452 LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 



The ornamentation of the cave, composed of lime carbonate, in the 

 form of stalactite, stalagmite, calcareous tufa, travertine, cave pearls, 

 calcite crystals, &c., has been produced by the precipitation of that 

 mineral from solution in water, formerly percolating freely through the 

 crevices of the rock which formed the ceiling, after the process of hol- 

 lowing out was comi)leted. 



With these preliminary observations the party equipped themselves 

 for their subterraneous journey each with a tin frame holding three 

 lighted candles. The cold current of air around the mouth of the 

 abyss warned them that their comfort would be enhanced by a 

 heavy coat to enable them to sustain the shock of a sudden change 

 in temperature from 96° to 56° Fahrenheit. The first descent is 

 down a broad flight of square stone steps to a landing 50 feet below 

 the surface. A short walk along a narrow passage leads to the vesti- 

 bule, or entrance chamber, an irregularly shaped room 35 feet high and 

 nearly 200 feet in diameter in the widest portion, the walls descending 

 and contracting in an erratic and picturesque manner. As this was 

 the first cave experience of most of the party, the unexj^ected magnitude 

 of the chamber, the almost tangible darkness, the great variety of mas- 

 sive and curious forms, the ghastly shadows flitting about with their 

 feeble caudles, filled up the measure of expectancy. Indeed, had there 

 been no rooms beyond far surpassing this one in every respect, all would 

 have been perfectly satisfied. A very remarkable object in this cham- 

 ber is Washington's Column, a monster pillar, nearly 25 feet in diameter, 

 and very handsomely fluted. 



A long, arched, irregular space beyond the vestibule, studded with 

 fungoid and stalactites, has received the name of the Vegetable Garden, 

 from the exquisite varieties of the incrustations. The botryoidal stalac-' 

 tites excited the admiration of the whole party. Wandering through this 

 space, the explorers descended a well-built wooden staircase to Muddy 

 Lake, passing across which over a wooden bridge, they were shown the 

 Bear's Tracks, curious indentations on the tufaceous covering of a ledge, 

 very strongly resembling the scratches made by an animal holding on 

 by its claws. The next point of interest is the theater — a suggestive 

 title from the resemblance to a great audience hall. 



Ascending to the left the party came to the Fish Market. Here, on 

 the side of a projecting wall, or series of escarpments, depend hundreds 

 of sheet-like stalactites, mimicking most wonderfully rows of fish ex- 

 posed for sale. Indeed, one has no difficulty about the identification of 

 the species of bass, perch, shad, mackerel, &c. ; some being gray all over, 

 others having black backs and white bellies, and the illusion being per- 

 fected by a sufficient trickling to give a slimy, fishy appearance to the 

 objects. All pronounced this to be the most curious, though not by any 

 means the grandest and most imi^ressive, object in the cavern. 



From the Fish Market the path to the right leads to the Elfin Ramble, 

 a low, open chamber, from 1 to 10 feet high, GOO feet long, and 300 feet 



