The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-16
TO MOST WONDERFUL
OF AMERICAN CAvtRnS
Excursion From Richmond and Pc
tersburg Will BE Operated
Thursday.
CAVES SECRETS DIscovERED
Story of Explanation of Chambers a
Silence BY Andrew Campbell III
fs7S-Caverns Visited Annually
BY $4,000.
BY r. c. JONES.l

&
The beautiful caverns OF Luray ara
formed under a great hill In Paga
County in the famous Shenandoah
Valley on the line of the Norfolk b
Western Railway. elevated 1900 feet
above the sea level and rising about
200 feet above the surrounding vai-
ley. This hill has been known al
Gave Hill' from an early day because
Of a smaller cave variously called
"Ruffner's Cave" or The Old Cave."
which has been known since pioneer
time
Andrew Campbell and Benton steb.
bins OF Luray. were convinced soms
years ago from the structure OF Cavs
Hill and certain geological evidenced
that a large cave existed under the
hill. Accordingly. in 1873. William
Campbell. also Of Luray. was invited
to join them to begin a careful exss
ploration of the surface of the hill
among hriars and fragments %
stone, they found a place where cool
air came through the crevices IN the
rock, They correctly judged this "a
be an indication of a cavity under.
meath containing a body of air cook
ed TO earth temperature At this
point they commenced to dig and n.
nally opened into assure large
enough 10 permit entrance.
! Mr.. Andrew Campbell, on August
lS 1878. was lowerad by a rope
into the dark and mysterious cham.
beers of silence. When he finally
TAn A@ll
him his dim candle revealed unex.
pected splendors and he knew that
a great discovery had been made. At
/ ter patient and long continued 81.
plorations nearly three miles of ufts
foreground passage was discovered.
I The cavern consists OF many larga
rooms connected by natural corrt-
/ doris and passage ways. A small man
! OF the cave looks something Ike thu
web of spider. yet a tour requires
almost no retracing of steps The
route though circuitous is continu.a.
Gus after leaving entrance hall.
/ In the April number OF the NJ
tionaI Geographic Magazine. thcra 4
an article entitled The Land Of th
Best by the editor. Gilbert r. Gro1s
venor. This article Is intended to ina
/ terest Americans in America and de-
| scribes the most notable scenery Of i
I our own country
From Harpers Ferry far away ID
! the South stretches the famous Shen~
andoah Valley, the granary of the.
Confederacy in the SOS of which
| Sheridan declared that he had laid
II so bare that a crow flying acyUca
| 1t would have to carry his rations.
I The valley turnpike. once the races.
) course of armies. is now the peace-
| full highway of the automobilist1
: who journey from the North to the
South.
Walls of Diamonds and Pearls.
Half way up the Shenandoah vaf@E
/ ley are the Luray caverns. an under~
world palace built by the busy hands
Of trickling waters. Aladdin, we ara
told. was once permitted to enter III
cave which exhibited such decorations
that its glory both dazzled and
affrightened. But Aladdin never bes
held anything more wondrously err
! quisite than the water-huilt afchl.
lecture of Luray.
The throne room is canopied with
curtains, woven of diamonds ana
/ pearls The saracens Tent haa
more than oriental splendors ~
richest damasks and golden samitx
| which drape the crystal couch In feA@
toons of magic beauty, TitaniAr
Veil is woven OF petrifed spider1
webs. while the ball room seems a. n
set to celebrate a marriage between
the gods.
| The visitor OF Luray shares the sen.
! timent OF another visitor OF long Ae9
who exclaimed. Mortal hath moi
made the like nor human fancy con-
ceived a thing more magnificent"
The average number Of visitors u .
Luray caverns for a number OF year4
past have been IS, 900 annually In.
cursions are run there almost dairy
| during the summer months. probaV
the largest OF which Is one conducted
annually by Isham r. Dyer, OF Pes
| tersburg. upon which thousands oil
! Richmonders and Petersburgers ana
citizens OF the Southside counties and
/ Eastern North Carolina have nad4
the trip to this most wonderful Of al
American caverns