OCR Text |
Show THE RICH COUNTY REAPER, RANDOLPH, UTAH TOUCH OF OLD WEST . . . Shaggy buffaloes provide a reminder of the Old West for visitors at Wind Cave National park in South Dakota, one of three parks embracing the nations mysterious cave systems. MECCA FOR TRAVELERS Mysteries of Underground World Beckon Adventurous WNU Features. RETURN ., . Back in Germany after a wartime stay in Mexico, authoress Anna Seghers speaks on Free Book Day from same spot where her own book, The Seventh Cross, was burned by Nazis 14 years ago. REUNITED AFTER 26 TEARS . . . James Gombarick (right) ended search for his daughter, Mrs. Bernice Potter (left) when he in a Milwaukee railroad station and found he had a grandher greeted son, Robert. Gombarick lost track of his daughter following a divorce from his first wife in which no provision was made for custody of Bernice, then 20 months old. a 26-ye- ar A I Caves have fascinated man from the dawn of antiquity to the present day. Stories of them abound in history, folklore and mythology, yet these mysterious underground worlds still beckon the adventurous and the weird scenes to be discovered there fire imaginations. Three great cave systems in the United States have been established as national parks Mammoth cave in Kentucky, Carlsbad caverns in New Mexico and Wind cave in South Dakota. In 1946 these three national parks were visited by more than half a million people. Mammoth cave has been world famous for more than a century. It tan. The descent from the natural entrance to the 750 foot level is e made 'Green Lake Room, the Kings Palace, the Queens is believed to Chamber and the Papoose Room. have been After lunch in the underground cafdiscovered in eteria comes the main event, a tour 1799 by a pioof the Big Room. This tremenneer named dous chamber is about 4,000 feet Houchin who long, 500 feet wide and 300 feet from followed a floor to ceiling. In this room many wounded city skyscrapers would seem small. bear into the cave entrance. A few Here one sees the Temple of the years later salt petre taken from Sun and the pagoda-lik- e stalagmite, the cave was used in the manufac- called Rock of Ages. The trip ture of gunpowder for American tikes about seven hours. troops in the War of 1812, and not WIND CAVE near the Black Hills long after that the great passageways and domed chambers of Mam- in South Dakota, a national park moth cave became an international since 1903, is much smaller in exmecca for travelers. There are gal- tent than either Mammoth cave or leries on five distinct levels in Mam- Carlsbad caverns, but it has unmoth cave and during the course of usual formations known as box the underground trip, the visitor de- work found in no other caves in scends 360 feet to the lowest level the United States. The tour of Wind where the Echo river winds its tor- cave requires from one to two hours HOSPITALITY . . . Lewis Dougtuous way in eternal darkness. Echo and the return to the surface is ambassaUnited new States las, dor to England, received warm river is probably the most distinc- made by elevator. An additional interesting feature welcome from Mrs. Elizabeth tive and interesting feature of the of Wind Cave National park is a on and a cave it short made is trip Griffin, a miners wife, when he buffalo herd which may be in boat. a large Strange visited tl)e Denaby main colliery seen from the park road. eyeless fish live in the river. at South 'Yorkshire. There are now more than 150 MAMMOTH CAVE, Carlsbad cavmiles of explored passageways in Mammoth cave and the visitor is erns and Wind cave are accessible offered a choice of several tours by paved highways, and all have which vary in length from 2 to TVz bus or taxi connections with one or y hours. On the trip one has more railroads. There are no overlunch at the Snowball Dining Room, sight facilities at Carlsbad caverns, but there are tourist camps near 267 feet below the surface. An indication of what one may expect to the park entrance and hotels in see is given by the names of some Carlsbad, N. M. A free campsite is of the formations in the cave: Bot- provided in Wind Cave National tomless Pit, Fat Mans Misery, park, but the nearest hotels or cabRuins of Karnak, Frozen Niagara, ins will be found in Hot Springs, Violet City, Jenny Linds Armchair S. D. At Mammoth Cave National and Martha Washingtons Statue. park hotels, cottages and park Long under private ownership, transportation are furnished. Here Mammoth cave became a national also National Park service has free park in 1941 largely through the campsites and picnic areas. All three caves are illuminated by foresight and generosity of the peomodern electric systems; however, of who of the State ple Kentucky, through personal contributions in the historic section of Mammoth made possible purchase of the cave cave parties still are guided by the property and its donation to the traditional lanterns and flickering pine torches. There are no elevators federal government. in Mammoth cave and visitors in SENTENCED . . . Kenneth RomCARLSBAD CAVERNS was pro- poor physical condition should not ney, former house sergeant-at-arma national monument in descend to the level nf Echo river claimed was found guilty of a 1923 and given national park status as the climb to the surface is steep. charge that he made false reports in 1930. Probably its earliest ex- All trips in the cave are conducted to the government to cover loss of was Jim White, a cowboy, by National Park service guides J house bank funds in personal real plorer who entered it in 1901. Seeing a and ranger. estate speculation. dark, moving column issuing from the top of a mountain, White investigated and found a natural opening in the earth which led him down to 'the caverns. The dark, smokelike column proved to be alive, a moving stream of bats from down in the darkness of the caves. This spectacular flight of bats, may be seen every afternoon at dusk during the warm months of the year. The descent into Carlsbad caverns from the natural entrance is an unforgettable ex- perience. From a point well below the surface one may look to back through the see an endless procession of via-th- ed all-da- -- SOURDOUGHS, 1947 STYLE . . . Everything is an adventure to the young in heart, so these three World War II veterans started out on the royal road to romance which they hope will lead them from Scranton, Pa., to Alaska. And, after all, they might strike gold. Making the panel truck are (left to' right) Bill Spencer, Joseph trip in a J. OBrien and A1 Drack. Every one of them is a confirmed optimist. s, , semi-gloo- people ... . . . Mrs. Roscoe C. OByrne has been elected Ind., president general of the of Brookville, (right) Daughters of the American Revolution. She succeeds Mrs. J. Y. (left) of Athens, Ga.,' who drapes the president generals sash about Mrs. OByrnes shoulders during installation ceremonies held at the 56th annual DAR convention at, Constitution hall. NEW DAR PRESIDENT INSTALLED Tal-mad- ge An Australian IMMIGRANT kangaroo, Bluey arrived at the Oakland, Calif., airport and im- mediately claimed the distinction of being the first of his kind to cross the Pacific in four hops. Helping to take care of Bluey on the journey was Mary Simmons 'of Sydney, pictured here. , f j zig zagging m downward amid huge boulders and grotesque rock formations. The scene reminds one of descriptions from Dantes Inferno. are available for , Elevators those who do not wish to descend or ascend on foot. Everything in Carlsbad caverns is on a vast scale. The rooms are huge and the stalactites and stalagmites are larger than in any other known cave. Some of the stalagmites have the shape and size of church spires. The dominant colors iq Carlsbad are. varying shades of SCENE FROM INFERNO . . . Like a scene from Dantes Inferno, giant stalagmites and grotesque rock formations abound in Carlsbad caverns in New 4 |