The Washington times., 1922-09-10

verted narrow cones fed by trickling
films Of Iime-bearing water; the sec.l
ond pillars or columns fed by spatter-
ing drops of water. Giving free rein
to fancy the visitor finds resemblance
In these cavern deposits to Whatever
he may choose from the realms OF
the earth or the waters under the
earth. The beasts and the birds are
there, and some of the fishes: sii-
houette portraits of celebrities.
towers and minarets, dungeons ard
domes, hanging gardens, high cliffs,
nantled by patterned growths simu.
lating the dainty coraline fungus Of
moist summer groves. In one room
midway down the chain the show
piece is a narrow thirty.foot cascade
OF white giittering crystal flanked
by twin falls Of pale translucent
ocher. -... ..---u ~
At the base and to the rear Of
this diamond cascade. visible by
peering between slender columns OF
oriental alabaster, is the "Falry's
Secret" tiny pool illuminated In
due season by animated torches,
presumably carried by a brood of
phosphorescent larvae of some in
sect, perhaps a small fly that is
commonly present in such caverns.
Lakelet Mirrors Crystals. ~
As he progresses from room TO
room the visitor is apt to think
each succeeding chamber superior
to the last, but whether or not
this is true all are likely to agree
that. the most charming Of all 10
the oneI that completes the IN
hound trip. At the end Of the de-
veloped portion Of the cavern a
chamber OF high.vaulted roof sud.
denly gives place to a low-ceiling
room containing a lakelet in which
are mirrored a multitude OF deli
cate stalactites, a pool of q thou
sand crystal pendants. the quin-
tessence Of the subterranean
charms ~ stIkiEs5kktE
According TO A. c. Spencer. Of
the United States Geological Survey.
the caverns Of the Shenandoah
valley are far more numerous than
the casual visitor would be likely to
imagine. The rocks In which this
broad trenchlike valley has been
excavated by water are mainly lime.
stone, and. wherever q, these rocks
occur the existence OF caverns Is
indicated by, two unfailing signs
sinks and the absence Of brooks
spaced creeks. The brooixless tracts
receive a due share OF rainfall and
must obviously contribute water to
maintain the flow Of the creeks and
rivers, but their contributions are
not delivered by way of the surface
drains but through underground
channels that supply copious springs
In the deep valleys. The sinks are
rude tunnels, by means OF which
surface waters are diverted to the
subterranean waterways. .:,..,.,
How Caverns Are Found. .
The development of extensive un.
derground waterways In limestone
formations like those OF the Shen-
andoah valley hinges upon the two
geologic facts that large masses Of
rock are always cut by Joints and
that limestone Is dissolved by rain
water, which always contains more
or less carbon dioxide. Surface
water entering fissures. joint cracks,
and bedding planes attacks the lime
stone walls and thus by a process Of
etching converts close fractures and
joints into relatively open crevices.
As this process Of solution goes on
lateral connections will lbs made
from crevice to crevice, and the
downward etching Of the linked
openings Will be halted only when
the sub-surface water channels
nave become closely adjusted to the
water table controlled by surface
streams. Thus it. ia that the cav,
erns OF the Shenandoah valley are