Year: 1878




anything but pleasant walking yet it led to a more
wonderful pacc-a circular gallery belonging to
monster ROOM


THE WEIRD RoTUNpA.


The floor Of this gallery was located about seven
feet under the dome of immense round chamber.
95 feet in depth and $40 feet in diameter The gallery
ran entirely around it. but very narrow one.
and, at many points sloping down, became
almost part of the wall, that climb
ing around dangerous process. There
only column Of any size. and that was an
immense one, reaching from the floor to the vauted
roof and located immediately in the ecntre. Looking
down into its great depths from high perch 1t
had an awful and weird look. as IL haunted by the
ghosts OF a generation OF giants strange awe
seemed to pervade the and feeling akin to fear
crept climbed down its hinge dark, rocky
wall. Arriving at the bottom the floor displayed tons
of large stalactites which had dropped from the cell
ing and mbcdded themselves in each other, forming
uneven piles. This was explained upon returning to
the gallery, for close inspection showed the whole
dome covered with OF beautiful white stalac-
tites, ranging in length from three to six inches


THEORY or THE AGE OF srALAcIIrEs.


The other formations rotten with age. from
which it may be inferred that this is of the old
est portions of the caverns. and hero is theory
which may go far toward calculating the age of
of the larger draperies 1t is this A gentleman
siding in this county discovered small cave on his
place in the year 1s4s Hanging from the ceiling Of
this cave were number of handsome stalactites of
some length These all broken short off and the
ceiling scraped clean that the might be put to
some use but finding it too damp for the purpose.
the opening filed up with rock and dirt and only
reopened few days ago. Thirty years had elapsed,
and new stalactites had formed the ceiling. the
largest being about four inches in length. Now.





it takes extra time for the greater stalacttes and
slabs to gain bulk those that drop eighty feet from
the domes would have been in the course OF forma-
ton seven thousand years. Those that rot
ten and look much older would evidently exceed
that time. Many Of the monster columns rising over
hundred feet must have commenced with the crca-
ton of the world Under the dome in the gallery of
this great many things could be disccrned that
would be impossible to discover from the floor close
examination revealed several large staactites.
urng eight ten feet, rolling away from the cell
ing the last remnants Of old formations. One OF
these hung near the gallery that reached out,
and slight jerk loossned it, and falling inward
half reached the gallery floor, while the other broke
of and rolled down into the abyss This half. being
the portion recently attached to the ceiling. found
perfectly porous except the outside shell Age had
weakened its hold and 1t only hung by thread. 1t
is to be presumed that the various broken pillars
found through the cavcrns have decayed in the
way at their roots. and gradually parting from the
ceiling their weight caused them to separate and fall
This would upset the theory Of earthquakes in these
caverns.


FIRST DIscovERY OF LIVING ANIMALS.
While these examinations going less
than eight bats made their appearance and flew
around lights. From whence they came is a
question that far remains unexplained There
must be another aperture from this room lead
ing to- the outside world. In one portion Of
the gallery was Of small rough stone,
crowned with brilliant surface. such is found in
the gold stone. Returning to the gallery overlooking
Giants Hall" and descending by the aid Of very
long into another gallery lower than the
occupied, We commenced making other observations.


A ROUGH ROUTE


At the other end Of the gallery steep ascent pre-
sented itself. Again the ladder was brought into
requistion and the diculty overcome. but this did
not end the journey FOR to the left Gar could be
seen. was q narrow tsvine amid the rocks. running
upward. though not cssening in its depth. Along the
side Of this-in its very jaws-were of all
OF small salagmitcs, presenting safe footholds On
on, up. up, went, bearing always to the left or
south


THE MOST GORGEOUS CHAMBER OF ALL.


At last through narrow opening sud
denly into the most brilliant room in the
cave, and almost twin in size to the
''Gisnt's Hail. proper The contrast between this
and Giants Hail. complete. While in the latter
everything dark, weird and awful. everything here
light. brilliant and gorgeous scene Of unpar.
acled spendor Of sublime grandeur, burst upon us.
The whole brilliant and dazzling beyond
description. an artist never failed before he would
fail here, for this nconceivable Of spendor no
brush could paint pen depict to the mind Of man.





as all it's parts not yet accessible. Several
bridges and number Of stairways will be required
The formations marvellously beautiful number
of them being entirely beyond description
There il absence OF springs, but beautiful
grottoes, bowers and paacelke structures to be
seen at every turn. In one place Chinese pagoda
presented itself there four entrances between
it's columns It's roof steeple pointed and served
as canopy for the rarest and most exquisitely beau
tfu structure yet discovered. This marvellous form
alton was u white monument feet high, twelve
inches in diameter at its largest part apering up
delicate head and forming in and rising from the
centre OF pedestal Of dark stone. perfectly round
and about two and half feet in diameter the whole
resting perfectly square platform five feet either
way This platform rested at the height of twelve inches
on q second platform about seven feet square and
this in turn third. somewhat larger. and the
third finally a fourth still larger These platforms
and the monument itself formed OF masses of
beautiful white crysallic PARTICLES. unlike any other
formations in the The whole glistcned under
our lights and presented transcendently beautiful
spectacle We stand in and almost in terror before
this wonderful structure. We have no words to ex-
press our feelings. One only remember that the
works OF nature are beyond the comprehension Of
poor weak mor.as. Tho principal colors in this
gigantic light bun and pure white There is
not spcek of dirt mud In view. Even the
chasms and ravnes have white lining. The dome
pure bud, with thousands Of lovely white staac
ttcs hanging from it. Where there are a few columns
mounds and monuments in other chambers there are
hundreds here; all grand. brilliant and beautiful
From gallery the right a structure In shape OF
monster shell hung out. seemingly without support
Climbing up into the gallery and examining IL an