^8 The JVaturalists’ Comp anion. 
Curiosities of Howe’s Cave. 
BY G. E. WELLS, AMES, N. Y. 
This wonderful caYcrn is situated in 
Schohorrie county, New York, and is 
one of the greatest natural curiosities in 
the United States, being second in size 
and interest to Mammoth Cave, Ken¬ 
tucky. In I8 z|. 2, Lester Howe was hunt¬ 
ing foxes near the present mouth of the 
cave, when he stepped into a hole which 
to him seemed to have no bottomi He 
explored further and found the hole was 
about eighteen feet deep, and led into 
this wonderful cavern. The most strik¬ 
ing feature is the wonderful deposits of 
carbonate of lime, producing thousands 
of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites 
of fantastic shapes. Let us enter the 
cave and examine some of its wonders, 
a short distance from the entrance brings 
us to the Reception Room, some forty 
feet wide and fifteen feet high ; the walls 
and floor ornamented with stalagmites 
and stalactites. Near by, up an ascend¬ 
ing path, we find another large room, 
called the Bridal Chamber, in which a 
stalagmite forms a natural altar. This 
room is ornamented with a circular 
dome, so high that the light of the torch 
does not render the top of it visible. 
On we go, and next come to Washing¬ 
ton Hall, about twenty-five feet high. 
In this hall are two staladfites, call Wash¬ 
ington’s Epaulette and Lady Washing¬ 
ton’s Hood. 
Farther on we reach the Giant’s Chapel, 
a magnificent chamber about fifty feet 
in height, d'he guide |)oints out the 
vast room. W e now hasten on and are 
soon in the Straight and Narrow AVkiy, 
four or five feet wide at the bottom, 
while at the top there wa.s just room for 
a person’s head to i)ass through. Leav¬ 
ing this, we pass several Stalagmites of 
fantastic shapes, and our guide points 
out side entrances to two or three branch¬ 
es of the cave not thoroughly explored. 
We are also shown a pit said to be bot¬ 
tomless. We have long since passed 
out of hearing of all noise of the outside 
world; but now a strange unearthly sound 
comes from the depths beyond. What 
is it? Soon the mystery is explained. 
Here is a pool of water which comes 
down a gentle incline, and forming a 
whirlpool, disap]:ears in some cavity be¬ 
low. The Pool of Siloorn, this is called. 
We are now about one mile from the 
entrance, and come to what is called 
Crystal Lake, about one-quarter of a 
mile in length, aboirt sixteen feet in 
depth, and perfedfly transparent, the 
bottom being seen by the light of our 
torches. At the head and near the foot 
of the lake are huge stalagmites; the 
one at the head berng thirty feet in di¬ 
ameter. The cove to this point is light¬ 
ed with gas. Staladlites hanging from 
the roof like icicles, refledt our lights as 
we are ferried over the lake, and we find 
many objedts of beauty, of which we 
cannot stop to mention. One of the 
most interesting of these staladlites is 
called the Giant’s Spectacles, having a 
striking resemblance to a huge paid of 
eye-glasses. Others are known as the 
Owl, Elephant’s Ear, Lady of the Lake, 
(her face turned modestly to the wall,) 
Given’s Rider, Old Church Organ, Old- 
fashioned Pulpit, etc. Ail of these are 
wonderfully suggestive of the names 
they have received. 
I'O BE CON'BINUEI). 
Parties in want of handsome c.abinct, 
specimens should, first of all, buy a box 
of those handsome Herkimer county 
‘filiamonds” of A. B. Criin. See advt. 
