User:FossilDS/sandbox
| Howe Caverns | |
|---|---|
 Passage in Howe Caverns | |
  Location in New York  Location in United States | |
| Location | Howes Cave, New York |
| Coordinates | 42°42′34.344″N 74°23′31.092″W / 42.70954000°N 74.39197000°W |
| Depth | 156 feet (48 m) [1] |
| Length | 6,200 feet (1,900 m) |
| Discovery | 1842 |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Show cave opened | 1929 |
| Show cave length | 7,920 feet (2,410 m) [2] |
| Lighting | Electric |
| Website | Official website |
Howe Caverns is a limestone cave in the hamlet of Howes Cave, Schoharie County, New York. Howe Caverns is a popular tourist attraction, providing visitors with a sense of caving or spelunking, without needing the advanced equipment and training usually associated with such adventures.
Description[edit]
With a 7,920 feet (2,410 m) Howes Cavern is the largest show cave in the Northeastern United States.[3] Visitors take an elevator down from the main , which is a large phreatic tube, up to 32.8 feet (10.0 m) tall and 19.6 feet (6.0 m) wide. Guides lead visitors
The largest room, the Lake of Venus, [3]: 159-160
The cave contains an underground lake, called the Lake of Venus, as well as many speleothems.
Geology[edit]
Howe Caverns is a solutional cave formed by the dissolution of limestone rock.[1] The cave like many on the Helderberg Plateau, such as Secret Caverns and Tory Cave, is composed of thickly beded Lower Devonian aged Coeymans Limestone and Upper Silurian aged Manlius Limestone, both part of the Helderberg Group and formed by sediment buildup under an ancient inland sea.[3]
The cave which lies 156 feet (48 m) deep, began forming several million years ago as water incised deeply into the Heidelberg Plateau's limestone joining Cobleskill Creek.[4]. The developing karst and cave features provided an alternate path for water to flow into the
History[edit]
Discovery and development[edit]
| External audio | |
|---|---|
 | |
 “Episode 171: Underground Worlds”, Science History Institute |
Howe Caverns is named after farmer Lester Howe, who discovered the cave on May 22, 1842, after noticing that his cows frequently gathered near bushes at the bottom of a hill on hot summer days. Behind the bushes, Howe found a strong, cool breeze emanating from a hole in the Earth. Howe proceeded to dig out and explore the cave with his friend and neighbor, Henry Wetsel, on whose land the cave entrance was located. The cave is a constant temperature of 52 °F (11 °C), irrespective of the outside weather.[6]
Howe opened the cave to eight-hour public tours in 1843, and, as business grew, a hotel was built over the entrance. When Howe encountered financial difficulties, he sold off parts of his property until a limestone quarry purchased the remainder. The quarry's purchase included the hillside, which encompassed the cave's natural entrance.
Eventually, the cave was closed to the public, until an organization was formed in 1927 to reopen it.[7] The organization spent the next two years undertaking development work to create an alternative entrance into the cave. After completion of the work – including elevators, brick walkways, lighting, and handrails – the cave was reopened to visitors on Memorial Day, May 1929.[8]
Developments since 2000[edit]
In 2008, the cave was purchased by a new private concern. In 2011, an adventure park attraction was assembled at the site, and it has been expanded since then.[9][10]
In May 2015, Howe Caverns officials re-opened the natural entrance of the cave to public tours. The newly-opened section of the cavern had not been seen since 1900, as the property had been owned by a succession of cement companies since the late 1800s.[11][12]
Howe Caverns has several tours, including a 90 minute walking tour with a boat ride and a two-and-a-half hour spelunking tour.[13] The expanded tour features the remains of Howe's original tourist boat and signatures in the rock left by 19th-century cavern visitors.[11][14]
Howe Caverns is also a wedding venue. Weddings are performed atop a heart-shaped calcite formation in the cave.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Howe Caverns Science & Geology". Howe Caverns Inc. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "HC Cave Tours". Howe Caverns Inc. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Arthur, Palmer; Paul, Rubin; Margaret, Palmer; Thomas, Engel; Brian, Morgan (12 September 2003). "Karst of the Schoharie Valley, New York" (PDF). New York State Geological Association Field Trip Guidebook (75): 141–176. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Gregg, William (October 1974). "Structural Control Of Cavern Development In Howe Caverns, Schoharie County, New York" (PDF). The NSS Bulletin. 36 (4). Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ Weremeichik, Jeremy; Mylroie, John (1 August 2018). "Glacial Lake Schoharie: An Investigative Study of Glaciolacustrine Lithofacies in Caves, Helderberg Plateau, Central New York" (PDF). Journal of Cave and Karst Studies. 76 (2): 127–138. doi:10.4311/2013ES0117. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ ""FAQ's", Howe Caverns". Archived from the original on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
- ^ Simonson, Mark (31 May 2019). "Backtracking: The Early Years: Re-boot of Howe Caverns was a success in 1929". thedailystar.com. The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ "All About Howe Caverns", Howe Caverns
- ^ "Howe Caverns offers reward for stolen H20Go ball", news10.com, July 9, 2015.
- ^ Adams, Kyle."Howe Caverns wants its ball back", The Daily Gazette, July 10, 2015. Archived August 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Martin, Josh. "Century old cavern to open at Howe Caverns", WBNG News, Binghamton, April 21, 2015 Archived July 11, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hunter, Matt. "New Tour Re-Opens Section of Howe Caverns Closed for 100 Years", twcnews.com, April 21, 2015.
- ^ admin5. "Cave Tours 2021". Howe Caverns Inc. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Nearing, Brian. "Howe Caverns boots up fun", TimesUnion.com, April 21, 2015.
- ^ "Weddings in the Cave!", Howe Caverns
External links[edit]
Category:Caves of New York (state) Category:Limestone caves Category:Show caves in the United States Category:Landforms of Schoharie County, New York Category:Tourist attractions in Schoharie County, New York Category:Museums in Schoharie County, New York Category:Natural history museums in New York (state) Category:Geology museums in New York (state)