Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-09-30
Vol. xviii.

"No man can form the host remote idea OF
this most wonderful of all natures wonders.
except by visit to it, andto describe it. with
all its recent discoveries, would require a vo-
lume. The discoveries made in the cave the
last two years, are, in the estimation of MANY.
better worth seeing than all the cave as pre-
viously known. They consist of numerous
branches or avenues, domes of great size and
beauty, and river terminated bya lake. I'm
| til recently, no person had explored that
branch of the cave in which the bottomless
PIT is situated; now the most interesting and
extensive part of the cave is beyond the pit.
For the discovery we are indebted to a gen-
tleman OF Georgetown named Stevenson lie
ascertaned that the pit was nothing but a
chasm OF great depth extending across the
cave, ard therefore got ladder Of sufficient
! length 10 reach over. On this ladder, this dar-
| ing man, the guide, and some two or three
Others, crossed this deep and frightul chasm,
and on reaching the opposite part, found them
selves i'll a cave of considerable size, which
after exploring TO the distance of two miles
brought them to the celebrated river of the
cave. 1t is in this region of the cave, I'M
known until the last two years, where YOU
meet with the great domes, the cataract, the
river, the lake, and the gigantic stalagmic CO.
lumns. In order TO crafty the numerous visi-
tors with view ofthis deeply interestingsec-
ton ofthe cave, the proprietor has a large and
strong bridge with suitable railways erected
over the bottomless pit; rocks have been reno
we'd SO as to render walking pleasant in the
different avenues, stair-stcps have been placed
where required, boats are in readiness for those
who feel inclined to take the aquatic excur-
sions OH the river, and Bengal lights can be
had nv Such wish ia tbo.
spectacle which is exhibited by an iIlumina-
ton of the various domes.
"l'he river is three miles from the mouth of
the cave. Where your first strike. il is not
very wide, but of great depth as you descend
1t becomes wider; and 1t has gentle current.
l have never descended the river more than
hall mile, but it is from the point where YOU
first see 1t to the lake five miles and Mr. Go
rim, highly respectable lawyer, and former
Representative OF Warren county, informs me
that there Is suiiiciency of water in this riv-
or to float the largest class of steamboats, Ii
Is IN this river where those fish without ewes
have been found. IL was the opinion of Pro-
lessor Davidson, OF Pennsylvania University,
(who wrote pamphlet respecting the cave,)
that these fish had eyes and were blinded
by light; in other words. that the apparent
want OF eyes arose from the sudden contrac-
ton OF that organ, occasoned by the stimulus
OF light. This is not the case Professor of
the Louisville Institution anatomical the head
otdhis fish and he says there is no indication of
there being such an organ. The lake of the
cave has Yevcr been explored some rev lave
attempted 1t, but they have become alarmed
and abandoned the enterprise. Stevenson, of
Georgetown, vcntured farther on it than any
other person. He passed while OH it, am
told, the mouths of four rivers or caves filled
with water. 1t is of great depth, and is sup
posed of great width. This, however, con-
ceive doubtful, as cannot conceive of the ex-
istence of an arch of sufficient expansion to
admit of lake of great dimensions. In des-
cending the river to the lake, the mouths of a
great many caves were seen, all of which are
to be explored-.MisS. Free Trader