The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1816-10-02
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GDiSreitaitr
MAMMOTH CAVE.
ynoa THE woacEsrxa sss.

"a
Description Of me greaf Gaze in tYairsn
County, Ksntneky. sst,
Extract Of letter from gentleman residehs
in the Western Country, (Dr. NAstM
WARp) TO his friend 10 this county, giving.
an account Of an excursion into kehluesy
in the fall Of last year--dsted Msrie,tsb
Ohio, April :, 1916. H
"The country for considerable distance
round the cave is not mountainous, yet broken
and rolling. 1t was seven In the evening
when I reached the hospiiable mansion 1T
Mr. MIXER, [ihc overseer OF Msssrs. wilkins
and Crs,z, in whose land the cave opens3
who net me at the gate, and, ss he ahticipat-
ed my object bade ms velccms 70 oil
house afforded. ~
During the evening, Mr.. Hi'ler thads htx
rangemen,s for my visiting, the cave hexc
morning, by procuring me two guides, laitiba
&c. could hardly rest during tho night uo
much had my suriosi,y been excited BY ny
hosts account OF the regular confusion IN thts
subtcrrsneous world.
~ iength lathe morning, flcit tho hoGsts
in company With my guides, sskine *jih b.
two large lamps, compass, and sonethinE
for ref, ,eshment; and entered The cave hbtuf
sixty rods from the house, dawn through
pit forty fee, deep, and 100 in circurnierentcb
at the bottom OF which is a fine spring OK "s@
ter. When at the bottom Of this pit, you ara
at tho entrance Of the care, which opebs %
the north. and is from forty 10 ff,y feet highs
aud abou, thirty in width, for upwards os scr"
ty rods, when il 10 not more than ten ieea
wide end five feet high However, this tona
tinues but sbo,t distance, when Il expands
to thirty or forty feet in width, and 10 abots
twenty in height for aboct enc mile, Until yo't
come TO the first hoppers where salt peirc IL
MANI nufactured. Thence IL is about forty feca
in width and sixty in height TO the scecnS
hoppcrs, two miles from the entrance. Th@
loose lime stone has been laid op into hsnd-
some walls, on either side, almost the whole
distance from tho entrance 10 tho second hop|
pers. The road is hard, and as smooth a.
flag pavement. The walls OF the cavern ero
pcrpcodlcular in every passage that lravefs.
ed the arches arc regular in every part, and
have bid defiance even to earthquakes. Ono
Of my guides informed me he was at the Sec
ond hoppers in 1912, with seversl workmeDi
when those heavy shoeks came on which
were so severely fo.t In this coun,ry. Ho
said that about five minutes before the shock
a heavy tumbing noise was heard coming
out The cave like mighty wind ; that when
that ceased, the rocks cracked, and oil appear
cd to be going In moment TO final dcstruc-
tioD --iIowever, no one was injured, although
large rocks fell in some parts Of tho cave.
AS you advance into the cave, the avenuo
leads from the second hopper, west, one nilcJ
thence s. w. to tho chief city, which is sig
miles from the entrance This csenue IL
from 60 to 100 feet in height and about tho
same in width, and whole distance after you
leave the second hoppers, until yon come to
the cross roads, or chief city, and Is near'y
upon level the floor or bottom being coy
cred with loose lime stonc and salt petfo
esr,b.--Whsa reached this immencc arcsi
(chicf city, which contains upwards OF eighty
acres, without single pillar 70 support the
arch which Is entire over the whole, vas
struck dumb with astonishmeni.
can give you but faint idea Of this CHIEF
city. No,hing under heaven can be more
sublime and grand than this place covered
with one solid arch st lesst one hundred ieee
high, and TO all appearance entire.
hhcr entering the chief city, perceived
five large avenues leading out Of II, from On
10 100 feet iu width, srd from % to 90 in
height. The walls (sl s,one) ara arehcd,
and arc from 30 10 so feet In perpebdieular
height before the arch erameuces.
The Hrst which I traverscd, alter epitior
arrow. on the stones under our feet, poiniine
10 The mouth of,hs esvc, fir Ne, ~s eid this