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
This room was found to be forty-eight feet long, the irregular width
varied from fourteen to thirty feet and the height from four and
one-half to ten feet. The crystal water basin is especially beautiful
and the water so clear that we stood looking into it with
disappointment, being thirsty and thinking it dry, until the guide
laughingly dipped and offered a cupful. The basin is the segment of a
circle rounding beneath a massive, overhanging crystal ledge of
wonderful beauty, and is nine feet long by two in width. This room and
the Stairway into it are alone worthy of a visit, but there is much that
is finer still.
Out of Gypsy Camp by way of Gunny Sack Crawl, so named by the workmen
who spread gunny sacks to relieve the torture of crawling over the
beautiful floor of sharp crystals, we enter the first chamber, where
active operation is still maintained and certain branches of the great
decorative industry of the cave may be carefully studied. This operative
chamber, which is unnamed, would no doubt be called a factory in the
east, but in its own locality would more likely be referred to as The
Works.
The next chamber entered is Crystal Flat, whose floor is completely
covered with immense crystal blocks, and the wonderful crystal ceiling
is exceedingly fine. But time being limited we must pass on into the
Lake Room, where is Crystal Lake, the largest body of water in the cave.
It is about thirty feet long by fifteen wide and its greatest depth
is said to be ten feet. The water is cold and clear, and the gold fish
introduced as an experiment three years ago are said to have grown
rapidly but not yet turned white, and are not known to have become
blind.
[Illustration: The Bridal Veil. Page 187.]
At some little distance from Crystal Lake, and not within the same range
of vision, although in the same room, is Dry Lake, which to the surprise
of the guide we found to be not dry, but full of limpid water through
which we could distinctly see the delicate clusters of crystals it is
depositing. They are of a pale honey yellow and are called Gum-drops on
account of the resemblance to that variety of confection.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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