Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-11-22
GOV. BLAINE FINDS
CASTLE ROCK CAVE HAS
WONDERFUL FEATURES

/ tie ROCK cave OIL lIfduL COunLy. l hAo
exploration was made more than 20
years ago, but because of the interest
in the cave and the surroundings, the
governor made a visit to the place
few weeks ago.
Thirty years ago, another young
man and myself made an extensive
exploration of the Castle Rock cave,
said Governor Blaine. 1T was at the
close of school that year. The cave is
located about one-quarter of mile
north, bearing a little west OF the big
spring, and just at the crest of the
hill back of and above the school
house near the parsonage of the Nor
wegian church. The outside appear
ance of the opening Of the cave gives
one no conception of the cave and
looks but little more than the den OF
raccoon or fox:
Youths Playground.
"The cave, however, furnishes an
interesting game for the youths who
like adventures and unusual expert
ences. 1t is of vast geological impOr-
lance and one who has explored this
cave to any considerable extent will
have increased his knowledge of how
Gods footstool was shaped and form
ed r
THE cave, in long process of time
is of chemical formation. 1t was
formed through the solvent action of
water on limestone.
Water percolating through the sur
face SOIL carrying carbOnic acid gas,
entered cavern surcharged with
limestone in solution Disintegration
of this highly charged limestone solu-
ton took place through the chemical
action of water carrying the carbOnic
acid gas causing the limestone to So
lidify and deposit.
THE water flowing on the walls or
floor of the cavern formed calcar-
eous incrustation.
when dripping from the. roof it
forms a pendant calcareous deposit
called a stalactite, while on the floor
is built up like deposit known as
stalagmite.
The Wonders of Nature
Thus, nature given limestone
formation with an upheaval forming
a cavern, and with limestone in So
luton in this cavern, the percolating
waters carrying with it. the carbonic
acid gas through the soil above, to
the cavern below, it will form some
of the most beautiful pendants like
unto icicles from above, from the
great dome roofs and like .colored
cones below. Those stalactites have
dripping from them drops of water,
and those drops Of water. fall upon
the apex of the cones below into
hollow basin of small size, ever over,
flowing and leaving the limestone in
solid form increasing the stalagmite
Co. he
water trickling down the stalactites
have left their deposit of. limestone
increasing them in size through like
ages. And thus you will find stalac-
titeS and stalagmites Of varying sizes,
all depending upon the time the chem
icaI action has been progressing. Ages
upon ages have been at work forming
these wonders Of nature. This chem
ical action had it's beginning long be-
fore the inhabiting of the earth. The
time of their action, it has been sug
gested, might be measured by count
ing the number of drops falling in a
given time and by measuring the
limestone in solution in such given
quantity of water, and then .calcula-
ting the cubical contents Of the stall
agmite. This we leave to the geolo-
gist.
Being neither chemist or geOl-
ogist, | cannot vouch for the absolute
accuracy of this analysis of the lime
stone cave, but | am assured by those
possessing the special knowledge, that
/ am substantially correct.
ITO enter the cave one must crawl
for Is or 20 feet and this operation
prepares you for the exploration to
come. | must admit it takes nerve
and some courage to make any ap-
preciable exploration. ~
I'VE entered the cave about nine
O'Clock in the morning and did not
see daylight again until about five
| o'clock in the afternoon, and we spent
| little time lingering. We securely
| fastened binder twine outside, and
again just on the inside of the first
entrance to assure us that our only
! guide was not cut from its mornings,
| by some thoughtless straggler who
might happen along. We unrolled the
! ball of Irvine ahead of us and Kept as
nearly as possible a sorthwesterly
course
HCw They Marked Progress
1--WE indicated on each opening into
each room the way out by chalk
marking an arrow pointing outward.
We did likewise on our side trips and,
of course it was a never failing me
| thod to point our way to daylight
again Our side excursions, how
ever, were limited in distance, But
many in number. We entered great
dome-roofed rooms with gorgeous and
/ beautiful stalactites and stalagmites,
and drank from the fountain of ages,
the most delicious water Many of
these rooms are Of large magnitude,
and you can wander among them and
in them like a great cathedral with
the Pickering of your candle lights
reflected from the icicled pendarfs
like the inverted candles of "a catke
dral.
Progress Quite Difficult.
Progress through the cave is not
unhindered. One must crawl through
many opening to reach the next room.
Sometimes there must be a consider