about it.
had not untimely death put an end
20 his useful labors. His theory
was, that all the shells used in the or
been taken alive--that is, with fish in
them-or they could not have remained
in the wonderful state of preservation
in which they now are. This is, how
ever, a difficult question. which only
profound -conchologists can determine.
The quare room at the end of the
n ntaffFrFI Ha,ftA --. .aI-- 90. 3