The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-11-19
CAVERN MONUMENT
ATTRACTS VISITORS
One Of Uncle Sans Great
est Scenic Wonders.

hctal scenic wonders for the past three
years, has gained such popularity
since Its setting aside as a national
monument In October, 1923, and its
extensive exploration by the National
Geographic society, that it now draws
more visitors than some Of the great
American caves known for many dec
AIDES. Highways leading to the ma
tiOnal monument have been improved,
and during the month Of August this
year SPAS persons visited the caves,
according to information reaching the
National Geographic sOciety's head
quarters here.
An Underground Falryland.
A communication to the society from
the late DR.. Willis 7. Lee, who con-
Quoted its explorations, described the
vast underground fairyland.
about half a mile from the foot Of
the shaft" wrote Doctor Lee, I'VE en-
ter the part of the cave reserved as a
national monument and soon pass be-
meath the natural opening. This open
ing far above as, which seems so awe
some at the surface, appears from
the floor Of the spacious cavern like a
small and very incOnspicuOus aper-
ture. Here we give It scarcely a sec
Ond thought and pass on to the more
impressive features which appear at
each turn.
"As we proceed we gradually make
our way deeper and deeper into the
earth. For nearly q mile, or a distance
almost equivalent to that from the
White House along Pennsylvania ave
nue. to the capitol, In Washington, we
traverse a passage Of astonishing d.
mansions. The walls are very irregu-
lar, approaching to within 100 feet Of
each other In a few places, then reced-
ing In lateral chambers many times
that width. At the side Of the pas
sageway are many alcOves opening In
to rooms, few Of which have been ex-
plOred.
Polished by Vanished Stream.
"In most places the walls are
rough and jagged, where masses of
rock, now lying or the floor, have
fallen. But in a few places the walls
are relatively smooth, having been
polished by waters which flowed
through this passageway ages ago.
There is relatively little dripstOne
In this part Of the cave. And yet
every now and again, as a beam of
light is directed into the darkness, one
is startled at the sight Of a snow
white figure perched on some rock,
like the prOverbial ghost on a tomb
stone. These are stalagmites built up
by the slow dripping Of water charged
with carbonate Of calcium from the
limestone Of the roof.
"A little more than a quarter mile
beyond the natural opening we enter
the spectacular part Of Carlsbad
cavern. Here we find chambers Of un-
believable dimensions. Our way leads
ever downward, over enormous jagged
blocks Of limestone fallen from the
roof.
"The chambers In this part Of the
cave are several hundred feet wide
and the vaulted ceiling so far above
us that In some places we are not
able to see 1t, much less estimate it's
height. It seems like gazing upward
on a cloudy night. Our feeble lights
only magnify the void.
"At the foot Of a great heap Of
rocks 700 feet below the surface at the
entrance, three large chambers open
off the main hall. The largest may be
called Shinav's wigwam IN honor OF
the kingly warrior Of Navajo my
thOlOgy. Because Of its size and the
glory OF its decoration, this great
chamber may appropriately be likened
to the glorifed wigwam Of the great
wolf god Shinav, who In battle used
petrfied trees for arrows.
"The third and smallest Of the three
rooms is subclrcular in outline and is
$50 feet long by 140 feet wide. The
middle room Is about three times this
size and the first one much larger. No
measurements were made OF the
larger rooms.
Draped In Onyx Curtains.
~The chambers about the wigwam
are separated from the master room
by curtains and partitions OF gleam-
ing onyx formed by deposition of
lime carbonate from waters dripping
from the roof. The great dome Is so
high that It is only dimly Illuminated
by the torches.
Most Of the ceiling Is covered with
dripstone. Thousands OF stalactlfes
hang slnCy, tn dOublets, In trlplets
and In groups. They range from a
few inches to lengths representing the
a.
ameter from that Of a small pencil to
masses many feet thick. In some
places they hang 80 thick1y that they
coalesce at the top, forming sDlny
masses Weighing thousands az tons.
~The most ~speetacular part OF the
cayern Is reserved as the final scene
OF an eventful trip. Leaving the wig
wan, we retrace our steps FOR a short
distance, climb a steep hfI, make our
waw 1ahOr4naa1w a. oa~l1- ffa~ -