Abijah Long

“ What it lacks in color, it makes up for in its unique appearance.
The floor of the Big Room is a reddish brown color, and at this point the visitor sees numerous rounded mounds of stones, looking much as though a stalagmite might have gotten a good start only to be engulfed in water and be polished down to this semi-globular formation. That is probably just what happened, leaving these half-buried basketballs to remain in exactly that fashion for eternity.
A sudden right turn brings the party to the famous Jumping Off Place, which in reality is one of the entrances to the Lower Cave. ”

“ A moment later my feet touched a pile of rock on the floor of the cave. It was so dark that I couldn't see anything except the dim outline of the nearest wall.
"How ya' coming?" Andy shouted down at me.
"I made it all right," I replied. "Come on down, and bring that torch that is in the back of the wagon. It's black as night down here." ”

“ So, at our appointed hour our journey of exploration began—the first journey into the Big Cave—the first time Man had ever set eyes on its matchless wonders. How little we knew then that in the years that would follow millions of others would enter this cave to view the beauty and grandeur that Nature had been in the process of creating for countless centuries. ”

“ On once more, lily pads, huge boulders, and clusters of flowstone along the walls greet the visitor as he heads for Mirror Lake, a small, crystal-clear pool that is well named. On beyond is the Bottomless Pit, a dark hole with mysterious implications that received its name from the first explorers who thought the title would intrigue all who saw it. From the trail the light of a spotlight has trouble in penetrating the depths of the pit, adding to its ghostliness. ”

“ In winter the sandy soil may be buried under a blanket of freshly fallen snow, the air with a light snap and crystal clear 'neath a warm winter sun. In the summer months a bluish desert haze often filters down on the surrounding countryside, but it does not stop even the slightest breeze from whipping up a soft funnel of dust from the dry, parched earth, or sending a tumbleweed rolling along a haphazard path towards an undetermined destination.
But the traveler's destination by this time has almost arrived. ”

“ Lynn ran to the wagon to get the torch as Andy prepared to come down the ladder. He came down more quickly than I did, probably because I had blazed the way and he knew it was safe.
Before I knew it, Lynn had entered the opening and was coming down the ladder. In my excitement I forgot to ask him to remain outside for safety's sake. If the rope ladder should slip or in any way become insecure, we could never have gotten out and would surely have died in the cave. ”

“ But the larger formations which have contributed to the fame of the Big Room include Giant Dome, Hall of Giants, Rock of Ages, and the Temple of the Sun.
No two people see quite the same thing when they enter the Big Room. It is so huge and there is so much to greet the eye that at first everything is taken in but no one thing is seen. Then the eye begins to settle on one formation at a time. One of the first is the Hall of Giants, so named for the size of its principal formations ”

“ As a result, we have only the word of geologists and other scientists who have specialized in the study of the earth, its formation, and the changes that have come about through the countless ages since our world began.
No one knows how old the Caverns are. All man can do is to estimate, and he bases these estimates on a study of conditions he finds within the cave itself, in the surrounding countryside, and from a general knowledge of the earth and how it has evolved. ”

“ Members of the party will be surprised at how well the guide's low voice can be heard, a phenomenon due to the excellent acoustics of the room.
All eyes are absorbed in the ever-changing spectacle that is unfolding before them. Next comes a low ceilinged passageway, followed by a clear pool of water from which rises a lone column. The formations along the way are getting larger with each step, the coloration is more vivid, and the variations are great indeed. ”

“ During the centuries when the entire area was saturated with water, limestone blocks on walls and ceilings were weakened by solution, later to crash to the floor, leaving the room larger than ever. This collapsing continued after the cave became "dry" but ended once stability was achieved. Park naturalists tell us no rock has fallen within the cave for thousands of years.
So ends the first stage of the history of the great Carlsbad Caverns, their gradual growth and formation over periods of millions of years. Man was still centuries away when their beauties were being created. ”

“ Of the animals which occasionally frequent the cave, the cacomixle, commonly known as a ring-tailed cave cat or even just "ring-tail," is perhaps the best known. This slender raccoon-like animal- 71 - doesn't spend all his time in the cave, for he is able to crawl in and out, but he does raise his family in the cracks and crevices of the walls, and eats an occasional cave mouse or guano bat. Outside he eats fruit and other small animals and insects. Apparently they have never been too numerous in the Caverns.
The only other animal to have made the cave its home is the great horned owl. ”

“ When insects are abundant, the size of the bat population increases, having been estimated at times to be as high as 7 million in the Carlsbad Caverns alone. As the supply of insects decreases, so does the number of bats. Where they go, and whether or not the same specific bats return in times of insect plenty is not definitely known.
One of the first surveys of the bats in the Caverns discovered that the number seems to grow in the fall, indicating that the cave was used primarily as a home principally for hibernation during the winter. ”

“ The eye roams over ever-changing forms with no two quite alike, and the immensity of the room alone is sufficient to remind man what a small mortal he be, after all. At the far end of the Palace are seen two pendants, stalactite and a stalagmite which come within a fraction of an inch of kissing. ”

“ Nature's work has been protected and left intact, but the lights, the lunchroom, the elevator, the improved trails, and the many other improvements have been made by man for man's enjoyment of what the ages have bestowed—what the centuries have given him to see and enjoy.
Already people from the four corners of the globe have beaten a track to the Caverns' door, to behold in amazement and wonder and- 87 - awe. Many millions more will come in the years ahead, and their children in the years after that. ”

“ Also, the amount of guano growth varies with the years, for when insects are plentiful, bats gorge themselves and the guano deposits are much greater than in lean years when their food supply is low, sometimes to the extent that the bats will go elsewhere for one or two seasons, at which times there is no guano accumulation at all.
At one time, during an exploration of the cave some years ago, a scientist discovered the remains of a bat sticking out of the side of a stalagmite where it had undoubtedly fallen from its perch above, having perchance died of old age. ”

“ Life Enters the Caverns
At the time the limestone beds were beginning to crack, which we noted was some 60,000,000 million years ago, the huge reptiles and other prehistoric animals were playing hide and seek on the surface above the site of the developing Caverns. At that time the cave hadn't yet been formed—the underground seepage of water was just beginning to find the crevices below the gypsum and rock salt and begin its erosion which was to continue slowly for so many centuries. ”

“ Cavern authorities counted the number sleeping in one square foot of space, found between 250 and 300 could squeeze into the area. The number of square feet of ceiling space occupied by the sleeping creatures was then multiplied by the bats per square foot, and the estimate was reached.
Life in the cave, it seems, has been governed by the bat, and even this little fellow can hardly be said to live there. Actually, he only- 70 - sleeps there winters and during the day. He can't live in the cave all the time since there is no food there for him. ”

“ Here, at an altitude of 4,350 feet above sea level, is found the natural entrance to the cave. Park regulations are studied in order that no bounds may be overstepped. No living thing may be touched or disturbed, thus assuring protection and perpetuation of plant and animal life within the park. The walls of the Caverns may not be touched, defaced, scratched or marred in any way. Canes or walking sticks may not be carried except upon permission of a park official, who will decide if such cane or stick is necessary for the owner to make the Caverns trip. ”

“ Thousands of inverted spires rain down from above, and on the ground the crinkly rock formations resemble pop-corn in color and appearance although not hardly in flavor! This same pop-corn formation is seen in other parts of the Caverns and geologists say this condition resulted after stalagmites had grown to a considerable height, following which the cave was flooded for thousands of years with water, the excess lime from which accumulated in the tiny globules which give the bubbly appearance. ”

“ Great though man's work may be, God's work is ever greater.
The rest period is over. It is time to go on. In a moment the party is once again assembled in the main passageway section which connects the many rooms, and turns to the left past "hanging mosses" and honeycombed fissures into the famous Big Room, largest underground chamber known anywhere, and unsurpassed in length, width and height, variety and size of formations, number of colors to be seen, and value to geologists due to the many finds that have been made. ”

“ The next descent into the great cave was to be by the public itself, and in ever-increasing numbers.
In order to meet this onrush of sightseers, improvement of the interior of the Caverns and the approach from above ground was deemed necessary. Now that the area was a National Monument, the Government gave its attention to the area. Because of his great interest in, and knowledge of the Caverns, Dr. Lee was appointed the first custodian. He served without pay. Jim White became an unofficial guide, later being appointed a park ranger by the National Park Service, finally becoming chief ranger. ”

“ And you'll be thrilled just as we were, when you see them for the first time, and you'll marvel, as we did, that anything in the world could exist, so strange, so large, so utterly beyond description. ”

“ We all seemed humble amid God's handiwork, and I noticed many of the roughest men in the party became suddenly reverent as though they might be entering some great cathedral.
I never knew exactly how the other men felt about all this strange exhibition of beauty, but I could see it had some effect upon their lives. A rough bunch of men usually don't say much about this sort of thing. ”

“ Many small formations are not seen but must be discovered. Every visitor sees something new—something no one else within the party has noticed, for the formations are countless and the resemblances they offer are equally as numerous. ”

“ The area above this point is known as the vadose zone, and below this point the area is the ground-water or phreatic zone.
Any farmer who has ever sunk a well knows how important it is that his well reach below the water table if he is to be assured a continuous supply of water. Well owners also know that the water table can rise or fall due to any of several natural causes, such as an abundance of rainfall for a few seasons, or any great lack of rainfall for an extended length of time. ”

“ Their diet consists of beetles, flies, and other flying insects, most of which are enemies of civilization; thus the bat is economically a valuable animal.
They leave the mouth of the cave at dusk, heading first for a drink of water at the nearest available spot, then spend the night in search of their food. As the sun's rays begin to appear in the east they fly back to the cave where they dig their tiny claws into the ceiling and remain there sleeping until the sun sets in the west and the cycle starts all over again. ”

“ So the cricket depends on the bats, the mice on the cricket, and the ringtail on the mice. Thus is the life cycle within the great cave.
But when did man first visit the Caverns? That question is indeed problematic and may never be definitely answered. The early Folsom people have been traced to an encampment site some fifteen miles south of Clovis, New Mexico, which they occupied some time between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago. Chipped stone dart points associated with a post-glacial species of bison have been found imbedded in the earth in rock strata going back that many years. ”

“ The beauty continues to defy all description. The color in the Big Room, too, is appealing to the eye, no doubt enhanced by the deft use of colored lighting. No, says the guide. Only plain light bulbs are used in the thousands of feet of wire strung throughout the Caverns. Any color you see was put there by Mother Nature herself. ”

“ As old age overtook them they would die and fall to the floor. Then, as subsequent earth movements closed the openings, the bats would find new doorways to their daytime abode. This also accounts for large quantities of guano which were found in portions of the cave where no bats were to be seen sleeping on the ceiling above.
There are eighteen species of bats to be found in New Mexico, and thirteen are known in the Carlsbad region. In the United States as a whole, scientists have classified over 251 varieties of these winged mammals. ”

“ We never did see any forms of life in the cave, other than the millions of bats which made it their home, but on one of our trips into the inner chambers the boys found a large bone. They brought it out to examine it more carefully. It was much too large to be a human bone, and when the boys tried to break it they found it was very hard, resisting for a while the blows of their sledge hammer. ”