Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-05-22

| WHOLE NUMBER JiO.l
REMARKABLE CAVE IN INDIANA.

,en by Ar. Ben AMIN Adams to a gentleman Of
tNshfhcHy in Isis. Il contains an in,eresunc
'>s,if'ioa OF Il remarkable cave IN Indiana.
-. i'dr iehcr requesting description of nv
A''s.' '7t''s en'c has come 10 hant. From the
Faeticoais enumerated IN YOUR REQUEST, ne nr,r.
E'tien en- each point mus, necessarily be ,ery
ii.niaet. 0o 'e's
he cave is situated in the nor,h.wos, ouor,or
% sse.ioh - IN township No. ), OF the second
S's's'Y range IN the district of land offered for
So Z n ) euersonViC. The precise time of its dis
c7'eFF IS diilcult Ia ascertain. have copyersed
VITA several men who had made severaltransieu,
visits 10 the interior OF tho about eleven
years ago, az hich time il must have exhibiteda
very tnterssttnr appearanco-being. TO use their
own pnFascoogy. COVERED LIKE SNOW with Tho
saitS' ~ slis PERIOD, some describe the salts 10
nave oeeh from SIX TO n1ne inches deep on tho
bottom o' the cave, "n winch Jumps OF enormous
SIZE were lnteTsPcrsed, While the Sues presented
the same impressive spectacle. beng covered
with the same production. Naxing liberia, allow
ancc for The by pcr6o,c Of discoveries and ,isno,s
l cannot help thinking that tho interior If Tho
scenery AZ this time. was highly interesting and
extremely picturesque: | formed this opinion
upon conversation with Gen. harrison and Eoi
Floyd who visited the cave ut an early period
and whose intelligence would render them less IL
abe to be deceived by novel appearances.
The hill IN which the cave situated is about
four hundred feet high from the base 10 tho mos,
elevated point; and the prospect 10 the southeast
m clear day is exceeding fine, commanding an
extensive view Of the hills and valleys bordering
on Big Blue River. The top Of the hill is cover
cd principally with oak and cnesnu,. The side
TO Tie southeast IS maniled with cedar The en-
trance IS about midway from the base to the sum
NIT, ard the surJce of tho cave preserves in zen
craI about that observation-disclosures | must nc
knowledge this to be eonjecturai, rs no expert
mcnts have been made with view TO ascertain
the fact. Il is probably owing to this middle sit
uatlon OF the cave that it is much dricr than j.
comnon.
After entering the by an aperture Of
twelve or fifteen fee, wide, and in height, in ono
place, three or four feet, lou descend with low
and gradual Steps into largo and spacious
WHICH continues about e quarter Of mile, pretty
nearly the same IN apPcarance-vary ing in height
from eight 10 thirty feet, and in breadth from ten
to twenty. In this distance the roof Is in
places archet. IN others a piano, and in place
particularly, il resembles inside view OF tho
roof Of house. At the distance above named
F..'.r. -. 81 ~, - 81 ..t e0,n ter
inmates, While the left rises BY fight Of rocky
stairs, nearly ten feet hieh into another story and
pursuing course nj tins place nearly south cast,
Here the roof commences regular arch. tho
height Of which from the noor, varies from five TO
eight feet, end Tho width of the cave from SIX to
twelve icct,-vjjich continues to what is called
,"c "cFeepng place from the circumstance Of
having TO crawl ten or twelve feet into the next
large room. From this place 10 "T'he Pillar, n
Cl5tancc OF about orc mile and quarter the
visitor tiaGs nm alternate succession oi larre md
s'naroonls, vaTionsIv decorated, sometimes noun
ting elevated points By gradual or difficult asccns
aad agaln descending far beow-som lines
travelling on pavement, climbing over hugo
piles Of rocks, detached from the roof by some
CONFUSION If natrre-and thus continues his
route 1nIi he arrives at the sspil!ar.'
The aspect Of this large and stately column az
1t cones IN sight from the dim reflection of the
torches ls grand and impressive. Visitors havc
seldom pushed their crquires further ,han two or
three hundred yards beyond this "pillarn This
column IS about fifteen feet ia diameter, from
twenty 70 thirty feet in hcgh, and regularly rec
dcd from tho top TO The bottom. In the vicinity
Of this spot are some inferior pillars of the same
appearance and texture. Chemically speaking
il ls difficult for TO say what are tho constifu-
ont parts Of these columns, but lime appears 10
be tie base. have thus given you an imperfect
sketch of the mechanical structure and appearance
Of this cave"