In the Beautiful Papoose Chamber

Located in the rugged foothills of southeastern New Mexico is situated one of our most unique and most recently proclaimed national parks. The caves of Carlsbad Caverns National Park are the largest that have ever been explored anywhere in the world.

How they were discovered is an interesting story. Jim White, a cowboy on a New Mexico ranch, saw one day a dark, moving column issuing from the ground. Investigation revealed that the column was bats and the place they came from "the blackest hole I had ever seen." This was in 1901. With a young Mexican boy, White made extensive explorations of this cavern after which he shared his discovery with many visitors. In October, 1923, the Federal Government, by proclamation of President Coolidge, established the site as a National Monument, and later, May 14, 1930, by an act of Congress, the area became the Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

A series of openings in a massive limestone deposit, the chambers and passageways are marvels of beauty, a dramatic lighting system augmenting the natural beauty to be found here. The galleries and passages have not all been explored but at present there are about seven miles of underground corridors and great chambers that are open to visitors.

The Papoose Chamber is a beautiful little room that was opened to the public in the summer of 1932. Though one of the smaller chambers, it presents a very dramatic appearance with its myriad sculptured effects hanging from the ceiling. The general term used to designate such iciclelike formations is stalactite. They are the work of surface water working drop by drop and have probably been bulding for millions of years.