A VISIT TO THE MAMMOTH CAVE, KENTUCKY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 55, 17 July 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

A VISIT TO THE MAMMOTH CAVE, KENTUCKY.

By a Peestoxian. This gigantic freak of nature is situated 95 miles from Louisville, Kentucky, and is reached by a ride of 84 miles on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to Cave City station, and a stage drive of nine miles beyond. There is an hotel near the mouth of the cave, with accommodation for 200 guests, and there, in ordinary seasons, assemble people from all countries, attracted by the fame of this king of caves ; but this season will (unfortunately for the proprietors) be an exception to the general rule. Men’s minds are too much occupied with the din of war to care much about natural curiosities; although the State of Kentucky is still quiet, it is surrounded by the burning lava of war. which may at any moment burst its bounds and overspread this beautiful country.* The Mammoth Cave was discovered some 60 years ago, by a huutcr, who chased a wolf into the entrance, then thickly overgrown with wood. It was a hot morning last June, that tiio writer, with a friend, and “Nick,” a negro guide, started to explore the cave, having first secured a basket of provisions, four lamps, and some Bengal lights. The thermometer stood at 85 degrees in the shade, but on approaching the entrance to the cave its near presence was felt by the sensible and agreeable change of temperature, until coming opposite the mouth, when the cool air came out with a rush, like a current of air passing through an ice-house. The temperature inside the cave is said to remain at 59 degrees all the year round. The entrance presented a large, dark, and irregular, gloomylooking vault; but after descending an incline for a short distance, we entered the main avenue, fire miles in length, from forty to sixty feet in height, and from fifty to one hundred feet in width. In one part are the remains of three or four huts, where, many years ago, a kind of hospital was established, on the supposition that the dry state of the air and even the temperature might be beneficial to some of the “ills that flesh is heir to but the experiment failed, the parties, no doubt, finding that the light of the sun was absolutely necessary to the preservation of health. During the war of 1812, these peaceful haunts resounded with the busy hum of men, and the lowing of oxen, for the purpose of manufacturing saltpetre. The vats and wooden pipes are still in a good state of preservation; even the hoofs of the oxen and the ruts of the cart wheels are visible in the clay, now hard and dry as stone, and in one spot we picked up some fragments of Indian cob corn, where the oxen had been fed. The top of the cave was in some places perfectly smooth and white, as if plastered ; in others, coloured with various dark shades, presenting grotesque figures, as an Indian and his squaw, spread eagle, ant-eater, &.c. In another, the roof, which was one hundred feet in height, was fretted with small glittering spots, resembling the starry heavens on a bright clear night, which, by a little artistic skill of the guide, became overcast by a dark cloud, and the moon appeared to rise in a far distant part of the cave. This scenic display of “Nick’s” was perfection. The sides of the cave presented an endless variety of fantastic forms, cut and shaped with all the lines of oddity as well as beauty, and bore evident proof of being formed by the action of water, at some remote period, when a great river must have rolled through these caves. Another avenue of two miles in length, and about the same as the other in height and width, contained some immense stalactites, forming a venerable Gothic chapel, with pulpit complete ; when illuminated by a Bengal light, the interior of York Cathedral and Westminister Abbey sink into insignificance when compared with this gorgeous spectacle. Enormous columns, formed by the dripping of water, support the massive roof, covered with an endless variety of apparently carved work of the most complicated description. “Nick” said a marriage was solemnized here some years ago by a romantic couple, who persuaded a clergyman to officiate on the occasion. The lady had it appeal's, promised her mother that she would never marry a man on th a face of the earth , so (as Nick said with a chuckle) she went into the earth, and thereby got a husband and kept her vow at the same time. Continuing our journey we arrived at what appeared to be the cud of the cave in that direction, but the guide entered a narrow slit in the rock called “ Eat Man’s Misery.” Now the writer has a rotundity of form ; hence he thought this was the termination of his travels, but by going sideways he managed to squeeze through, and came out into the Eat Man’s Misery, only three feet high from which we passed into the Happy Relief, a large roomy hall. We then began to dcsend, and the tinkling of water was heard in the distance. A short walk brought us to the river Styx, a dark and gloomy-looking water, which we crossed by a wooden bridge. Near this was the “Bottomless Pit,” down which we threw a blazing piece of paper, and watched it fly from one side to the other nut" it reached the bottom, 100 feet below. A little further and we came to a small lake, over which we crossed in a boat continuing on for about a mile through a variety of immense vaults, and among huge rocks hanging over the roof and spreading over the floor of the cave in wild disorder, as if shaken by an earthquake, while at other places the rock was smooth and worked as if with a chisel presenting in one case a beaut'Ail arch, which, having no pat ticular name, we called “Victoria Bridge,” and Nick promised to jot that down for the benefit of future explorers. Echo river was tiieii reached ;it takes its name from the remarkable echoes that may he heard. A shout or pistol shot is| repeated 20 or 00 times, until thesound dies away in the distance. In winter, or

•Matxii, ISG2.—The vicinity of the Cave since tins time has been the scene of bloodshed and strife, Bowling Green, Green, Cumberland Rivers, and “Fort Donnelson,” all places of note during the fratricidal war, arc at no groat distance. As an incident of tlie present war, and in connection with my visit to the Mammoth Cave, I may relate that my companion explorer referred to above, when travelling through Michigan some three months afterwards, was pounced upon by tlie United States police as a spy or one giving aid to the Confederate Stales, and without a trial was burned olf to Fort Layfayettc, from thence to Fort Warren, where bo was confined for about three months; but finally liberated at the instance of Lord Lyons. A heavy- claim lias been made upon the American government for his unwarrantable imprisonment. My friend is a British subject and bolds a commission in the Canadian Militia

during great floods in the rivers without the cave, this one rises and fills the cave for many miles, high as the roof, rendering that portion impassible. Entering a flat bottomed boat; we pushed ourselves along a distance of three quarters of a mile through the most intricate passages under shelving rocks, where we had to lie down in the bottom of the boat,- then out into a large high tunnel, or into an immense dome, which when illuminated by a Bengal light, shone as if sparkling with a canopy of diamonds The river is 400 feet below the surface of the earth and is in many places forty feet deep ; it is celebrated as containing the eyeless flsh, one cf which our guide caught along with two small cray fish. We examined them closely when alive, but no vestige of an eye could be seen. The writer brought them away as trophies, and now has them preserved iu spirits. We travelled on until we reached a point six miles from the mouth of the cave, when the writer’s lamp shewed signs of extinction, and on asking the guide for oil he said he had none, and the deposit was three miles beyond. This was rather startling news, for we had crossed the river, the boat was consequently on onr side, no oue therefore could reach us without a boat, and should all the lamps go out, to return was impossible. “Nick” “guessed” that the lamps would hold out, but we had no faith, and commenced a retreat at a good pace ; but upon approaching Echo river, “Nick” was observed to kick the saud near a shelving rock, ami out came a bottle of oil, which ho had deposited there a year before ; it was white and thick, but after softening it, we were able to trim all the lamps, and go on our way with satisfaction. After re-crossing the river, we turned down a branch of the cave where we had to crawl upon our hands and knees for several hundred feet, until we came to “Mammoth Dome,” 100 feet in height, the sides quite perpendicular, with immense groved pillars, formed by running water, which was still dripping down the sides. Another avenue brought us to “Gorham’s Dome,” and the guide told us to place ourselves before an openin'* in the rock, much like a small window. He then disappeared with all the lamps, and shortly after an immense hall was gradually brought into view 200 feet in height, and of great extent. The sides, by the action of the water, have been worked into immense columns, with fretted cornices of the most complicated kind, as if touched by the chisel of an accomplished sculptor. The roof was hung with stalactites, and as the water oozed down the side, which glistened and reflected back the Ben -ml light thousands of times, it presented a picture of dazzling splendour, of which no words can give even a faint idea. Another part of (he cave was called the “Hall of Monuments.” These consisted of pyramids of stones piled up by visitors. Canada, England, and other countries had its pile, also most of the Stales of the Union. Here was Maine in close proximity to South Carolina, Alabama, with Massachusetts, and so ou. Little did the builders think that hi a few years they or their children would be at deadly slriffi with each other, and that the “Glorious Union” would be famished by (he blood of its citizens. “Washington Hall,” another famous dome of lofty dimension?, was next visited, the roof of which was covered with line pointed spar resembling frost work, which when illuminated, shed forth myriads of brilliant scintillal ions. Wo did not go as far’as the “Maclslromc,” which is nine miles from the entrance of the cave. It is described as a terrible-looking pit of unknown depth. It is said to bare been explored by a young man some years ago,‘but the guide doubted (he truth of his statement. We were told that to visit the Mammoth Cave, with all its branches, a person must walk a distance of 90 miles ; as there is only one entrance, the ground must be gone twice over, making the extent of the cave 15 miles in length. We, of course, only got a cursory glance at some of its principal points of attraction, and came out after a six hours’ visit, having walked about 11 miles. On emerging from the mouth, wc found the heat overpowering; the sudden change from 59 to 90 degrees was much like going into an oven. This spring another large cave was discovered about seven miles from the Mammoth Cave. It has been explored for many miles, and is full of immense stalactites, yet free from the hands of destroyers, who in the Mammouth Cave have broken and carried oil hundreds of rare curiosities. Myles Pexnixgtox.