June 2001 V.65, N.6 

      Half a century ago, some intrepid explorers asked a Greenbrier Valley farmer if he knew of any caves they might investigate. "There's a hole that I use for dumping dead cows," he offered. "And it must be pretty deep because it takes the bodies a long time to hit bottom."

      The first explorer to rappel the 120 feet down the hole beheld an immense limestone room filled with striking calcite formations. It was indeed a lost world, the treasures of which had been hidden for thousands, even millions of years. The band had discovered Lost World Caverns in Lewisburg, the cavern confectionery of the East Coast, filled with one frosty, gleaming formation after another.

     "The large size of the rooms, with magnificent panoramic views, are more comparable to some of the larger western caves," writes Robert J. Traister in his book, Cave Exploring. "The decorations of Lost World Caverns are among the most spectacular cave formations in the United States, and they occur here in their most beautiful form." The National Parks Service in 1973 named Lost World a Registered Natural Landmark.

      The self-guided journey through the heart of this natural gem begins with the loan of a flashlight at the back door of the gift shop, which opens into a concrete tunnel. The tunnel descends to a rail-lined walkway, which leads in turn to a vast cavern 1,000 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 12 stories high. The sound of dripping water provides a soothing backdrop in this room, its walls and ceilings elegantly fringed with stalactites. The temperature is a constant cool 52 degrees.

      To the right is the Ice Cream Wall, a formation covered with a creamy sheen that does indeed look like ice cream, with white calcite providing the vanilla flavoring and iron oxides the chocolate and butterscotch.

      Dripping rainwater deposits the minerals that create the pointy stalactites hanging from cave ceilings and the mounded stalagmites growing from the floor. Skin oils prevent the minerals in the water from sticking to the formations' surfaces. Thus, cave etiquette dictates that visitors look, but not touch the formations. There is one exception, however, at Lost World. A sign invites visitors to feel the Castle, a stalagmite which grows one cubic inch every 100 to 125 years. Covered by a gray sheen, the formation has a smooth, cold surface like marble.

      The walkway winds upward to one of nature's prime exhibits, the Bridal Veil a column of white drapery folds that shimmer as the faces of the calcite crystals reflect artificial light. It then descends from the delicate Bridal Veil to the dark and stolid Goliath formation, which is 40 feet tall with a circumference of 25 feet. It is the largest formation in the cavern and is estimated to be five million years old.

      Like a guardian at the threshold, Goliath greets visitors as they snake through a darkened rock passage. The sound of running water intensifies in this low, narrow section. The passageway opens into a chamber featuring the 30-ton Snowy Chandelier, the largest stalactite at Lost World and one of the largest compound stalactites in the U.S. The hanging calcite does indeed conjure the image of glass prisms dangling from a chandelier.

      Passing the chandelier and climbing the walkway to a wooden platform, visitors look up and find the source of the sound of running water a waterfall. Squeezing through another rocky passage, they encounter the Chapel, where many couples have gotten married against a backdrop of stony white draperies.

      The highest viewing point in the cavern is also the spot where visitors can peer upward and see a little patch of sky. This was the entrance used in 1942 when the cavern was discovered. This vantage point also offers a view of the 28-foot tall War Club, estimated to be 500,000 years old. In 1971, Bob Addis of Parkersburg set a Guinness World Record for stalagmite sitting, when he stationed himself on a platform atop the War Club for 15 days, 23 hours, and 22 minutes.

      At this point, the 10-dollar, self-guided tour, which covers a half-mile loop, ends. For those who think they can negotiate passages with names like the Birth Canal and Fat Man's Misery, Lost World offers Wild Cave Expeditions at a cost of $50. As the brochure says, "This ain't no stroll in the park." But the expeditions offer an additional mile of formations and yet another huge chamber.

       Visitors exit the cavern with the sense of having emerged from a primordial embrace.

       "It's like being in the womb of Momma Earth," says Amy Silverberg, the mother of owner Steve Silverberg. A former fire fighter from San Diego, California, Steve Silverberg bought the cavern in March of 1999. He paid his entry fee, saw the cave, and, when he saw the "For Sale" sign on his way out, decided he was tired of the big city.

      Silverberg's future plans include renovating the caverns' lighting system. He also plans to make last year's successful Halloween haunted cave an annual event.

      "We have what most other haunted attractions try to achieve, and that is total darkness," he notes. "We shut off the big lights and use theatrical lights."

      There may even be an appearance by "Bat Boy" of tabloid fame at the weeklong event. In 1992, the Weekly World News reported that the boy was captured by the FBI at Lost World Caverns, where he survived by eating his weight in live insects every day.

       Lost World Caverns is open daily, except for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Wear shoes with a good tread and dress for a temperature of 52 degrees. From Interstate 64, take exit 169 at Lewisburg and head south on U.S. 219. Turn right on Washington Street, then right on Court Street, which becomes Fairview Road. Signs mark the entrance. Information on hours and the Halloween haunted cave, which will be held October 19-21 and 25-31 this year, are available by calling 1-800-228-3778 or (304)645-6677. The Web site address is http://wvweb.com/ www/lost_world_caverns/ web.html.