CHASM OF PADIRAC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 July 1939, Page 9

CHASM OF PADIRAC

NOTABLE FRENCH ATTRACTION. CAVES AND SUBTERRANEAN RIVER. The Chasm of Padirac, one of the geological wonders of France, in the Department of the Lot, is the mouth of Hell according to local legend. Saint Martin, says this legend, looking for souls to save, met the Devil, who had a huge sack full of them on his back. “I will surrender all these to you,” said the Devil, "if you will jump an obstacle I will name.” The wager was accepted, when the Devil, with a laugh struck the ground with his heel, causing the chasm of Padirac to open. Un • daunted, Saint Martin urged on his mule, which gave a great leap and landed on the other side, where the marks of its hoofs are pointed out. The Devil paid his wager, and disappeared into the bowels of the earth by the chasm he had created. Padirac was first explored by M. E. A. Martel, a famous geologist, in 1889 and 1890. The chasm descends in three stages to a depth of 338 feet. Crossing comparatively flat uplands, one comes across the chasm quite unexpectedly, a huge round hole, 100 feet across. Fifty feet down there is a first ledge, on which a restaurant is installed. From this ledge, a lift takes the visitor down another 188 feet, to a sloping floor gradually descending a further 98 feet. Here one is in twilight, with the round opening of the chasm high overhead. Two caves open out, one to the north and the other to the south, with entrances 85 to 90 feet high, the northern cave leading to a subterranean river.

This subterranean stream, of which the source and outlet are unknown, is navigable for more than 3GO yards, and is so clear that at every point the bottom can be seen although it is in parts many feet deep. A strange, beautiful sight, this river beneath the earth, winding its way between walls of rock that sometimes come impressively close together and at others stretch out, and the passengers on the little flat-bot-tomed boats pass points where the roof of rock comes low down above the water and others where the sides rise 170 feet and more to where the electric light fails to pierce the darkness sur rounding the long stalactites. A foot-path that follows the river for some distance winds in and out among stalagmites of strange shapes, sometimes suggesting giant lace-work ol fantastic dissymmetry. The subterranean river is strangely quiet, with only the splash of the oars breaking the silence. At one point the river enters the Hall of Rain, where drops of water fall constantly into the stream. Near this is a narrow way beneath a clus ter of stalactites, hanging down 190 feet, nearly touching the surface of the water. The stalactities are opal in colour. The Lake of the Grand Gours. 130 yards long and 30 yards wide, has a cascade of water falling in the middle and here the visitors are nearly 900 yards from the point where they entered the chasm. A new feature of the chasm is a gal lery, made accessible to the public only th ■■ year, where the visitor is able to look down -/om among the stalactites on to the river 230 feet below, a scene of a landscape of a dream. More than 100.000 tourists visited Padirac last year.