Cave Regions of the Ozarks and Black HillsOwen, Luella Agnes
Science
Cave Regions of the Ozarks and Black Hills
Owen, Luella Agnes
Caves -- Black Hills (S.D. and Wyo.); Caves -- Ozark Mountains
"The actual height of Blondy's Throne is not known, but is probably
about one hundred feet. Again look upwards for the ceiling from the
dizzy height on top of the Throne; you cannot see it. Burn magnesium
ribbon and look up, and you see a white ceiling spangled with groups of
stalactites. It is surely one hundred feet away. Then look off into the
unknown room which is called the Great Beyond. No human being has ever
explored or even entered it, but fire balls thrown in reveal the fact
that it is of great extent; and part of the bottom water and part land.
No way of getting into it has ever yet been found, so its mysteries,
lessons and revelations are still safe from human intrusion. How far it
goes, where it stops, and what it leads to, are facts for some future
explorer to discover. Bats and white salamanders are found in Blondy's
Throne Room, and some larger animals have been heard to jump into the
water and escape on the approach of man, but their species is not known.
"The arched passage of Mystic River has been followed up for a journey
of an hour, but further than that its extent is unknown. It was hoped
that a way would be thus found into the Great Beyond, but it did not
prove successful. A well equipped party could find there a chance for
some grand discoveries, and it would be one of the notable pleasures of
the life of the writer to be one of such a party.
"The exit from Blondy's Throne Room is always made with deep regret that
the waning lights and meager supplies will not allow a longer stay. The
long crawl, the mud and the water are all forgotten, and notwithstanding
the terror of the trip one feels well repaid."
We thank Mr. Powell for a charming journey without its discomfort and
danger, and resume our travels at the Waterfall.
From the foot of the Waterfall we returned again to the Auditorium, in
time to enjoy a sight such as we supposed could exist only in a
brilliant imagination; and the return at that hour was not a lucky
accident of fate, but the result of careful attention to a prearranged
design that we should not fail to witness a marvelous display never
surpassed by lavish Nature. The day outside was one of cloudless
summer sunshine.
[Illustration: Blondy's Throne Room. Page 50.]
[Illustration: Foot of Waterfall. Page 50.]
Our eyes having grown accustomed to the dim light of candles in passages
where absolute darkness, unrelieved by the stars of midnight, always
reigns, the great Auditorium appeared before us softly flooded with
daylight diffused from a broad white beam slanting down in long straight
lines from the entrance as from a rift in heavy clouds; only this rift
displayed around its edges a brilliant border of vegetation that the
rough rocks cherish with tender care.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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