Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1922-07-21
The Shenandoah CaveIns.

The Shenandoah CaveIns.
Il The exhibition of caverns to tn
travelling public is noted by the Unite
States Geological Survey as growin
] Industry in the Shenandoah Valley O
Virginia. The famous Valley Pike
now link in the New York to Atlant,
highway. is traversed yearly b,
thousands of automobile tourists prop
erly intent upon seeing America first
and no one has adequately seer
America who has not visited one o.
more Of the canverns in the Shenan
doah Valley. Until recently the onl,
Icaverns that were accessible to the
Public were the celebrated Luray Cav
ferns, in Page County, and Meyers
leaves, in northern Augusta County,
near Grottoes. However, within twelve
months, the Endless Caverns, near
New Market, in Shenandoah County,
have been thrown open to the public,
and on May 81 another cavern near
Mount Jackson, also in Shenandoah
County, made its first bid for public
favor.
The latest-opened caves have been
named Shenandoah Caverns. They
are about miles south of Mount Jack
son and 2 miles west of the Valley
Pike, with which they are connected
by a macadamized road. They are
close to Shenandoah Caverns station,
on the Harrisonburg branch of the
Southern Railway, and are readily &C.
cessible both to the automobilist and to
the railway tourist. Commodous rest
rooms are provided near the railway.
The visitor descends into these cav
erns bya concrete stairway and soon
sees the first stalactites which appear
as stout daggers of crystalized lime
carbonate hanging like icicles from
points where surface water drips from
the limestone roof AT The foot of
the stairs is the spacious antefoom to
n long chain Of high vaulted chambers
connected by narrow passagewhys,
forming in general plan gigantic
lottef 4, all Illuminated by eleverly com
eeaed lights, Attractive natural deco
fatehs are found IN every room, Here
the side walls are covered by fluled
veneer done III crystal stueea, there IL
graceful dfapefy hang creamy lambre
gums III ruddysthted stripes. From
place TO place, singiy or in groups, are
pendent stalaetltes and uprising stalag
mltes-the first inverted narrow cones
fed trickling films of lime bearing
water; the second pillars or columns
led by scattering drops OF the water.
Giving free rein TO fancy the visitor
finds resemblance in these cavern de@I
posts TO whatever he may choose from
The realms of the earth or of the wat
ers under the earth. The beasts and
the birds are there, and some of fishes;
silhouette portraits of celebrities,
towers and minarets, dungeons and
domes, hanging gardens, high cliffs
mantled by patterned growth simulat
ing the dainty coralline fungus OF moist
Summengroves. In one room midway
down the chain the show piece is a
narrow 30-foot cascade of white glitter
ing crystal thanked by twin falls of pale
translucent ochre. At the base and to
the rear of this diamond cascade, visi-
bic by peering between slender col
umns of oriental alabaster, is the
"Fairy's Secret tiny pool illumi-
mated in due season by animated
torches, presumably carried bya brood
of phosphorescent larvae Of some in
sect, perhaps small fly that is COM
monty present in such caverns,
AS he progresses from room to room
the visitor is apt TO think each sue
ceeding chamber superior to the last,
but whether or not this is true all are
likely to agree that the most charming
of all is the one that completes the
inbound trip. At the end of the de-
vcloped portion Of the cavern 4 cham
Der of high vaulted roof suddenly gives
place TO 4 low-ceiled room containing a
lakelet in which are mirrored n multi
tude OF delicate stalactites-a pool Of
4 thousand crystal pendants, the very
quintessence Of the subterranean
charms,
The above article was written by
Dr.. A. c. Spencer of the U. S, Geo
logical Survey, and was sent by that
Department to various newspapers OF
the United States for publication.
DR.. Spencer was sent by the Govern
ment to examine the Caverns of the
Valley and returned for second in
spection OF Shenandoah Caverns.