1925-04-04 — Page 7

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1925.

THE CHINA MAIL.

GIANT CAVERNS

NOW REVEALED

BA

LARGER STALAGMIZE / 500.000 YEARS OLD 18 Ay y ddwy

Geologist Explores Underground Chambers of Tremendous Size-Greatest Cave in the World Discovered in Solving

Mystery of River, .

BBY FRANKLIN, JOHNSON.)

Vast envers which are believed to be the largest in the world are recent geological discoveries in the south Weston porticae of the Buited States,

Just how large the monster eaves pay prove to be is as yet a matter of guesswork. Already explored for t distones of ten miles, the underground passages are expaster to develop a extent beyond all previous swips of Imagination. The esplorations a far conducte are regarded as Ponstituting merely a a beginning.

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Situated in the Gundeloupe Mountains of New Mexico, twenty miles from the tawn of tarlsbad, the caverns revealed through the explorations of Dr. Willis T. Lev, a distinguished aritis of the United States Grologien Survey

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- Discovered By Geologist. Dr. Lee's discoveries came about through research designed to determine the underground flow of water in the region of the Peen Valley. For such extent was his work rewarded. that the remarkable formation has been deemed: warthy of perpetuntion among the National Monumenta" of the United Stut This has been achieved by means of a proelnmation issued by the president, setting the caverns aside far the benefit of the entire country as the Carlabuit Cavern National Monument.

Vast Dimensions.

in leath and breadth the caverns are astounding. To this characteristic is led the unusual size of the underground Fairyland. stalatites and stalagmites of this Because of formations are enlarged to gignotic unusual geological conditions these dimensions. large "inicles, s

Instead of simulating usgally geen, the staletites have grown into huge pen- dants of an individual weight equivalent to several tons. The stalagmitor have taken the form of enormous pillars, the size of gimit trees.

ZWO COPYSKICVOUS COLUMNS, AS HYA CATHE ORAL PRESULTING FROM THE JOMAN STALACTITES ANO STALAGMIŽES

PPHOTO BY WILLIS FLEE).

amphitheatres and hundreds of ante- chambers, all dazzlingly decorated with natural sculptures of Ane onyx reflect- ing the light like untold millions of diamonds. One chamber in particular compelled the unqualified awe and admiration of the seientist. vast area, a mile in length and

In this

quarter of a mile in width, the torches disclosed an array of beauty scarcely to be believed. The scene was one In the face of these anammoth pr

which suggested a work of centuries on for the finer manifestations of nature's portions the envers are notable also

the puri of ambitious decorators and handiwork.

gifted artists. From end to end the Delicate tracery is inter-chamber is filled with onyx forrax and woven with fine enmoes which give the figures, exquisitely shaped, and sug underground chambers and passagus a

gesting the statuary hall of a race of distinctive beauty regarded as rivalled in any other place in the world:

giants to whom the love of art was inherent.. The hernie carvings and sculptures are buyend conception,

LETE

Height Not Determined..

unknown.

The size of this vast chamber is still The rays of explorer's searchlight were lost at an upward range of three hundred feet. How far Beyond the field of light the cavern Extends cannot be determined without further exploration with more elaborate lighting equipment. The arching roof has an altitude that is not to be Dr. Lee declares that even

Everything is on a massive sente. The newly explored wonderland dwarfs overshadow other eaves as the Rocky Mountains even the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky the Appalachians.. Not can compare with the Carlsbad formin- tion in extent and impressiveness. Dr. Lee's explorations have revealed mile upon mile of lofty galleries, many huge f guessed:

with the timilations of his own investi gation the chamber affords ample room for hiding the United States Capital building in one corner of the room with out maturial interferénce with the free space of the huge apartment, Other chambers of similar size were disclosed: In many of the ball rooms," or smaller apartment, there are vust spaces in feasts and dunces with no sense vi which fifty-foot giants might hold their crowding..

One of the largest apartments has been named Shinay's Wigwam, in fanei- fel allusion to the great warrior wolf- god of the Navajo Indians. This Indian god was a cyclops who was believed to have used huge.tree trunks for his arrows. The Petrified Forest of Arizona, strewn with trees turned to stóne, is said to have been the buttle- ground of Shiray, the petrified: trunks his broken arrows. The roof of Shinav's Wigwam is nearly 300 feet in height, gleaming with myris Atalactites. The pendants are of spark- ling onyx, varying in size from tiny brilliant icicles as delicate as a feminine forefinger, to giant maasca-weighing many tone apiece. remarkable rours are small wigwams Surrounding this

of

lavoro de via

POLES

or ante-chambers, separated from the through springs issuing from the moun greater apartment by extraordinary 'tain sides. Nuvajo blankets, curtains or draperies | of the some glittering onyx.

The great chemical work of nature is. still under way. Every trickling, drop Millions Of Years in Making. of water, charged, with carbonic acid The rock out of which this incom- gau, dissolves a minute portion of the parabia cavern was sculptured is lime-limestone. The water, does not carry stone, laid down in a stratum of 1,300 off all the lime thus dissolved, and fect, extends 1,000 feet below the surface depoalted upon the roof from which Throughout millions of years water has the drpy is suspended. In time the The depth already explored therefore an infinitesimal amount is

eaten through the limestone, dissolving lime left there by many billions of interior, and.currying most of it away onyx icicle or stalactite. When a touch away the vast bulk which ones filled the drops of water grows into the great

of iron oxide is carried by the watery this stalactite may be stained a strikes ing red or pink or a rich brown. In the same way, the drop which may chance to fall to the floor of the caveris deposits there a bit of lime to build up an inverted icicle in the form of a stalagmite. These are the two domin ant phenomena of the caverns, but thay have expanded and transformed them selves into a thousand forms. Whers the stalactites and stalagmites have Joined they have formed spectacular crystal columns of fantastic shaps In some cases the formations have grown sidewise into neighbouring columns, the cories joining to form remarkables! tapestries and curtain-like draperice of brilliant hue and apparently marvellous texture. Some of these appear as soft”) and warm as plush. In the torchlight they shimmer and seem almost to rustle like filmy silks of infinite shadings and variety

Geologists have roughly guessed the sge of the Carlsbad Caverns at three million years. Measurements of grow ing stalactite caves in Europe, covering long periods, have made it possible to estimate the rate of growth. With this basis the measurements of the Carlsbad Caverns will give an idea of the length of time occupied by nature's work t is possible that the process has been Koing on for five hundred times tha world's recorded history.

........

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