La Junta tribune., 1915-08-28

luscious grapes. cleaning with parti-
colored tints through dripping dew;
this is called Martha Vineyard;
which after all IL simply calcium car
Donate coated with the black oxide OF
iron.
Washington Hall. smoke stained
and its floor strewn with relics Of
hundreds OF lunch parties In former
days. is mainly interesting as the
place where two grand avenues d.
verge. namely. Marion Avenue. and
Cleveland Avenue. The latter is one
OF the great lions Of Mammoth
Cave. II indeed has = marvellous
beauty peculiarly Its own. Walls
and ceilings everywhere are decorat-
ed by mimic leaves and flowers. In
an infinite variety OF form. There
is hardly = plant known 10 botany
that does not find its counterpart
here: but roes, camellias and chrys-
anthemums are the most common
varieties. In many places there is
not space as large AS your hand
that Is not decorated by dazzling
blossoms: and even the floor sparki-
es with bright fragments of flowers
demolished by visitors. Among de-
scriptive names assigned to different
parts OF this enchanted realm are
SNOWFALL Room. Flora's Garden, the
Cross OF Flowers. the Last Rose OF
Summer. etc. We wandered through
this vast gypsum region for fully two
miles and occasionally found. In
some secluded nook, trailing vines,
stalks OF celery. stays antlers. etc.
These flowers are all gypsum forma-
,ion, snow white and very delicate.
and look like they were studded with
diamonds.
Leaving this beautiful floral splen-
dor. We suddenly emerged into Calls
Ro,unda and clambered up the loose
ly piled blocks OF limestone called
the Rocky Mountains, from whose
summit we looked down into the Dis
NAL Hollow. whose gloom the guides
red fires hardly succeed In dispeii-
ing. Three avenues branch from
Calls Rotunda; one to Sandstone
Avenue; another. Franklin Avenue:
and the third leads directly to 4 large
room named. Croghan's Hall manned
for the former owner Of the Cave).
II is sixty feet In diameter and thirty
feet high. Here we found the yawn-
ing chxsm known ~ the Maelstrom.
which IL eighty-eiGht feet deep.
though often described ss far deeper
than that. Very few have descend
ed TO the bottom Of this abyss. The
most that we were able TO do was TO
peer over the brink tthe guide hold
ing US securely and wonder that
anybody should venture down such
an awful depth. This 10 estimated
TO be nine miles from the entrance Of
the cave. and IL often spoken Of rs
"the end OF Mammoth Cave" But
who can tell where the real end" OF
30 vast a labyrinth may be! At any
rate here We turned and retraced our
steps through the paradise OF Cave
Flowers until We reached Martha's
Vineyard and descended Ia the level
of III Ghor.
A worn path lead rs 10 a chasm.
down whose slope ". picked our way
70 lower level known a. Miriam Az
enue. A narrow and winding way,
called Prisons Pass. leads into n
long and noble avenue which IL nam
ed Martei Avenue. In honor o! the
famous cave hunter Of France. Ed
ward A. Martel. The point where
~e entered. from its peculiar shape.
IL called Bottle Hall. Several small
passages branch off from the av-
enue. which finally terminates in
0aliowAy's Dome. The right hand
portion Of Martei Avenue brings us
soon 10 the bed OF brook that must
at times BE- deeply covered by flow.
Ing water. Ripple marks Of sand
alternate With flat Masses Of jet
black polished flint. Knots Of
wood. roots Of corn stalks. and other
objects iadicate that they were re-
csatiy swept do~n hithes from the
surface. Passing on we we're soon
% the level Of = dome sissy feet In
diameter sad from iso TO goo fest
high. A tall srchsd gateway opssed
feoa this into secoad dome Of equal |
siss. and through similar esssvays
ws entered In successioa five aooss. |
10 ths fifsh done . water fall Ieaps
fron the apsx 70 the floor. whsss is !
vaslsAss iato . chasa. TIE najss- |