Leaving Lake Room we enter a newly opened, long, dry passage to Slab
Room, where a comparatively recent earthquake has shaken down the
ornamental ceiling and spread it in great slabs over the floor; and
having since remained perfectly dry it has the appearance of being the
work of yesterday. This room is remembered as the one in which a party
of workers were lost, and one of their number gave a severe nervous
shock to the junior proprietor by suggesting that as he was acting as
guide and unable to lead them out, it was only right that he should be
the first victim to satisfy their hunger. A rescuing party with
extinguished candles was listening behind a rock to the blood-curdling
speech, and came forward to restore cheerfulness.
A long, irregular, frosty looking crevice called Jack Frost Streak,
conducts us from Slab Room and ends at Mold Ladder, on which we pause to
admire a wonderful growth of snow-white cave vegetation, before
ascending into Santa Claus' Pass, the longest passage in the cave. It is
a rough crevice named from the fact of being discovered on Christmas
Eve, and ends at the Government Room on the main tourist route where a
U.S. pack saddle and apparently portable bath tub are conspicuous.
Next beyond is a very large room named New Zealand, on account or its
icy appearance and the undisputed possession of a seal.
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