Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-30
MANY TOURISTS VISIT
SHENANDOAH CAVERNS
Valley Pike Link in New
York-to.Atlanta High
way.
AnE EASILY AOcEssInLE TO ALI.
New Caves Have B~~n Recently
opened for Exhibition Purposrs.
Arc beautiful in Natural Forma-
tions md Arrangements

Arc Benuttful in Natural Form.-
tions md Arrangements.
The exhibition OF caverns to the
travelling public Is noted by the
United States Geological Survey AZ a
growing industry in the Shenandoah
valley OF Virginia. The famous Val
Icy pike. now a link In the New York
io-Atlanta highway. IL traversed
yearly by thousands OF automobile
tourists properly intent upon seeins
America nrst. and no ono has AIDE
"ua,ely seen America who has not
visited one more Of the caverns
In tho Shenandoah Valley, Until re-
Gently Tn. only cavcrns that were
accessible" I" the public were the
celebrated Luray Cav"rn. In Page
Comfy. and W"y"rs Caves. in North
.rn Augusta County. near Grot.ocs
However. within twelve months the
Endl"s, Cav"rn~, near New Mark.,
In Shenandoah County. have been
thrown open 70 tn. public. and or
MAY ~ another cavern near Mount
Jackson. also in Shenandoah County.
made IT. first bid f"r public favor.
Named Shenandoah rnyerrs.
The latest opened caves have tcon
named Shenandoah cavern< They
a." about three miles south Of Mount
jackson and two miles west Of the
VALLEY Iikc. with which they are con
nc"t"h by ,nacada mized road. They
sro clos. 10 Shenandoah cavcrns sta
tion. on tho Harrisonburg branch Of
tho Southern Railway. and arc read
81" accessible both to the automobil.
irt and 10 the railway tourist, Com.
mod'ou rest rooms arc provided near
IN" raiiwny. Tn. visitor dcSCcnds
into th"S" cav"rns 10y II concrete stair
way ana som scc~ the !irtt .tnlac-
t'">, which "pp-nr as stout dagg-rs
"' 'fN-talliE'h LIN. carbonate, hang
ing Tx" i,ici"- from points where
surface water drips from the lime
tt"u" roof. ~ tn. foot Of tn. stairs
j. IN" ~p"ci"uS nntrro"m L" LONG
chain "f high-vaul'"d chambers con
r""'"h hr narrow psssagcways form.
inE In general plan giganti" letter
;. an illuminated 10y clev.riy con
c"al"d lights. A',ractiv. natural
decorations ar" found in ever room
Here the side walls are covered by
fVt"d veneer done In crvetal s,uccn
creamy lambreGuins IN ruhdv-,intcd
tirlpcs. From place 20 place sinclv
or IN groups. arc pendent stalac,ites
and uprising stalaVmi,e.-,he nr.t in
N'rttd narrow conee Yea by ,ricklinK
MINIS o! lime- bearing water: the see
onf pillars or column. fed by spat-
tcrine drops Of the water Giving
free rein 20 fancy, the visitor nnds
resemblanc. in these cavern deroeit.
10 whatever he ma" rhoo,s from the
realms ~ the earth or ~ the waters
under the earth. The beasts and the
birds ar" .here. and some of the
hshrs rilhouc,,c PORTRAITS OF c,Ie
hrities. towers and minarct. dun
e'ons and domes. hanging gardens
high Gins man,led by patterned
rrowths Stimulating tho dainty coral
lin" funrur Of moist summer groves
In enc room midwar down the chain
th' sh""?!ece IS narrow thirty
loot c"soad" OF white rli;,ering
cr' s'al hSnhcd bv twin falls Of rale
translucent "cher ~ ,he base and
30 tn" rear Of This diamond cascade.
Nisihl" 10y p"nrinr between slender
columns ~ oriental aiabastcr is tho
fairF's Secret" tiny pool ilIumi-
mated in du" season ~ animated
torches. prcSum:,biv carried nv q
brood - phosphor"sc"n, larvae ~
some Insect. perhaps a small ~ that
r c"mm"nly present In such raverns.
All Chamh~r- HenutffuL
As he progresses fran room ,o room,
IN" visitor is art I" think each sue
c"edinE chamber Superior ia III. last
hnf whether ~ not this Is true ali arc
likely :" aErc. tina, the most charm
irE ~ all is IN" one that committees
m" inbound trip ~ tho end 81 tn.
d"N"l"r"d portion ~ the cavern a
chamber OF hiEh-vault-d roof sud
nj
room containing a lakelat. In which
ar" mirrorcd multitude OF delicate I
f'alaCtit"s-a pool az thousand
crystal pendants. the very quintcs.
henc" Of the snbtcrra mean charms
according TO A. G. spencer. Of the
United states Geological Survey. the
caN"rns OF tn" Shenandoah Valley are
FAR more numerous than the casual
VISITOR would he likely to imagine,
~" rocks in which this broad
'r"h'h-iikc valley has been excavatcd
ny water ar" mainly limestone and
Wherever these rocks occur the OK
iS'ch'" "' "aN"rns is indicated by
w" nn'ailinr sicns--the presence OF
'rhnmerahic water sinks and tho all
S"nce ~ brooks ,rihutary ., ~.
rather regularly spaced creeks Thu
hr""klcss tracts receive due shar.
"f rainfall and must ohyiousIv con.
trihut" water to maintain tho now ~
IN" creeks ana rivers hut their CON
trlhnti"HS ar" not delivered hv way
cf tho surface drains. hut throu,h
underground channels that supply
copinus springs in The deer valleys
The sinks are rude tunnels nv meanr
Of which surface waters arc diverted
I" the subterrancan WATERWAYS
The development Of extensive nm
foreground waterways In limestone I
formations like those Of tho Shen- !
Hndoh Valley hinges upon the Two
fe";osir facts that large masses Of
rock are always cut by joints and I
that limestone is dissolved by rain.
water. which always contains more
or less carhon dinXide. Surface water
entering assures joint cracks and
bedding planes attacks the limestone
walls and thus by process Of ctch
Ing converts close fractures.