Report of a visit to the Luray Cavern, in Page County, Virginia, under the auspices of the Smithsonian institution, July 13 and 14, 1880 . The Fish Market. the Fish Market before making a new departure. Indeed, the astonish-ing fact was that the whole cavern occupies such a small area. In ]Mam-moth Cave one can walk more than ten continuous miles without doub-ling on his tracks. At Luray the chambers branch off in most fantasticform about the entrance until one is entirely bewildered. Again, inLuray Cave there are no contracted squeezes, no crawling, no break-neck climbings, no miry i)ools, bu
Report of a visit to the Luray Cavern, in Page County, Virginia, under the auspices of the Smithsonian institution, July 13 and 14, 1880 . The Fish Market. the Fish Market before making a new departure. Indeed, the astonish-ing fact was that the whole cavern occupies such a small area. In ]Mam-moth Cave one can walk more than ten continuous miles without doub-ling on his tracks. At Luray the chambers branch off in most fantasticform about the entrance until one is entirely bewildered. Again, inLuray Cave there are no contracted squeezes, no crawling, no break-neck climbings, no miry i)ools, but one may get about with almost asmuch ease as in tlie open fields. b LUKAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. On the side of a rocky ledge by the path leading to the Fish Marketis a miniature lake, in which the formation of calcite crystals is yetgoing on. It is a very beautiful object, the snow-white crystals forminga pleasing contrast with the brown color of the surrounding The Seutiuel and Spectre. The Grotto of Oberon is reached by crossing the Chasm. Here is adiminutive fountain surrounded by innumerable stalactites of greatbeauty. Just beyond lies the Bridal Chamber, so called on account of thedelicately veiled stalactites and stalagmites occurring there. Until one LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 7 has stood before these objects with romantic names, it occurs to him thatthe fancy of the narrator has quite as much to do with the matter as theresemblance of the objects. But all such doubt vanishes in the presenceof creations which call forth spontaneously from all beholders the same ex-clamations. It was so in this chamber. The long, white, trailing massesof alabaster suggested the same idea to all, and the absolute, starlessnight of shade on every side helped to complete the illusion. Just beyondthe Bridal Chamber is Giant Hall, where beauty gives place to wonder—the loveliness of Grecian finesse to the overpowering sense of Egyptianmassiveness
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