Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-12-09
America Has Greatest Caves.

many OF them have such interesting
histories, that our curiosity concernin,
them is as keen as in the DAYS when
they were the hiding places of bandits
and pirates.
The United States perhaps has more
unusual cave formations than any
other country. In the first place, we
nave the largest one, as far as has been
discovered. This is the Mammoth
Cave, about IS miles from Louisville,
/ Kentucky.
Parts of this cave have been ex-
/ pIored for distance of over $50 miles
and maps made so that the guides
themselves cannot get lost The main
ooay OF this section furnishes the ia
nous halls and domes. some Of which
are us feet wide and l25 feet high.
This cavern has many small lakes
and rivers, the best known Of these
oeing Echo River, which reverberates
an echo TO an untold distance, repeat
ing the sound or your voice until only
Whisper is heard at the last. The
hsh In this and the other bodies of
water are white and have nc ewes.
There are also crickets, bats, flies.
beetles. spiders and other queer blind
creatures to be found here, and il is
interesting to watch them when they are
taken out into the light Being blind.
their movements are quite slow and
cautious when compared to their Kind
that are alive out in the open.
In taking hike through this worlds
largest cave the guides light UP the
way so that many beautiful things
can be seen, such as the Star Chamber
where the lofty ceiling is studded with
snowy crystals that glisten like
diamonds. When white men first dis
covered Mammoth Cave they found
many stone arrowheads, pieces of
! nrcheS and other relics which indi-
Gated that it once had been a meetn,
place for the Indians, and for all W.
know countless numbers of war dances
may have taken place in the famous
Star Chamber Just mentioned
Wyandote Cave is another one of
our great cavernS and ranks next to
Mammoth Cave both in size and inter
est 1t is in Crawford County, Iu-
diana, and so far has been explored
| for more than twenty-;hree miles. In
its depths are found many formations
similar to those of its bigger sister, on D
OF the chambers being 200 feet high
and 800 feet broad. The temperature
and moisture in the air are so even
that you can walk great distance
without feeling the least fatigue until
coming out into the opening once
more. But if you happen to be one of
those few folks who do not indulge in
hikes you'll certainly feel the results
OF the long walk after sitting around
for few minutes.
In Page county, Virginia, is Luray
Cave, where many things of interest
are to be found. One room in this
cave is called the Fish Market. on ac-
count of the fiat fshlike staIactites
that are arranged about the walls, and
many visitors have declared that thew
can recognize the form of several kinds
OF fish. In Giants Hall there are
many bright rocks that glisten in the
torchlight, while in what is called the
Cathedral there is a stone organ form
ed Of different lengths of this sub
stance, which upon being struck with
piece Of metal gives out musical
tones. Simple music can be PLAYED
upon it, and of course the various
echoes cause it to sound like several
instruments being played, each of
them in just little slower time.
Numerous other fairly large caves
are to be found in our country, as there
is scarcely section OF it in which none
is found, but the three mentioned are
the most famous ones, so we now pass
over to Europe for more interesting
items about caves. The largest one in
Ireland is Fingal's Gave, situated on
Island Of Staffa, off the coast, and
originally formed by the constant
washing of the waves. There is very
little room to hike around in this cave
for most of the floor is of water, bu;
when the sea is calm a nice boat trip
can be taken into its depths. Fingal's
Cave IS AZ feet wide at the entrance. p
feet wide at the end and 66 fee; high
which, ri course, makes it seem quite
small after speaking OF our big inland
caves, but it must be remembered that
this cavern was formed by the waves