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 Devil's Lookout is reached by a few steps. It is a crevice about
ten feet wide at the base and sixty-five feet in height. This place is
remarkable for its columns of rock just over head. The pathway leads to
Milton's Study, some fifty feet distant. Turning into the crevice again,
some twenty feet are traveled when attention is called to Seal Rocks.
Sampson's Palace is the next room in order: here we see some stalagmitic
water formation on the left wall and the ceiling is one of the most
beautiful yet seen on the trip.
"We pass along to Swiss Scenery, a very prettily decorated room fifty
feet in length by fifteen in height. The box work is very pretty,
shading from yellow to dark brown. The general appearance of the room
would suggest its name, it being rougher than any other in the immediate
vicinity. Passing under an arch we enter the Queen's Drawing-room. Here
the box work has been developed beyond any on our pathway thus far. From
the ceiling it hangs like draperies and on the left wall is about
twenty-four inches in depth. On the whole this room is elegant enough
for the most exacting queen. We step from this room into the M.E.
Church. Rev. Mr. Hancher, President of the Black Hills Methodist
College, was I believe the first to hold song and prayer service in this
room; the pulpit is on the left as you pass through. The guides always
ask if any wish to sing or worship, as any one has a perfect right in a
dedicated Chapel.
"The Giant's Causeway is only a few steps beyond. This bit of scenery
has some resemblance to the famed basalt attraction on the coast of
Ireland. We 'duck' our heads under the Arch of Politeness and rise to a
standing position in Lena's Arbor, a very irregular shaped room admired
by a great many of our visitors.
"We enter Capitol Hall at the side, about midway between the ends. It is
the largest room yet visited, being some two hundred feet from end to
end, with a very high ceiling. Here we notice the walls and ceiling are
bare of box work and other formation, and are clean and white. The
decorative appearance exceeds any room yet visited. After getting into
line again we go down a flight of stairs to Odd Fellows' Hall, a chamber
that on examination suggests its name. In the ceiling is situated the
'All seeing eye,' one of the emblems of that august body, and at a
little distance the 'Three links;' also in the ceiling, and just under
the latter is situated a rock very much resembling a goat. Attention is
called to the first appearance of pop-corn work, a very peculiar
formation resembling pop-corn after it has broken open, and in this part
of the cave it is quite plentiful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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