THE MARGHERITA CAVE.
From the Bone Cave to the Margherita Cave is about 130 yards, travelling
north-east to the top of the first 10 steps, then east into the
Architect's Studio, and then north about 30 yards. The Margherita Cave
varies from 10 to 20 feet in height, and is from 10 to 15 feet wide. It
is remarkable chiefly for the magnitude and beauty of its stalactitic
formation, the best portions of which are fenced off with iron rods and
wire netting. The formations are nearly all of the same general
character. Although there are many changes in detail, the typical
pattern is observed everywhere in the midst of infinite variety, just as
in a fugue choice snatches of melody sound forth in the clear treble,
skip away in the mellow tenor, roll forth in the deep bass, and then
dart about Will-o'-the-wisp-like all through the composition, without
ever getting out of harmony. It is a grand chamber full of stately
concords and charming effects of light and shade.
Hard by is another chamber with masses of beautiful stalactites, and, on
a pinnacle, a figure appears about the height of the Venus de Medici,
robed in drapery of white, slightly suggestive of the binary theory of
feminine attire, and with a peculiar curvature denominated the "Grecian
bend." The bend is unmistakable. There is just a suspicion of the
"divided skirt," and the attitude is easy and graceful, the Grecian bend
notwithstanding. The upper part of the body from the waist has no
"boddice aptly laced," but becomes gradually mixed indiscriminately with
other kinds of beauty, which, although they may "harmony of shape
express," do not in the sense indicated by Prior become "fine by degrees
and beautifully less." Admirers of classic beauty may be inclined to
regard the incompleteness of the figure as "fine by defect and
delicately weak." There are some stalagmites on the sloping bank of
formation, which runs down to the wire netting and is finished off at
each extremity by two massive stalactitic pillars.
The Margherita Cave received its name in honour of the wife of
Lieut.-Colonel Cracknell, Superintendent of Telegraphs. Col. Cracknell
visited the caves in 1880, and on the 22nd July illuminated this and
some other portions with the electric light. The Margherita was the
first of the underground chambers in which flashed its brilliant rays.
In the absence of facilities for generating electricity by means of the
now well-known dynamo machine, Colonel Cracknell had recourse to primary
batteries, and adopted the form known as the Maynooth or Callan cell,
the elements of which were cast iron and zinc in solutions of nitric and
sulphuric acid.
It was not an easy task to unload and carry up the iron cell battery and
the apparatus into the cave, as each set of six cells weighed 96 lbs.
The whole, together with the acids and the electric light apparatus,
exceeded 15 cwts. The battery, however, was soon made ready, and to the
admiration of all present Cave Margherita was illuminated by the
electric light. A photographic apparatus was then placed in position,
the plates were exposed, and in 15 minutes the first negatives were
produced, and said to be all that could be desired.
It is satisfactory to learn that arrangements are almost complete for
the permanent lighting of the caves by electricity. Lieutenant-Colonel
Cracknell proposes to illuminate them in sections, containing each, say,
25 incandescent lamps, and when one section has been thoroughly explored
the lamps therein will be cut off and those in the next section brought
into operation, and so on until the whole of the interior has been
examined. It is intended that Swan's incandescent lamp of 20-candle
power shall be used.
The electricity is to be generated by a small Edison dynamo, with which
accumulators of the Elwell-Parker type will be kept charged, so that at
all times there will be a supply available for lighting the lamps. It
has not yet been determined whether to use steam or water power, but it
is thought likely that sufficient of the latter may be secured in the
vicinity of the caves to work a turbine, and thus produce the necessary
energy.